Do you really need more social media followers?
I hear from health and fitness professionals quite often that they are working on getting more social media followers. They want to know things like how to get people to share their posts, and get more likes and comments.
I think most business owners feel this way, but here’s the thing…
Growing your social media following is great, but it’s only an effective business-building tool when you have a strategy behind it.
If you are growing your fan base, but you don’t have anything in place to entice, engage and encourage them to take action, what is the point in having a large following?
And if you are using social media mostly for selling your programs and services, that isn’t a strategy that will work long-term either (you will lose many of the fans and followers you have worked so hard to gain).
This topic came up while I was at the Traffic and Conversion Summit in San Diego a couple of weeks ago. This event is hosted by Digital Marketer with over 3,000 people in attendance, and it was uh-mazing! I promised I would share some of the tips and strategies I learned, so today I’m sharing one of the biggest take-aways for you.
Here I am 🙂 Geeky lanyard, and all.
One of my BIGGEST takeaway from the entire three days comes back to social media and the results you are getting, AND it’s one of THE most important things you can do to build your business.
Hint: It’s not techie, flashy, complicated or even some big new ‘breakthrough’ strategy…BUT…it IS missing in most people’s marketing plan – then they wonder why their strategy isn’t working.
This one foundational strategy can make a huge difference in your business, and it’s so incredibly simple that you can start doing it today without any special training, knowledge or area of expertise.
Curious?
This takeaway isn’t new to me, but it was presented in a way that really solidified it for me. Truthfully, it was such a “DUH” moment because it is so ridiculously simple:
Give high-value, usable content BEFORE you ask people to buy from you.
Simple concept, right? And the perfect place to do this is on social media.
BUT… most business owners aren’t doing this. People are afraid to give their information away for free, and that comes from a scarcity mentality, not an abundance mentality. The more you give, the more you get in return.
I’m not saying to give your coaching programs away for free. I AM saying to post some of your best content (via blog posts, guest blog posts, videos, eGuides, online publications, etc.) that your target audience will find incredibly helpful and valuable. Become the go-to person for information on that topic, in the format that appeals to you the most (not everyone loves doing videos).
Think about some of the people you follow that you like the most. Chances are, you follow them because they add value to your life in some way.
So, how do YOU do this?
Ryan Deiss (co-founder of Digital Marketer) explained it beautifully by saying that you need to focus on building ‘relational equity’ with your audience and your prospects.
Here is how Ryan explained it:
You can build relational equity with these four methods:
#1 Make them laugh – Comedy goes a long way (we like people who make us laugh).
#2 Make them cry – Cause them to have an emotional experience.
#3 Make them feel like they are a part of something – Your online community perhaps.
#4 Deliver actual value in advance (before you ask for money).
You don’t have to do all four of these things, but #4 needs to be a top priority – deliver actual value before you ask people to buy.
You need to have a system in place that builds a relationship with customers and prospects – just like you would in real life. What a concept, right?
Social media is a great platform for you to be able to showcase what you do and how you can help. Focus on giving, as much as you can, so that when you do ask people to invest in your programs and services, they will already know, like, and trust you.
The people that are in this ‘warm market’ are much more likely to spend money on your offerings, because they already know a bit about you, and what you offer.
When you give away some of your best content for free, people can’t even imagine how great your paid stuff will be. Keep them wanting more!
Yes, I told you it was simple,
But here’s the thing…
Most of your competitors are TOTALLY missing the boat on this!
Let me give you one example.
If you have an eGuide (or recipe guide) that you are selling for $9 – $19, you can make a much bigger impact by offering it for FREE to grow your email list. Focus on building that relational equity, and positioning yourself as an expert, rather than just continually sending people to your website to purchase your recipe guide.
Having low-priced programs and products are part of a great funnel strategy. But if all you have is one item to sell (such as a recipe guide), you would be better off using that guide as a free offer to invite people into your world. Imagine how many people would share your awesome free guide with their friends and followers (be sure to ask them to do so).
You want to have an offer to introduce people to after they opt-in for your free guide, but your free offer needs to be good enough for people to feel like they ‘have to have it!’
You can definitely implement an upsell strategy when you’re able to. In the example above, if your eGuide is free, then you can offer an upsell for a paid guide that is more extensive, or another program or product that is related to the topic of the guide they opted in for. So, first would be a free eGuide, then the next step could be a low-priced item ($7 – $19).
Remember, your cold audience doesn’t know you yet (plus, they are skeptical), so why would they pull out their credit card and spend their money on your offer? You have to earn their trust first.
Offer something awesome for free, and then follow up with a series of 5-7 emails (for more on this topic, including scripts you can use, CLICK HERE).
For the people that are already on your email list, give them a lot of love too. It’s not just about the newcomers – I like to give freebies to everyone from time to time as my way of expressing thanks for being a part of my world.
So, back to my question at the beginning of this post:
Do you need more social media followers?
Increasing your circle of influence is always a good idea, but it’s only an effective business strategy when you have the right pieces of the puzzle in place.
Social media is the vessel with which you showcase what you are about, what you offer, and how you can help people. The key is to offer something great to your audience – something that will help them solve a pressing problem of theirs.
What is one thing you can do this week to offer INCREDIBLE value to your audience?
Post your comments below and let me know what you are currently doing or what you plan to do.
Speaking of freebies…If you’re a certified health coach, be sure to grab YOUR freebie before you leave – Your very own customizable Discovery Session Guide to use for a successful initial client consultation. You’ll get a complete outline, plus scripting, so you know what to say every step of the way.
>> CLICK HERE for your FREE guide <<
