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Six Amazing Social Media Startup Secrets!

November 26, 2013 By 3 Comments
Six Amazing Social Media Startup Secrets!

Six Amazing Social Media Startup Secrets!

Now, how many times have you heard that word “amazing” lately? I’d be willing to bet you’ve heard it a bunch of times this morning, before breakfast. What I really want to talk about is how people are misusing words, both in headlines and in posts on social media. So here’s my not-so-secret rant about amazing! And secrets! Heck, I’ll even throw in a cat video so you can get everything in one place and you won’t have to read another post all day. Now THAT is amazing!

There Are No Secrets

Disclaimer: There are no secrets here. All of the things I’m about to tell you are not amazing. They’re not even awesome. They are merely adequate.

Make the Headline Match the Content

If you’re promising something that’s amazing, we’d better read something amazing. As the comic Louis CK says, “We go right to the top shelf with our words.” “Really? You were amazed by your chicken wings?” If your chicken wings are amazing, what are you going to do for an encore?

Startup Secrets to Awesome Social Media!

Do you really think a 300-word blogpost is going to give you all the secrets? The secret is that social media success for startups–or anyone, for that matter–is a combination of hard work, creating great content, and good timing. That’s it.

Look This Way

The Secret Is There Are No Secrets

The Secret Is There Are No Secrets

When you hear an incredible promise for a fantabulous post, and you actually get nothing, do you not feel cheated? We all see the same 20 articles, repurposed every month. It’s like that article about Super Fast Weight Loss or the Secret to Transforming Your Health! that gets recycled in every women’s magazine every month. The internet is no different than that women’s magazine.

Good Is Hard Enough

The moral of the story is that not every blogpost is going to be amazing. Some will be just barely adequate. Like this one.

Do You Disagree?

If you do have a secret, tell me all about it. Really.

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Blogging Tips for Startups

November 21, 2013 By 9 Comments
Blogging Tips for Startups

Blogging Tips for Startups

Do you have a startup? Are you blogging yet?  Why not? How about now?  Are you tired of being harangued with the idea that every startup needs to blog? How do you get started? What do you write about? How long should posts be? Today I’m pulling back the curtain and sharing some of my personal tips.

Blog Every Day

Yes, it sounds overwhelming. Yes, you can write in small increments. Yes, it will help your startup. Back when I started to exercise, I gave myself an out whenever I went to the gym. If I didn’t feel better after 15 minutes, I allowed myself to leave. During many years of exercising, I’ve only left twice. So set that timer for 15 minutes and get going! You can do it! Now I post twice weekly–Tuesdays and Thursdays. Maybe you can’t do that much, but how about once a month?

Start 5 Topics

Simply put in the headlines (and you can even change those later). For instance, “5 Reasons Your Business Needs a Break Room,” “Behind the Scenes at [your company name here],” “Our 6 Favorite Business Tools.” You get the idea. Throw them in there and don’t worry too much. Having 5 topics going at once gives you no excuse to stop writing. When you’re done writing on one post, jump to another. This idea came from Syed Balkhi, by the way. I wrote about him in a post on WordCamp Orange County, too.

Don’t Be Afraid

Don't be afraid that you'll run out of ideas

Don’t be afraid that you’ll run out of ideas

I’ve run across this fear from talking to people in startups who don’t blog. They’re afraid they’ll run out of topics. But the reverse is true: the more you blog, the more topics you’ll think of. You’ll meet other bloggers, and they’ll give you ideas. (For instance, the idea for this post came from my bud Bridget Willard.) You’ll influence them, too! That was one of the most wonderful things that happened to me–meeting other bloggers and sharing ideas. And don’t forget to go to WordCamp if you can. You may be able to attend virtually if you can’t travel.

Toss Topics That Don’t Go Anywhere

There is a limitless number of topics, so toss the ones that just sit and sit. This helps your blog feng shui. Yes, I just made that up. Hahaha! If your startup is a team effort, you could have team members help each other with writing and editing or take turns so there’s less pressure on any one person.

