Great insights from our Feb sessions on getting clients via social media

I had an amazing opportunity a few weeks ago to work with six small and hobby business owners on getting more clients using social media. Ahead of the next sessions that are tomorrow, I want to share with you some key ideas:

1. How many times does a potential client need to come into contact with your product/business/message before they decide to buy something from you?

What do you think of this answer?

As a huge generalisation because, of course, all businesses are different, general marketing theory goes with the rule of seven – your message should be seen seven times before a potential customer will buy. Google apparently says this is now more like ten times because consumers use the internet to search for corroborating evidence that you and your product are as great as you say they are.

This means that your message needs to reach the SAME PERSON ten times. That every potential customer needs to see your message ten times. At least.

Whichever number you think truly fits your business and your target customers, it takes time and marketing energy to achieve that many contacts with each person.

What can you do about this?

2. Cheat!  Wait, what?  No.    Talk.   

The best way to skip a few of those contact steps is to talk to your potential clients – not AT them mind you but TO them. Pick a few and have a chat.

By starting a connection, you build a bridge between your business and your potential customer that hugely increases the likelihood that they make it through the seven, ten or even twenty contacts they need to go through to buy.

Yes, I am away that this takes time and energy. I know that, I do it for our businesses. That is how I know for sure that it works! You are in business for the long-haul, right?

How does this fit in with all the photos you are putting on Instagram, the blog posts that you are sure you are supposed to be writing, the Facebook page you have but isn’t doing a lot by itself? All of that comes under ‘content marketing’ – a very effective way of using social media BUT for it to work, you have to get people to look at your page/profile/posts…

3. Is there anybody out there?

Honestly, no, probably not. At least, not hanging out on your Facebook page waiting for you to post something. You have to go and find them.

We cover everything you need to know about ‘content marketing’ in our sessions starting next week (click here for details) – including what, how and when to post.
In the meantime, get talking. Or if you are stuck, join us at this session tomorrow!

Here is our eBook on the topic too, from our sister company, My Own Marketing Coach: