This is part of a new series titled “How I Work,” in which I’ll reveal the tools and practices I use on a regular basis. If you’re just getting started with inbound marketing, this will help you figure out “what” and “how.” If you’re an experienced inbound marketer, you might find a new tip or two or (even better) be able to contribute some of your own ideas.
This series about social media will cover a lot of ground. Over the next few weeks, I’ll talk about:
- Where I play: Which social networks do I use and how do I use each one?
- Who I play with: How do I build and prune my audience?
- What I play: What do I share with my audiences?
- How I play: What are the tools that I use?
- When I play: When and how frequently do I post?
Social Media: Garbage In, Garbage Out
This week’s article covers Who to Play With. But before we jump into my tactics, I need to repeat my standard disclaimer: Tactics are only effective when they’re part of an overall inbound marketing strategy.
In my opinion, this is the most important and least understood question for social media newbies, because your audience determines your experience. Here are some common complaints I hear about social media:
- Complaint: All I see are pictures of people’s food and status updates like “Good morning” and “Good night.”
Reason: You’re following the wrong people. - Complaint: I joined LinkedIn a year ago and it doesn’t do anything for me.
Reason: You’re waiting for something to happen instead of making it happen. - Complaint: My customers aren’t there.
Reason: They most certainly are there, you’re just not giving them a reason to listen.
Put another way, when it comes to getting results from social media, it’s a case of “Garbage In, Garbage Out.”
Who to Play With
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Summary
Keep in mind that this is just a glimpse into how I’ve built my audience. I shared what I think are some of the key tactics that worked for me and mistakes to avoid. There are hundreds of other tips and tricks to employ. I’ll continue to blog about some of them but sometimes the best way to learn something is to get out there and stub your toe a few times. Hopefully, this series will save you from tripping and falling!
Next Week: How I Play
Next week I will continue this series by discussing how I use my social networks and decide what to share on which channels. If you’re not already, be sure to sign up for my weekly newsletter – The Inbound Marketing Inquirer – to get the entire series delivered to your inbox.
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