Brain Dump!

Use the old-fashioned "keyhole" approach to writing

Use the “keyhole” approach to writing

Now without thinking too hard, start throwing a bunch of words in your post. Usually I use the “keyhole” concept. Think of an old-fashioned keyhole. Start general, narrow it a bit, put in a topic sentence (if you want), then 3 or 4 paragraphs about that topic, then the wrap up and generalization at the end. That’s it. 350 words gets you a post. Could you do that? Sure you could!

Be Funny

Sometimes I crack myself up. I really do! I’m not saying that to brag. But if a funny idea pops into your head, why not share it? It’s what makes you unique. I’m not a subscriber to the belief that everything has to be so professional that there’s no personality in there. Usually, when I write, the funny bits get added later. One funny bit often leads to another, and so on.

Read it Out Loud

I like my blog to be casual, so I read it out loud. You can also read it aloud to someone else. A tip that really helped me was someone telling me “if you can speak, you can write.” And it’s true. I truly believe that anyone can write. If, when you read your writing, it sounds more like you’re reading someone else’s words, rewrite the words so it sounds like you’re speaking. You’re an expert at something. Come on. You know you are!

Add Links

I like to put in four links–two to my own posts and two outgoing, to someone else’s article or blog. Try to make them a natural part of your post, though. Don’t force a topic by adding your own links until you’ve got a little content.

Add Images

Read Your Post Out Loud

Read Your Post Out Loud

Creative Commons is my favorite place to get images. Don’t forget to use the advanced search and find images that can be shared and used commercially. Recently I’ve started using my own pictures, too. I drag all images into a photo editor and add my name or the photographer’s name from Creative Commons at the bottom. I take my picture using my iPhone and sometimes a tiny lens (the 4-in-1 from OlloClip is fantastic!). Label the images within WordPress. I use a minimum of two images. Three or four for longer posts.

Let Stew

Some people are great writers and they can write perfect, full sentences. I’m not one of those. So I usually start my posts on the weekend and get the majority of the words in there. Tuesday’s post is usually, but not always, done by Sunday night. Thursday’s post is half-baked and gets finished during the week. I don’t have 10 sitting around waiting to be scheduled, but maybe in the future. Maybe.

I’m Still a Beginner

Some of my friends have written upwards of 300 posts, and some day I’ll get there. I know I have a long way to go. I’m always learning. I learn from my friends, and reading others’ blogs. CopyBlogger is a great one for bloggers.

Call to Action

Here’s the part where I ask you a question. Something like “Did I miss anything?” or “What do YOU think?” but you could put in your own call to action. Please visit us on Pinterest! Send us cupcakes! Donate to our Indiegogo! You get the idea! So my real call to action is: please leave a comment!

 

 

 

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What BatKid Can Teach Social Media Managers

November 19, 2013 By 8 Comments
What BatKid Can Teach Social Media Managers

What BatKid Can Teach Social Media Managers

By now, you’ve all heard about BatKid–unless you don’t own a computer, just got back from the Amazon jungle, or live in a cave. Not a batcave–a regular cave! Weren’t you astonished to watch a somewhat small story hit the bigtime and go international? Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, we were all happy and excited to hear about #SFBatKid. Some of my friends volunteered to be part of the crowd at Civic Center and many took photos from wherever they were.

What BatKid Can Teach Social Media Managers

We’ve all heard about keeping the end in mind, and for most Social Media Managers (SMMs), going “viral” is what we all look for. But you never know what will go viral, and what will catch the interest of the world. You don’t want to be a bad social media manager, do you?

Positive Stories Outweigh Negative Stories

Despite what you may have heard, people still love a feel-good story. And this one has so many positives to it. We’ve all been hearing about wars, terrible rumors about ObamaCare, and global warming. And a few weeks ago, our country was on the brink of economic disaster. So this story was timed just right (not that there’s a bad time for a story about a kid beating leukemia and wanting to be a superhero!).

