Written by: Samantha Touchais, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
I have been a Facebook user for years, and I find it is the best way to keep up with family and friends when the country I originally come from is a 27-hour flight away from where I now live. But I was initially hesitant to use it for business. It felt too much like a hard sell and made me feel too vulnerable. I watched as successful business owners connected with their audience over things that seemed very personal, and I balked at the idea of sharing my innermost thoughts and desires with strangers.
But over the last few years, I have accepted that social media is where the marketing magic lies. It's a fabulous way for many business owners and entrepreneurs to connect with their ideal clients and customers and develop a relationship with them, which is one of the most crucial elements of the sales funnel. It’s what moves a stranger from not knowing who you are down the funnel towards becoming a loyal customer.
With anything I don’t truly understand but that I feel I should use, I don’t just do a quick bit of research. I throw myself in headfirst and don’t come back out again until I have explored the subject at its greatest depth. And this is what I did with social media. I spent hours studying the best platforms for the various type of businesses that my clients own. I explored the best ways to connect and represent your personal brand, depending on your industry. I researched the best frequency, times, and places to post on the different social media channels.
But my biggest learning through all of this was not about when or where to post, how often, or how many followers you needed to have. It was about the tone of the content you posted and the message that was the most likely to connect with your target audience.
You never know who is reading your posts. It is also not always easy to know exactly which content will do better than the other ideas you have floating around in your head. Even though marketing is not an exact science, I have figured out a way to create posts that explode across the internet, and it comes down to this; know who your target is, know where they are on social media and when, and know what problem it is that you can solve for them. Then post with the intention of connection, to show understanding, expertise, and most importantly, that you are the one offering them the best solution.
Content is king, but hashtags are super important, and getting the frequency right for your posts.
So what can you do when it comes to building a business or personal brand via social media to ensure that you really connect with your audience in a meaningful and ultimately effective way? Know who to talk to and know how to talk to them.
Who is your ideal client or customer?
What is their biggest fear or problem that you can help them overcome?
What keeps them awake at night worrying because they can’t seem to find a solution?
How can you help them create magic in their lives?
Once you are really clear on who you are talking to, what problem you can solve for them, and the action you need them to take, then you need to really think long and hard about what you need to say to them. And this is what the hottest social media stars are getting right: They are having a personal direct conversation with their followers in a way that is meaningful to their audience, and that inspires them to take action.
How can you do this too? It’s actually very easy. Imagine your ideal client or customer was in front of you right now. Close your eyes and imagine them there with you. What do they look like? What are their needs? Now imagine what you would say to them if you were having a conversation with them. What topics would you talk to them about? What problems would you help them solve? What solutions would you offer them? Have you got any pearls of wisdom you could share with them?
This is exactly the same conversation you need to be having via social media. I know that the internet can seem faceless, and I think there is way too much emphasis on the number of likes posts receive or how many followers one has. What matters is the conversation you are having—the thoughts and ideas you are sharing with your audience. For a business to successfully utilize social media as a marketing strategy, there are probably not as many people you need to connect with as you would think. You should be seeking quality and not quantity, but it is easy to forget that when social media is viewed as a measure of one’s popularity.
So before you post again on your favorite social platform, think about what your ideal customer or client would want to talk to you about in a face to face meeting, and then post about that. You will only convert clients and customers to your business when you connect with them in a meaningful way, and what better way to connect than through showing them you hear them, you understand what they are going through, and you know how to help them.
You can find Samantha on her website, wellbeingseries, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn! Read more from Samantha!
Samantha Touchais, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Samantha Touchais is a Business and Mindset Coach helping women create a safe and secure path to launching their dream business by providing them with the support and tools to make it a success. She has over 20 years of marketing and strategy experience working for large international companies worldwide. Her love of how the mind works and how to create the right mindset for success led her into coaching. She lives and breathes marketing and mindset and loves sharing her learnings with others. Author of four books and the creator of the Well Being Series (a collection of apps and books that provide meditations and affirmations for well-being based on the latest neuro-science), she loves exploring Europe, where she has been for the last 14 years, but misses the beaches of her native Australia.
