Let’s be honest, we ALL want a ton of loyal followers and raving fans chasing after us online helping us expand our business, right? Wouldn’t it be great to wake up each morning to find that over night, a flood of new people joined your fan page or your twitter account had a sudden rush of new followers? I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say that this is the exact feeling most entrepreneurs would love to experience (myself included).
Even if you spend a large amount of time on social networking each day you still may not be getting the kind of followers and fans you want. The reason could be a few things but the main one could be your just not creating the right connections.
Let’s take Twitter for instance, if you are on there and your not actively seeking people to follow, more likely than not, you won’t have anyone following you back. If you do have followers and neither of you share anything in common, how exactly will you benefit from each other? Before you can establish the right connections on Twitter, you have to follow the right people.
Who are the right people and right connections? I’m glad you asked!
The good news is you can start creating the right connections today by simply tweaking your strategy. Before you jump back on Twitter or Facebook, you’ll want to think about the type of people you want following or connecting with you. Think about who you want buying your product, who you would love to work with, the type of people you’d like to partner with even consider the people you can learn from.
Those who want your product or service. Knowing what you offer, who are the individuals who will receive the most benefit? Are they women, are they mothers, are they mothers of children of a specific age… really narrow it down. These are the group of people you will need to start connecting with.
Those in your industry. Find and establish a rapport with people in your specific industry. Get over the competitive mentality, there is plenty of business to go around. It’s okay to “share” friends and followers of these people. Your not stealing business from each other, your simply broadening your network. Besides, people will do business with whomever they are drawn to and that’s a fact.
Those who are experts in other fields. Be open to partnering with experts in other industries who compliment your business and vice versa. Imagine how explosive it would be if you designed websites and you partnered with someone who has a web hosting company. The two of you could refer clients to each while both of you benefit from the almost effortless increase of income. Step outside of your comfort zone and reach out!
Those who are highly influential. I’m sure there is someone you know who inspires you on a regular basis. That person (or people) who has built your ideal business and has been your motivating force during your business journey. These are the individuals who already are, where you want to be! Connect with them, follow them, learn from them. You never know what could come of these types of connections.
Those who are your raving fans. These are the people who encourage you to keep going. They are not necessarily customers (maybe they can’t afford your product), they are everywhere you are (they could find you in the dark), they are the ones who comment on your posts often and share your links without being prompted (they totally support what your about). They are the ones who seem almost able to see your vision as you see it. You must connect with these people because they are the ones who truly believe in YOU! They sometimes get lost in the crowd or may even be considered the underdog BUT they are your virtual cheerleaders and even if you don’t realize it…you inspire them! They genuinely appreciate ALL that you do.
Making the right connections requires activity on your part, especially if your just starting out (or restarting). Put forth the actions now and you will reap the rewards soon enough. It doesn’t have to be a difficult chore if you start building relationships with the right people now.
So, take these tips and get to work!
Next up, I’ll share with you how to create your own network community designed around your business!
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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Thank you so much for posting this! I recently started a Twitter account specifically for my blog, and I’ve been trying to figure out how to get more followers.
I’ll definitely be using these tips and getting to work!
Good to hear Jamie…I’m glad you found my tips helpful!
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Tamyka Washington. Tamyka Washington said: New Blog Post: How to Create Connections to Expand Your Social Media http://ow.ly/17hdu8 [...]
The irony with social media is that you first come in thinking look at everyone I could potential serve with my business. But the best way to be of service is to know your message and deliver to that niche community that is ready to hear it. your tips that you provide help to zone in on who that community is and provides a way to focus. This will help to make you a big fish in a little pond. Great post!
You are absolutely right Adrienne. I think most of us come into social media thinking everyone is going to want what we have. When we realize that we will be so much more valuable to those who can really benefit from what we offer, then our business will reap the rewards! We have to stop being afraid of “loosing out” if we focus on the original mission of our business.
Great tips and advice, hope you don’t mind if I share it with others. You are so on point, Twitter kind of puts me in a twitter (lol) but you are right that it is best to follow those with whom you have something in common. Keep up the good work lady!!
Thanks so much for your feedback! Of course you may share this with others, I’d appreciate it!