People Love Stories

If you tell a story on social media, rather than just describing an event in a dull way, the story becomes larger. You look bigger and everyone gets entertained in the process. If you get people to cry, that’s a transformational experience. And this was the story that left a lot of us (me, too!) crying. Who can’t get behind a kid beating leukemia? And this story caused many people, including yours truly, to overpost and share.

It’s Not All About You

When people are generous, and get excited about a cause, it grows and grows. In this case it was the generosity of the Make-A-Wish charity in their desire to grant Miles Scott his wish of being a superhero that touched us. Twelve-thousand volunteers stepped forward. Even President Obama, who understands how social media works more than most politicians, got involved with a Vine video.

Everybody Loves a Happy Ending

Could this story be any more perfect? It was so adorable, and so overwhelming to the family. We’re all rooting for this little dude. What’s great about this story is that this kid got what he wanted. He got an unforgettable day, and the whole world smiled. This spectacular event can remind us all that the Make-A-Wish charity is full of superheroes.

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Secrets of the Social Media Circus, Part II

November 14, 2013 By 6 Comments
Secrets of the Social Media Circus, Part II

Secrets of the Social Media Circus, Part II

You may have seen my first post, Secrets of the Social Media Circus, about some of the clowns you might see around on social media. Some of those clowns escaped from that first post in their tiny cars, but I’ve managed to recapture some here. Finally! Considering that they wear such big shoes, they can run (and drive) pretty fast!

Insane Clowns

The Insane Clown is a spammer. She is responsible for those Twitter Direct Messages that say “Have you seen this bad joke about you?” with viruses in links to phishing sites. Do not let this Krazy Klown spray you with social media seltzer water. And do not lean in to smell the squirting daisy on her lapel because that water is clowntaminated. Yes, the insane clown deserves a prominent role–in the Social Media Clown Hall of Fame, that is.

Rodeo Clowns

This clown does all kinds of fancy rope tricks, and will get you roped in, too. Don’t hire these clowns to do your social media because when the bull is charging, you’ll be all alone in the middle of the ring, while your “clownpadres” hide safely in their barrels. While they’re juggling you and their other clients, one of the pins often drops…and that’s when they do their grand finale–their disappearing act. Once the circus is over, you’ll be the one following the elephants with the shovel, if you get my drift.

Harlequins

Harlequins are the predecessors of modern clowns. The translation of harlequin is “demon or hellion.” His main purpose in life is to break laws, confuse people, and do tricks. Sounds like a pretty modern clown to me! And also like a few of the clowns you could meet on any social media platform.

The Nice, Kind Clown

The Nice, Kind Clown

The Nice, Kind Clown

Haha! Fooled you–there’s no such thing! In their hearts, all clowns are evil. There’s even a special psychological term for the fear of clowns: Coulrophobia. We all knew that. Wait a minute. Do you hear that faint honking sound in the distance and the pitter-patter of giant shoes? I was only kidding! Clowns can take a joke, right? RIGHT? AAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!!!

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Secrets of the Social Media Circus

November 12, 2013 By 6 Comments
Social Media Clowns

Social Media Clowns

If social media is a circus, it’s populated by many types of clowns. You’ve probably run across a few of them. And if you haven’t run across any of them, maybe you are one of them. Just sayin’. Here are some of the ones I’ve seen. And by the way, this post was inspired by a tweet from Bridget Willard. Thank you Bridget!

Almost Silent Mimes

Many circus scholars would argue that the mime is not a clown at all. Au contraire, mon frere! And is it any coinkydink that the true French pronunciation of the word “mime” is meme? There’s just gotta be a clownspiracy in there somewhere unless I took a wrong turn and ended up in Clown Alley.

