Social Media Marketing: You Need Hooks
April 22nd, 2010 - Posted by Tim Freestone
The purpose of a corporate blog or other social media presence isn’t merely to add to the endless electrons that are produced every day. And, it isn’t merely to provide a free service to the world. You’re looking to advance your business. While this may entail providing a free service consisting of informative and useful content, the net result has to be a lead stream for you to exploit. To turn your social media communities and traffic into business opportunities, you need hooks.
It’s easy to go overboard. In pursuit of leads, many companies tend to use their social media environments as advertisements, promoting at the expense of informing. Do this, and you run this risk of losing your audience — as well as your investment in the social media marketing initiative. When you create content and interact with your community, play it straight: deliver information that your readers can use — but don’t be afraid to make it easy for them to enter the sales cycle. This is where your “hooks” become useful.
Assume, for example, that you’re publishing a blog post on storage virtualization. Focus on the subject, and discuss the importance to your prospects. But, allocate a piece of the post (try to keep it under 25 percent) to a specific solution or service that you provide. Use it as an example of how to solve the business problem that is central to your post. And, include a link to a page where your prospect can take action — such as a “contact us” link or an inquiry form to be completed.
The links could go to any number of other places, beyond a direct connection to the sales cycle, that increase the value of the relationship. Examples include: Facebook fan pages (to join), LinkedIn groups (again, to join), Twitter accounts (to follow) or a page where the user can opt into an e-mail newsletter.
Subtle hooks can increase your connection to a reader or member of your community, with the ultimate goal being the opportunity to speak with the prospect and begin the sales cycle. Don’t compromise the value of the information you provide — and don’t forget the importance of advancing every relationship to a sales goal!
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