Social media is much like any social interaction: It can make you or break you, and it can grow your business or shrink your business. Unlike other forms of social interaction, however, it’s most often not ephemeral.
So, I’ve created five social media business rules to live by that you should consider, too:
1. Ask yourself, does this post help someone trust me more?
If your post doesn’t help increase people’s trust in you, why are you posting it?
To ensure an increase in trust happens, here’s what we should avoid:
- Complaining
- Being argumentative
- Talking politics or religion
- Bragging about yourself
- Asking for business
Remember, social media is full of trash. When you do your best to rise above it and truly come from a place of contribution, you become more trusted and remembered when the need for your services shows up.
2. Go on a deleting spree
Take a look back at your social media channels for the past six months or so and based on the above, delete anything you may no longer be proud of.
We are all one bad or inappropriate post away from losing business, so don’t take this lightly.
We live in a nosy world and clients (and potential clients) will go back and look, so guarantee that they see what they’ll like.
3. Re-evaluate your ideal client
In all my years of working with Realtors and training them on social media, they almost all fall into the same trap.
We post what we like instead of what our ideal clients want.
When we know what our ideal client likes and wants on social media, it’s almost impossible to mess up.
To keep this simple: When you consider posting something, ask yourself: “Would my ideal client like this?”
If the answer is yes, post it. If the answer is no, don’t post it.
4. Delete ‘salesy’ posts after 24 hours
When new followers or friends show up to our pages, we don’t want them to be drawn away by the amount of sales-driven posts they see.
How do we fix this? Delete the post 24 hours later.
On Facebook and Instagram specifically, the post might have brought you business opportunities, but after that, it will only turn people off.
5. Stop trying to attract everyone
I’ve met Realtors who say that they work with buyers and sellers all across the spectrum — from luxury buyers all the way down to first-time homebuyers.
When you look at their social media, it feels so random. It almost feels like they don’t know what they are doing or who they are.
Remember this: Lack of clarity doesn’t encourage someone to buy from you. They need to know they are your people.
Look at all the different niches you try to cover, and minimize. Cut them in half if you need to. The more intentional you are, the clearer your social media messaging will be.
And the clearer your social media messaging, the easier it will be attract people on a regular basis.
Kyle Draper is the CEO of EMPWR Media in Fort Worth Texas. Connect with him on Facebook or LinkedIn.
