…Ok, so, I’ve said this many, many times yet still see businesses making the annoying errors of “selling” on SMN sites rather than simply being a resource. People like to buy from those they’re familiar with…not people that are constantly throwing prices and “selling” to them. I mean, come on! People get on Facebook and Twitter to communicate and it’s the one place they want to escape constantly being sold.
Earn the trust of your consumers by showing them you’re knowledgeable in your area of business and that you know your stuff. Become a resource by posting useful tidbits of information. Interact with your fans or followers by asking for their input…no one likes a know it all and believe me, WE ALL don’t know it ALL! You may even get some interesting input and ideas to help your business by getting feedback from friends, fans and followers. In some cases and every once in a while it’s good to throw prices…if you own a restaurant, for example, it’s okay to mention “a” special now and then, i.e. happy hours, etc. But if you’re launching a new place and you’re already throwing cheap prices, you’re devaluing your product before you’ve established your forte or specialty. Don’t devalue your product…especially if you have an amazing product to begin with. Have tastings and events to bring awareness and show your product worth.
Once you’ve hit it big and are established, then say “thank you” to your consumers for making your business a success by having specials. But just as fast as you can promote your business on social media networking sites, you can hurt it if you are NOT promoting it positively and with confidence. Remember, to bring in the kind of consumer into your establishment that will take care of your employees and not mind paying regular prices on your products, you must believe in your products and services first. For these are the type of consumers that will “grow” your business, not trash it. We’ve posted several blogs on “Selling on SMN Sites in a Socializing Kind of Way”…check out our blogs on our website, Facebook Page, Twitter, Bebo, Blogger, FriendFeed, Friendster, LinkedIn and MySpace, Plurk…all WordSpreadMedia.