Do not accept balloon animals from mimes

Do not accept balloon animals from mimes

Silent clowns are clowns that you can’t really hear. They sometimes speak under their breath, but then pretend not to have said anything. They may comment on one of your Pinterest pins and mention someone else, and when asked about their comment, they don’t reply. Passive-aggression is a specialty of the Mime. Watch out for them, since they are the most difficult to “PIN” down (“get” that one?), and will always deny that they’re there. Also, don’t accept any balloon animals from them. And definitely don’t follow them on Pinterest!

Sad Clowns Say So Much

In contrast to the mime, the sad clown goes on and on. And on. They don’t care if anyone is even listening to them rant. The sad clown never shuts up in his anti-circus diatribe. If you try to talk to this lonely ringmaster, you will become a part of the sad clown’s rant, too. They can change the object of their grievance in less time than it takes to throw a pie. It’s less painful to jump off a tiny burning building through an empty stretcher or be shot out of a cannon than to listen to this rant. You’ve seen these guys overposting on Facebook, at all hours of the day and night. Do not get into the tiny car with this clown. There are already 25 other clowns in there.

Hobo Clowns

Akin to the Sad Clown, the Hobo Clown does whatever it takes to blame others for her woes so that she can avoid work and stay backstage at the circus. This sad sack believes that other clowns are to blame for her station in life. When the other clowns go out for a nutritious meal of cotton candy and Konfetti Koffee(tm), the Hobo Clown reaches down into her enormous pockets and pulls out the empty linings. Do not be tricked into paying the way for this Hobo! Unless you want to do us all a favor and buy her a one-way ticket back to Hoboken, that is.

Mean Scary Clowns

Do not get into this clown car

Do not get into this clown car

The mean scary clown might have a big, painted-on grin, but underneath beats the heart of pure evil. Maybe his wig is too tight or maybe his trick pants have a short circuit. Just because his clown tools aren’t adequate doesn’t mean he should take out his rage on others, but he does anyway because he’s evil. Do not accept a bouquet of wilted flowers from this clown. This is the clown on LinkedIn who sends you direct mail demanding help because his pants are on fire. Do not send your bank account number because this clown will steal your circus and take it to Nigeria. And that exploding cigar will take the entire clown fire brigade to extinguish.

More Clowns Are on Their Way

Clowns take a long time to go any place because they’re forever hitting each other on the head with frying pans or stopping to shop for tutus for their chihuahuas. More of them are on their way to you, so stay tuned! In the meantime, tell me what kinds you’ve seen in your social media! And do they frighten you?

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Audience: Local Business and Social Media

November 7, 2013 By 9 Comments

San Francisco

Are you creating a brand within a certain geographic area? Are you wondering where to begin locating local customers? There are plenty of ways to connect with locals while still not ignoring a wider audience! Starting with a simple plan is the best way to go. Here are a few ideas.

Facebook

Facebook is still one of the stickiest and best platforms for engagement. Despite all the complaining people do about it, Facebook is still probably the most popular platform. Use photographs and behind-the-scenes posts to engage with users. Some limited tagging can be good, too, if your business model has you out in the field engaging with your clients. For instance, a car dealer might take a photo of a recent client with their new car and tag that person on Facebook. You can also do a search within your city to find other potential clients nearby.

Use Lists on Twitter

In Twitter, you can create lists of locals. For instance, I have lists of local people within the San Francisco Bay Area. You could create a list for your city, your county, or your state depending upon where you do business. Even if you’re an online-only business, you might be limited geographically.

Use Advanced Search within Twitter

If your business has a limited range, you can specify a certain geographic area within Twitter using advanced search. This feature is excellent for service businesses, in particular. Specify a particular distance from a city, say 15 miles. You can use this feature even if you don’t live some place yet. Say you’re moving to San Francisco and want to hear what people there are saying–you can still specific accounts tweeting near San Francisco. Twitter itself has some pretty good examples of search terms.

