As I am writing and recording this social media-based sales tip on the subject of social media, one irony is not lost on me: Those who need to hear the message never will simply because they are not using social media!
But I will plow forward just the same…
It’s amazing to me how often I hear the words, “I don’t do social media.” Sometimes it is a stated fact while other times a badge of honor. Some reps don’t feel they have the technical know-how and they either enjoy or suffer from their ignorance in this area. If, by some wild miracle this message gets to you and you are one of those who “doesn’t do social media,” here’s my message to you:
I hope your target market doesn’t do social media either.
Let’s see. What kind of target market would that be?
- People who live without the Internet;
- The technical toddlers;
- The dead.
That’s a pretty small swath of possibilities, would you say?
Let’s talk about the options and the bare minimum. If you do nothing else, get on LinkedIn. Learn how to create a killer-good, kick ass profile either by getting outside assistance from an expert (read: someone significantly younger than you), joints and groups, and start building your network. If you’re lucky, you’ll never have to venture outside of this world and LinkedIn is the shallow end of the pool. If you want to stay there wearing your arm floaties, that’s fine. It’s better than nothing.
One step up from that is YouTube. Yes, YouTube and not InstaGram or Facebook or Pinterest. Learn how to make and post a video. Why? Because this can become your outlet for some simple marketing.
To ignore social media is like saying, “I don’t sell on the days that end in ‘Y.’” It ain’t rocket surgery. This 59-year-old knucklehead can do it. You can, too.
