What leads to success in social media marketing? As a direct sales professional, this is a fair question to ask as you weigh the time commitments involved against the expected return on investment. Is social media going to provide the results that you hope for? How long will it take? Is it worth the effort?
As a social media consultant and trainer, I have the opportunity to work with both companies and individuals as they plan and implement a social media strategy. And I have noticed a real indicator of success. In fact, within 24 hours of working with a company or individual, I can pretty much tell you who is going to experience the most immediate success. Perhaps it’s not so earth shattering or surprising what the key is. What I have noticed is that those people who will be successful in social media is that they are willing to TAKE ACTION.
Makes sense, doesn’t it? People who are willing to dive in head first, once they understand the benefits of social media for their business, are the ones who will be successful. They don’t worry or let fear hold them back. Instead, they start smart: identify objectives and narrowly focus on a specific target market. They choose the tools that will help them meet their objectives. And then they dive in with confidence, focused more on connecting with others than they are on what they might do wrong.
I was recently working with a direct sales company on their social media strategy, and before I was out the door they were already assigning action items to staff. Before a week was up they already had a plan and a presence in social media, and within a week their Facebook fan page already had over 200 fans.
On an individual level, I have a student in one of my social media classes who downloads all the materials BEFORE the class session (I post them 24 hours before each class) and works through the materials before coming to class. That way he’s already familiar with the application we’re talking about that week, and he’ll get even more from that week’s session. He also knows the right questions to ask, and is ready to put himself out there so he can be successful.
In both of these scenarios, it’s the TAKE ACTION companies and individuals who will be the most successful. Are things new? Absolutely! But with a plan in place and the instruction to back it up, these people are willing to focus on the goal, and as a result are displaying the confidence necessary to get the job done well. Social media is all about jumping in and experiencing it, and also projecting the confidence which leads to success. By avoiding hesitation and getting started in a smart way, people and companies are setting themselves up for success.
What do you think? How does this relate to your start in social media? Would love to read your comments below!
Jennifer, I wholeheartedly agree! It is the individual who ‘takes action’ that has the most success! This is true in social media for us, Step into Success, Inc. As soon as we became aware of the benefits of social media with direct sales, we created our facebook page and have had an amazing response as our numbers and responses continue to grow. Join us on Facebook! As in direct sales, taking action is the first step to success! Wishing you much success! Belinda Ellsworth, Step into Success, Inc., http://www.stepintosuccess.com
I have signed up on Facebook and Twitter and a few others. I keep reading how great these sites are. It is difficult for me to get motivated to do much width them as they seem like a game to play if you don’t have anything else to do. Maybe I’ll learn better.