Tomorrow we enter the last week of the year. I don’t know about you, but for me, time has flown by so fast; it’s been a bit difficult for me to keep up.

However, no matter how late it is in the year, it’s never to late to consider your Marketing plan!

Last week I wrote about how to create an affordable marketing plan that works. While simple plans may not work for some of the really large companies and businesses with a multitude of products and services … those with multiple departments and employees and myriad parts and pieces to keep up with, it’s not necessarily so for the smaller (yet solid) businesses we serve here at BizEase. I work with business owners whose faces are their businesses, and whose businesses are built through connections and networking and getting to know their clients on a more personal level. They have no need for complex or expensive marketing strategies and plans because they grow their businesses by establishing a know, like and trust relationship that brings clients in and keeps them coming back.

I told you about the 3 key things you need to know in order to create a good online marketing strategy …

1. The who … who you serve. What your target market is. Who your ideal client is.
2. The what … that product or service only YOU can provide
3. The where … where you find those who need your product or services

We also looked at the 3 main components I believe you need to get out in front of your target market and market your business, by doing something as simple as building relationships, getting to know their needs and challenges, and providing quality, value-added content your ideal client needs and wants, on a consistent basis.

Today I want to look at the relationship building part … Social Media.

Once you know the 3 things crucial to having a successful marketing strategy, you can connect with those who meet the “who” criteria on those platforms that fit the “where.”

Depending on your social media platforms of choice, you can get to know them by communicating and engaging with them. Join Facebook or LinkedIn groups that cater to your ideal client so you can get to know them … not in an attempt to hawk your services or products, but in order to build relationships. Pay attention to their needs and become a valued resource by answering questions, providing information, and sharing knowledge. If your ideal client is on Twitter or Facebook or LinkedIn, respond to their questions and comments; share their content.

By connecting with your ideal clients on social media, communicating and engaging with them on a regular basis, sharing content they perceive to be of value and benefit to their businesses, and sharing their content with others … without with the sole purpose of selling and promoting your own business and products, you’ll be on the road to building solid relationships based on that know, like and trust factor we all desire. 

Marketing … specifically online marketing, is simply the process of finding your ideal clients, building a relationship with them, getting them to know, like, and trust you, and then driving them back to your website so they learn even more about you and how you can help them grow their businesses.

Next week we’ll talk about the importance of having a blog, and building a newsletter or email marketing list that will continue to drive your ideal client back to your website for more of your fabulously wonderful and valued content!

If you’d like to know more about how to build great relationships on social media, while getting your content and valuable information out there without having to sell your socks off, let me know. It’s what we do, and we’re happy to help!

Until then … we here at BizEase Support Solutions wish you a most blessed Christmas!