Check Local Sports Teams and Events

You could look at the conversations around local sports teams or events. For instance, the New York City Marathon is trending as I write this. If my business was in New York City, I could see who’s going to an event by searching for a hashtag, such as #NYCMarathon, and see who’s talking about the event. That could be great for someone who sells souvenirs or even a local taxi business.

See Who Follows the Local News

People who follow local news channels may include your audience. See who follows the news outlets or city government where you live. You may want to have conversations with some of the more active users.

Use HootSuite’s Chrome Extension with Google Maps

Did you know with HootSuite’s plugin you can enter your business address into Google and then check local tweets nearby? This is a very cool way to see active people near a particular address. This might be the perfect way to see what people are talking about in a specific neighborhood.

How Do You Find Locals?

Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments! Thanks!

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Common Sense Social Media

November 5, 2013 By 10 Comments
Common Sense Social Media

Common Sense Social Media

Hello, my name is Carol. I am a nice, polite lady. Usually. But nowadays on the Internet, all these kids with their loud music and their bad manners are getting under my skin–and on my lawn.  I’ve been seeing such rudeness that I really do want to ask people if they were raised in a barn. Maybe to some people the Internet is a new, new thing, all shiny and just out of the gift bag. I’m seeing some things that I haven’t seen for a long time, like extreme rudeness, ignoring people’s comments, and worse. So here are my maybe not-so-polite views on a few things.

Saying Hello

If you have followers, fans, likers, and whatnot, how about saying hello to them once in a while? They’ve taken the effort to follow you, so how about an occasional shoutout? Would that be too much to ask? You could just say “How’s everybody doing tonight?” or “Good Morning, World!” or some other cheerful expression that you love to use.

Say Thank You

Saying Thank You Makes You Stand Out

Saying Thank You Makes You Stand Out

As my friend Bridget says, “in what universe is a retweet a thank you?” and I’ve gotta agree with her. If someone shares your material or retweets you, say thank you. Retweeting their tweet is not the same thing as thanking them. Say thank you often. Don’t be a social media snob. And if you’re a Baby Boomer, you’re already way ahead in the politeness game.

Pretend There Are Real People on the Internet

Because there are. Except for the bots and spammers, that is. If someone complimented you, you wouldn’t ignore them, right? If they tried to start a conversation with you in real life, you’d say something back, unless you were literally unable to speak. If you’re too busy, say you’re too busy. It’s really pretty simple. And if you’re a brand, ignoring conversations or not being present on social media could be even more detrimental.

Follow People Back

Yes, everyone wants some “social proof” by not following people back. And at first, I felt the same way. But if that other person has some value to add to your online conversations, follow them back. Being polite is one way to get followers on Twitter or on any platform.

Doing Online What You’d Never Do In Real Life

If you did in real life what you do online, people would think you were creepy. So if you wouldn’t share those 99 photos of your filing cabinet in real life, why are you doing that online?

Got a Pet Peeve?

Do you wish people had more common sense manners online? Please share with me! And thank you.

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Baby Boomers and Social Media

October 31, 2013 By 13 Comments
Baby Boomers and Social Media

Baby Boomers and Social Media

If you’re a baby boomer, you already know a lot about how to be social. For instance, would I have to ask you twice what the “magic words” are? Would you know what elements make a good letter? Could you go on a picnic and just be at the picnic, without having to whip out an electronic device? There you go! Each one of these instances is a good reason why you, as a Boomer, is a perfect candidate for social media. Here’s a funny article about the differences between baby boomers and Gen Y.

Insecurity

Let me backtrack a bit by saying that I meet Baby Boomers all the time who feel insecure about social media. I think it doesn’t have to be that way. They think they have nothing to say, and yet they have more experience than younger people, and have been through all kinds of economic downturns, changes in employment, divorce, and much more. So of course you as a Boomer have something to say. The issue may be that you feel insecure around younger people who have grown up with Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, and YouTube. And if you’re a Boomer connected on social media, I like Brian Solis’ “Gen C” label.

