Using Social Media to get more clients

Social media and networking platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are receiving lots of attention as tools for Client Attraction – and it’s easy to spend a lot of (wasted) time there. To attract ideal high paying clients from social media, it’s important to remember that that the same rules apply for social media as they do for traditional marketing: giving value, building relationships!

At the core, Client Attraction is about PULLING clients in with a compelling message and creating such high-content information that adds value to your audience that it motivates them to take further action into working with you. And the same applies with social media.

So, when using social media, you want to be clear on how you can tap into this new marketing strategy and still remain “Client Attractive.” Here are some strategies for doing so:

1. Have a clear objective and develop a strategy. Due to the popularity of sites like Facebook and Twitter – it’s easy to get sucked into the “bright shiny object syndrome” and immediately jump in 100% by using these tools as a way to market your business and attract clients. But, you can’t just dive right in because “everyone else is doing it.” You need to have an objective. Is it to build your list? Attract more clients? Position yourself in the marketplace with more prospects and potential joint venture partners? What call-to-action or response do you want to achieve with each interaction with social media? Get clear on your end result first – then develop the plan.

2. Focus on the long-term relationship. Client Attraction is not at all about the “churn and burn” approach to building relationships – and it’s no different with social media. It takes time to cultivate relationships with prospects before they become clients. Prospects through social media still want to know you and like you and ultimately trust you before they decide to work with you or buy your product. Through the power of social media you can deepen that connection and build the bond with the person you’re relating with. You can accelerate that relationship or expand your reach with the amazing “connectivity” that social media provides – but you must remain focused on that relationship and connection you build over time in order to remain client attractive.

3. It’s not about you, it’s about them. Because literally anyone can tap into connections through social media – you need to be extra client attractive and stand out from the crowd. To “cut through the clutter” and ensure your message and your connection remains on the top of the radar with your potential clients, it’s important to focus on giving before you expect to get anything in return. Deliver the same ‘high-value’ and ‘high-content’ information that you do in your articles, emails and on your website. Social media is no different. Show your connections you add even MORE value and your prospects will be attracted to you.

4. Be authentic, real and transparent. In case you haven’t noticed a theme here, it’s this: Social media is all about connection. People want to connect with you in so many ways like they would in real-life. Be who you are on Facebook and Twitter as you would be face-to-face. Even though it’s online, people can still see through the “fake” of social media just like they could if they meet someone in person. The more you “show up” as the real you in social media – the more people will want to connect with you and be interested in building that relationship even further. Have integrity with everything you do with social media. Remember this: Never post anything through social media that you wouldn’t want blasted on a highway billboard or the front page of the New York Timesfor the entire world to see.

5. Social media is all about the conversation – happening online. If you’re not showing up and contributing to the conversation that is taking place – you’ll never leverage the true power of social media and build a client attractive business. It’s not a one-sided conversation where you just continually promote yourself and not engage with anyone in your network. Social media and networking is no different than in-person networking. It’s a two-way conversation for you AND the other person – that’s what creates the value. When you contribute and collaborate with your audience, they will respect you and be more attracted to you.

6. Be consistent and plan your time. Social media could suck you in and drain all your time very easily and quickly. Before you know it – you’ve spent half the day on Facebook and Twitter and you’ve not added one person to your list or engaged any new potential prospects, let alone gotten any “real” work done. Develop a daily and weekly plan where you identify how much time you will spend on the platforms and what result you want to achieve. It’s like any other slice in the Client Attraction Marketing Pie – you can’t just put in half the effort and expect the full result. Show up consistently and contribute consistently to realize the long-term benefit.
   

Remember this: You don’t attract clients FROM social media. You attract clients THROUGH social media. It’s from the connections you establish and the long-term value you provide those individuals that cultivate the relationship and as a result, they see you as Client Attractive. Focus on that and you’ll never be without clients, again.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:

The first step in developing social media as part of your Client Attraction marketing strategy is identify your overall objective and then work backwards with the detailed plan. What is your desired end result? For example, if it’s to build your list – then you want to develop a step-by-step strategy that allows you to engage your network with the intent to attract people back to your website where they can get your irresistible free offer and join your list.

The second step is to identify the tools and platforms that work best for you. Twitter might be extremely popular out there, but does your market actually exist in big numbers on Twitter? Perhaps they are more gathered in a social networking site like LinkedIn. Spend some time on these various platforms and determine which works best for you and your niche.

The last step is to show up and do the work. Social media as a client attraction strategy does take some personal time and effort. You can’t just setup a profile and update your status and then ask, “Where are the clients?” You need to step up and contribute to the conversation with valuable content on a consistent basis to attract the clients you want through social media.