Do You Want My Money Or Not?

A few months ago I was in a forum and saw a lady complaining that social media doesn’t work. She said she was a writer and hadn’t sold anything from all of her online networking.  I was curious so I decided to check out her profile. 

She had no website listed.  Her profile said nothing about her chosen career.  In fact her profile consisted of approximately one paragraph saying how she enjoyed connecting with new people and was hoping to change the world.  I decided to look through her newsfeed.  I saw a few personal rants and some idle chit chat.  That’s it. Nothing more.  To this day, I’m left wondering what type of writer she was and what she had to sell.  I’m NOT left wondering why social media wasn’t working for her.

All too often entrepreneurs get caught up in the moment of networking and they forget to be purposeful about it.  Humanizing your brand is important.  It’s important to be social and meet new people.  It’s equally important to let people know what you do for a living and what you want to accomplish with your networking efforts.

“It’s not who you know. It’s who knows you and knows what you do for a living.”

Earlier this summer, a friend of mine was considering signing her little girl up for horseback riding lessons.  She started searching online. Do you know what she found?  Some yellow page listings and one really bad website.  She ended up having to call around and leave a bunch of messages just so she could find out what services a few places offered and costs involved.  Then she ended up driving around and personally checking out local horse stables.  Thankfully for the little girl, this lady was committed to getting these lessons.  Most people would have simply given up.  I heard her say one day…

“Geesh! Do they want my money or not?!”

Are you wondering why you aren’t getting more business from your social media efforts? Here are 5 things you can do to make yourself more visible online and encourage people to buy from you:

1.       Website: The very first thing you need is a good website you keep updated. Don’t just throw up a free site with some generic information and forget about it.  If your website is still sharing information from an event you had in 2012 then it’s not doing you any favors. If it takes 5 minutes to load or is difficult to use, you’re in trouble as well.  And since 46% of searches use mobile exclusively to research brands, you’d better make certain your site is mobile friendly!

2.       Social Media Sites: Sites like Facebook and Twitter are great places to share information about what’s happening in your business, the services you have to offer and even the culture of your brand.  81% of shoppers research your brand before making a  purchase so your social media profiles and status updates are a great way for you to gain some control over what they find out you when they research. According to Forbes, 82% of your customers trust you more if they can find you on social media sites and 81% just simply expect you to have a social media presence.  Its becoming more and more evident that social media is absolutely NO LONGER AN OPTION!

3.       Profiles: It’s important to have profiles that clearly state who you are, what you do and why you do it.  Share keyword rich information about yourself and your business. Explain the services you provide and offer links to your additional social sites and other places where potential clients can learn more about you.

4.       Photos:  Share photos of your location, your physical products and anything that would help your potential clients visualize what you have to offer and what your brand stands for.  Sites like Pinterest and Instagram are the fastest growing social sites today. Consumers are becoming more visual and you can truly gain a competitive edge if you are willing to meet their needs for visual information.

5.       Video: YouTube is now the #2 search engine in the world! Using video on landing pages can increase conversion rates by up to 86%.  In fact your website is 50 times more likely to appear on the first page of a search engine results page if it includes video. It’s evident why successful businesses have come to the realization that video is a great way to get the right kind of visibility online. 

When was the last time you reviewed your online presence?  Can potential clients easy find and buy from you? Or are they still asking themselves, “Does this person want my money or not?”

Contact us today if you would like some assistance in creating a more purposeful online experience!