How to jumpstart your social media presence and create long-term client relationships

By Amanda L. Cole

Three Keys to Social Media Success

Mark Graham, CEO of RIGHTSLEEVE, advised social media users to keep three things in mind as they post to their business pages: Be visible, be interesting and be helpful. "If the distributor getting on social keeps those three things in mind, then they're going to be very successful," he said.

Many social media users like to scope out what others are doing without contributing to the social atmosphere, but that doesn't work when you're trying to build business. Graham suggested making your company visible on social media to allow others to know you are there. "It's kind of like walking into a party and not talking to anyone, and just going and hanging out in the corner," he said. "Then at a party, you would be invisible, and the value you would get out of that party would be next to nothing."

Still, that doesn't mean people want to hear bragging or mundane facts about your business. On social media, fans or followers are looking for interesting posts. If they don't find you or your business engaging, it's easy to unlike or unfollow your page. "If your content is spammy or you're just trying to sell to people all the time, then chances of people enjoying your content are pretty slim," Graham explained. "If your content is interesting and personable and accessible, sort of real and authentic, then you're going to stand out."

At the same time, you have to be helpful, so socialize with your fans and followers. Graham recommended connecting people, weighing in on discussions, answering questions and showing an interest in your followers and fans. "This idea of being helpful, I think, is very critical because you can be visible and also be interesting, but it is possible for you to be not helpful at all. [...] Are you furthering the conversations or is it kind of like a take, take, take?" he said.

With Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and many other social media platforms available, it may be overwhelming to think about having a presence on each of them, or even to choose which ones would be beneficial to business. The easy solution would be to ignore them and hope that social media's popularity dissipates. But that's not happening anytime soon. If you want to find your current clients, gain new customers and generate sales using a new medium, consider these social media tips.

Claim Your Brand
According to a Pew Research Center study, 73 percent of adults use at least one social networking site, while 42 percent use more than one. An eMarketer report indicated that 87 percent of U.S. marketers used social media for marketing in 2013. Those numbers are encouraging, but don't feel the need to jump on every social network. "I would definitely say to start small and then build," said Mandy Kilinskis, content/social team manager for Quality Logo Products Inc., Aurora, Ill. "Get yourself on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ just for the sake of people kind of expect you to be there."

It's 2014. Many potential clients are searching for and scoping out companies on the Web before placing orders. Your brand won't likely reach Coca-Cola's 84 million Facebook fans or Samsung Mobile's 8.9 million Twitter followers-the top brand on each respective platform-but with business-to-business interaction, you don't need to aim that high. Jason Moreau admits Amsterdam Printing, a distributor based in Amsterdam, N.Y., doesn't obtain the interaction levels of a business-to-consumer company, but its social media pages are easily accessible when a client needs to reach out.

"I think it's peace of mind knowing we're in all of those channels and that we will respond to you," said Moreau, Amsterdam's vice president of information technologies. "If you post something up there, you're going to get a response the same day. It's another way for people to contact us whether it's a customer just shouting out that they got a great product and their customers love it, or 'Hey, I've got a problem, and I'm going to direct message you on Facebook because that's where I'm most comfortable having that conversation."

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Amanda L. Cole Author's page

Amanda L. Cole is the editor-in-chief of NonProfit PRO. She was formerly editor-in-chief of special projects for NonProfit PRO's sister publication, Promo Marketing. Contact her at acole@napco.com.

Socializing for Sales