If you are already visible online, how do you enhance your sales? There are two types of people in the online world: these are 1) the advertiser, and 2) the seeker.
The advertiser is you, being the party that posts ads online to try to entice more people to patronize your business. The seeker, on the other hand, is the person wanting to find something to buy, something excellent, something interesting. This person has the bucks - and is ready to spend it on something he fancies, or something he needs. Most non-business owners fall under this category. They go online and buy, not sell. Therefore, you should be attracting more of his type, rather than try to impress the other advertisers in the virtual world. So how do you do it?
Here are some tips on how to target these seekers, if you want to get that elusive social media clout and sky rocketing sales. The secret lies in establishing the connection with the seeker, but at the same time, using your affiliation with the other advertisers.
Find the visible "networker." When you peer into online discussion groups, or scroll through your Facebook newsfeed, do you find a particular set of individuals who are always present? They are always on the lookout for posts they can comment on or for products and establishments they can give a raving or disappointing review about. These are your high-level networkers. How can you tell if they are? Click on their names, and you will find that they have at least 500 connections/friends/followers, and have filled out their online profiles completely. In short, they take their online presence seriously, and try to connect with people, purchase products and establish virtual ties with people and business owners.
They may have a lot of time in their hands, or they simply may just have a lot of money in their pockets. Great, huh? If you see this group, don't hesitate to send them a friend request, or you may even go to the extent of sending them an email, to come and visit your site. These people are generally friendly and helpful. They are familiar about how a good online connection can benefit their lives. They most likely seek deeper virtual connections than your average once-in-a-while seeker. Who knows, you may just be a click away from your loyal set of customers?
Target your market using all online tools. One way of doing this is by clicking on keywords on the search section on social sites (for example, "seniors", or "housewives", "party people", etc). This will help narrow down the people you need to target with your marketing efforts. When you click on specific search fields, you eliminate those who don't fit into your preferred consumers - which makes the entire search for the "seeker" in your particular niche much more specialized. Another tactic is to join group discussions and seek out those participating that seem to be the type of people you should be marketing.
Aim to make better connections with them, and send them a link into your site, or send out a friend request. Lastly, you can also check out your competitors' marketing tactics, and observe how they zero in on your wanted "seeker." Especially if your competitor has been enjoying his success for too long, or been in the business way ahead of you, it will never hurt to let their customers know that "there are other options" they may want to try. Who knows, maybe some of their clients are already actively seeking other alternatives? Although this particular tactic is underhanded and quite sneaky, business is business, and no one business has the sole right to sell to any consumer - especially if the consumer has allowed herself to be persuaded by your marketing tactics.
Engage in Groups and Discussions. If you feel you are not too sociable, do you think you can still engage in online groups and discussions? Of course you can. All you need to do is pretend that you are talking to people you know face-to-face. There is nothing to be embarrassed or shy about, especially if you are doing it for the sake of your business. Unlike personal friendships or encounters, if you feel you are not accepted by the other participants in a discussion, then you can just disappear from the conversation, and try your luck elsewhere. But as a participant, be careful not to come out too strong, too boastful, to know-it-all, because others will gang up on you.
Try to be as natural as possible, try not to glorify your achievements, or come off as too sophisticated and hard to reach. You will find that participating in discussions opens up a world of possibilities for your business. You may seek business, you make insert personal friendships from time to time, and you may even ask to be referred to the contacts of some people you have already made a connection with.
Discussions also help you learn about people, about developments in the industry, or just help you get a general feel as to "what to avoid" when in business.
Still, if you're too shy to converse with others, you may air out your feelings, write about your thoughts, products or emotions by way of a blog. A blog allows people into your world. They find out about the ideals behind a business, the people behind the monitor, and their business ethics. Most blogs have room for comments underneath, so people may agree or disagree with your thoughts, but at least, you engage with people you have managed to lure into your world. You may also comment on their comments, thus allowing the opportunity to explain some vague points. Who knows? Maybe your next business partner may be in the form of a fan, a reader or a follower?
The trick is not to waste time and effort in marketing your unwanted target. Try out these three options, and you may very well find your next loyal set of clients.
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Michael Griffiths is the CEO and Founder of My Small Business Marketing Guru. Helping small business owners generate more leads, clients and increase profits with relationship based marketing strategies. We invite you to get your free black mask marketing resources to help you business grow today, when you visit http://www.mysmallbusinessmarketingguru.com.au
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