Small/medium size businesses and nonprofits have a tremendous amount to gain by utilizing social networks. When working with a small team and limited resources, one must make full use of any opportunity to develop new business and new supporters. Used as relationship building tools, social networking can help you expand and further develop your network.
Nielsen's "Trust in Advertising" consumer report tells us that 78% of consumers trust the recommendations of other consumers. This means the more you have your cients/supporters talking positively about you, the better. How to get them to talk about you? Well, obviously provide a quality product/service. But in addition, encourage talk about you. Get the conversation going. Be in the consiousness of your consumers/supports to promote the possibility that they will reference you or talk about you.
How do you start the conversation? How do you place yourself in the consciousness of your cients/supporters? Holding events and going to coffee all the time are time consuming and expensive. Social networking is an efficient and low cost solution.
Recommendations for effective use of social networking to grow your business:
- Focus on developing relationships, not self promotion. Do you appreciate hanging out with salesy people? Then don't be one, in person or online.
- Be helpful. Provide suggestions, advice and leads to resources. Do so both in your specific field and with life issues in general.
- Mix your online and your offline networking efforts.
- Find offline events through online efforts,
- Meet online colleagues offline,
- Further develop offline relationships through online social networking.
- Mix your personal and professional worlds. Decide what you are comfortable sharing with your full network. And then share it!
