Are you having trouble wrapping your mind around social media marketing? This is the hand-out I give to the social media beginners in my Art Marketing Support Groups. Use these ten basics to help ground you, and make the “understanding shift” that is necessary for social media marketing success. It is not hard — it just takes practice!
“There is no other way to spread a message to millions so quickly
without spending a dime.”
John Pozadizides – One Man’s Blog
1. Leave any negativity about social media marketing behind and approach it with an open, curious, and adventurous frame of mind.
2. Accept the fact that social media marketing is not going to go away.
3. Marketing is about bringing attention to something of value – your business! Social media marketing is just changing how we do that.
4. The focus in social media marketing is not YOU — the focus is your audience. It is NOT about pressuring, advertising or pushing your product or service.
“Great products aren’t sold. They’re bought.”
5. Social Media marketing is “Relationship Marketing”, and is therefore uniquely suited to women. Women – just do what you do naturally!
“Social Media Marketing is co-opting, re-packaging and ‘monetizing’ the very life force of the feminine – and calling it a revolution!”
6. Be Patient. Social media marketing takes time (months) — and it should. Creating relationships based on trust takes time.
7. You need a clear sense of who you are (brand), and you need to be visible. People are not buying into your business — they are buying into you — your story; your passion. You are going to need to use your real name and freely share things about yourself (there are boundaries.) If you are a private person — this could be a challenge.
8. Websites are static, but necessary — like reference books or business cards. Social media is alive and vital – more like a novel! In 2010 Facebook overtook Google in popularity among US Internet users.
9. Social Media is not a competition (at least overtly.) It is about giving, collaborating, crediting, and being helpful.
10. You must Participate. Don’t sit back and watch — join, read, comment, and contribute value to the conversations. Get out there – be brave!
