Setting up social media accounts for your business is the easy part. Continuing to use and take advantage of these accounts on a regular basis is like running a marathon that never stops. Many social media accounts sit like untended gardens. Thousands of them have been left abandoned on the side of the Internet highway. This is absolutely normal and the high attrition rate will ultimately work in your favor if you stick with social media for your own business. Here are a few tricks and tips that make it much easier to keep going.
Adopt a turtle vs. hare mentality
Having the right mindset and expectations is critical in order for this new Internet medium to increase business. Using social media is not like buying Adwords. Very rarely does it translate into overnight increases in traffic, sales or business. Its primary value is in widening your field of influence. Eventually, social media does pay off, but it will take time. It's normal to wait six months before seeing any increase in business.
Use tools to facilitate easy account management
Once your accounts are established, there is the option of logging into each one separately and updating them manually or using a variety of tools to make the process easier. Here is a quick look at the most popular social media management tools available today.
Twellow: Twellow thinks of itself as the Yellow Pages for Twitter. Acquiring Twitter followers is one of the most difficult aspects of social media. Twellow simplifies this process and brings greater exposure to your account. Think of Twellow as an extra Twitter employee. Twellow is especially valuable for agents because the Twellow account includes a 2000 vs. a 140-character bio for the Internet search engines. This provides a much better place to sell yourself and your unique products. Twellow also includes a location-specific element that lets you connect to people within your immediate community. This is very valuable for salespeople, who often rely on trust facilitated by direct, person-to-person contacts.
