by Reba J. Hoffman, Ph.D.
 |
| Don't balk at social media! |
When
I was first told I needed to get into social media, I balked. I mean, why would
anyone want to read about the fact that I got up this morning and put my
contact lenses in and let the dog lick me in the mouth, or that I prefer movie
theaters where I'm in charge of putting my own butter on my popcorn?
Useless,
wasteful jibber-jabber. The only saving grace was that Twitter only allowed 160
characters of it.
I
fought the whole social media as a marketing tool for a long time. And with
good reason. Even in a short quip, no one wants to be sold. All those companies
who once spent millions to "sell" you in TV commercials have now
hired social media marketers who bombard your feeds with why you should buy
from them. |
| Don't confuse Social Media with Social Marketing! |
But,
just like the interruption TV marketing, they've got it all wrong. As an
entrepreneur, a writer, or a business owner, you shouldn't try to sell them at all. You should
try to build a relationship with them. If they like you, they'll buy from you.
When they know and trust you, they'll recommend you and your books,
products or services.
Social
Media is not a business task you check off your "to-do" list. If you
treat it that way, those who follow you will see right through that and
will soon un-follow you. If you built up a degree of trust, you'll quickly lose
it and, once you do, it's almost impossible to get it back.
That's
why I tell everyone; DON'T DO SOCIAL MEDIA!!!!
The
key is to CONNECT with them. Learn about them. What challenges do they have?
Why are they pursuing what they do? If you're a writer, how do your readers
feel? What's going on in their world?
Why
do you care? Because if you don't care, you're doing the wrong thing with the
wrong people. If you're a writer and don't give a hoot about those who pick up
your books, do the world a favor and become a hermit. If you are a women's
coach and you don't feel anything when they tell you about their fear, look for
another profession as quickly as you can.
Technology
is GREAT, but as human beings, we long for and deserve connection, not to be
bombarded with sales tactics through the free medium of social media platforms.
I learned this valuable lesson from my good friend, Edie
Melson, author of the new book: Connections: Social Media & Networking Techniques for Writers Here's the link for the ebook. In fact, I feel so strongly
about this message, I interviewed her last night at the My Book Therapy Open House.
If
you want to learn how you DON'T DO SOCIAL MEDIA, you really
should listen to this one hour event. I've learned so much from Edie about how to connect with friends
around the world, I was transformed from a "I hate and will never do
social media ever!" to a lover of connecting with those who want to make a
difference in this world.
It's
free and open to everyone, but particularly for writers and those with a dream
of being a published novelist. Here's the link to listen:
http://www.anymeeting.com/
http://www.anymeeting.com/
I
urge you to come and learn how to connect so you can also say: DON'T
DO SOCIAL MEDIA!
Reba J. Hoffman is the founder and president of Magellan Life Coaching (www.magellanlifecoaching.com). She holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Counseling and is a natural encourager. She serves as Member Care Coach for My Book Therapy and is the author of Dare to Dream, A Writer’s Journal. You can connect with Reba through her motivational blog, Finding True North, or by email at reba@magellanlifecoaching.com. You can also follow her on Twitter at @RebaJHoffman.
Looking forward to seeing you at the Blue Ridge Christian Writer's Conference. I enjoyed your classes last year. Blogging started for me through my daughter who is a teacher. She said I should try it so I could share some of my stories. Some people say blogs should be short and sweet. Mine are long and usually deal with an issue or a topic. I do really enjoy it. I used it to publish a free Biblical book on the End Time from a bible perspective. After posting it I realized it had to much biography and not many people made it to part seven. If they read none of the rest of it they need to read that part. My blog deals a lot with personal finances and it has helped me write a book, one blog at a time. That is a good enough reason to blog. I have not pushed mine. I am more interested in having people read it that want to read it than getting hits. It has amazed me though how far it can spread (most of my readers are from Russia, Germany and Singapore for some reason) It's amazing how it builds speed as it goes. The neat thing is that linking it to twitter and Facebook allows followers to check out your new post. I get a surge of hits every time I make a new post. Knowing your sharing with people all over the world is a neat feeling. It also gives us the opportunity to learn from people all over the world.
ReplyDeleteLoved reading about what you're doing Ric. Keep up the great work!
DeleteI used to loathe social media, but since you've taught me how to speed up the process and do what is needed, not just everything, I actually feel less overwhelmed. As for blogging, I love it. Thanks for introducing me to the world of social media in a way that I enjoy!
ReplyDeleteMIchelle, you're one of my star pupils! I love the way you've taken what works for you and implemented it into your platform strategy. Blessings, E
DeleteI listened and it was great content. Now to get myself in gear and get those blog post written. Think I'm going to do 1 a week. Tried more and never could get around to it. Thanks you two for help us non-techys out here.
ReplyDeletePat, I'm sure you have your hands full with novel writing. Sometimes, you can't think of anything to say in a blog post because you're spending your time in an imaginary world with people who only exist in your mind. That being said, I'm sure your novels will be a smashing success and your readers will want to connect with you via your blog.
DeleteGood post. I wish there was time to build the relationships I'd like and still get the writing done. Seems it's always A or B, but worth the challenge.
ReplyDeleteNaomi, I can sure relate. That's why we brought up that if you only have time to do one or the other, write the novel. You could consider not doing much but being consistent. Maybe once a week, every other week or monthly right now. Whatever you choose, just be consistent.
DeleteGreat post as usual, Reba. I've go this one. I love connecting with friends via Facebook, probably a little too much. Maybe next week you can talk about how to limit our building relationships to a reasonable amount of time. :) Thanks for always posting wise and helpful stuff.
ReplyDelete