The Magic Words

Most Boomers know how to use the words “please” and “thank you,” and they know when. Believe me, (please), when I tell you that saying “thank you” is very important. In a world of ingratitude, your thank you means so very much. Maybe good manners can be taught at a later age, but since you probably already have good manners, you have an edge on social media, so that isn’t an issue.

Writing a Letter

Another skill that many Boomers have is the ability to write a letter–a skill that can be transferred to writing email, a blog, crafting a few Facebook posts, or tweeting. Seriously. The ability to write in one form can easily be transferred to another. So you have the edge there, too.

Going on a Picnic

Going on a picnic without checking a phone is easy for a boomer

Going on a picnic without checking a phone is easy for a boomer

Now this one might sound a little strange to you. But the ability to just talk without checking an electronic device is getting more and more rare. The other day, with some of my friends, I realized that no one had checked in, tweeted, posted, or made a video for a couple of hours. Weird, right?! And how wonderful to just have a conversation without thinking it might end up being posted on someone’s wall.

Drive Your Online Conversations Offline

It’s great to meet people online, but there is really no substitute for meeting people face to face and having an actual conversation. And that is where baby boomers really shine. Having grown up without cell phones, tablets, and laptops, boomers know how to talk! Because if you really needed to talk to someone, you’d go over to their house and knock on their door. Who does that any more? So take those conversations offline where you’re really comfortable.

Social Media is Just Tools

Really. Social media is bits and bytes, but in the end, it’s just a tool. You can meet and talk to a lot of people (sometimes all at once) using social media. But if you think of social media as something like a telephone or another appliance to be learned, maybe the intimidation factor will go away. Because as a Boomer you already have the tools you need. Don’t you?

 

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Hashtag Wins and #Fails

October 29, 2013 By 15 Comments
Hashtag Wins and #Fails

Hashtag Wins and #Fails

Recently, someone asked about hashtag etiquette. How do you use hashtags, and if you’re using them to do a search on Twitter, how do you know they’re legit? What’s the difference between a search done with a hashtag or without a hashtag? Would you use hashtags differently on Facebook than on Twitter?

What Is a Hashtag?

If you haven’t used a hashtag before, simply add a pound sign (#) before a word. On some platforms, that word now becomes searchable. It’s a great way to organize an idea. For example, #SanFrancisco, like so, is now a searchable term. You can click on it and you’ll see other tweets and posts (depending upon which platform you’re using). If you’re new (or even if you’re not), Mashable has an excellent Beginner’s Guide to Hashtags ~ recommended reading. That said, a hashtag can make a search easier.

Hashtags on Facebook

Let me say that I’m not a huge fan of hashtags on Facebook. Most people seem to overuse them and just annoy everyone. When Facebook allowed users to employ hashtags in June of 2013, they opened up a Pandora’s Box, in my opinion. People go crazy with them and they don’t mean anything. Most of the social media managers I know don’t use them and find them annoying in the forums where I’ve heard discussions. If you overuse hashtags on Facebook, you even run the risk of being hidden. And the last thing you want to do is be unfriended on Facebook.

Hashtags on Twitter

Hashtags on Twitter are a whole other ball of wax. Hashtags originated on Twitter, so they make sense on Twitter. You can use them to organize a search, to make a sarcastic remark, and more. Personally, I use Twitter for the occasional joking remark, and using hashtags in this way sometimes separates the newbies from more advanced tweeters. This use of hashtags is more for entertainment or to set the tone of a tweet.

Hashtags are useful in organizing Tweetchats, which are discussions about a certain topic, usually about an hour long, held on Twitter. For instance, #KidneyChats is on Mondays evenings and #POCChat on Monday mornings, are a couple I recommend. Used in this way, a hashtag lets you see what the other participants in a chat are discussing. And by the way, if you click on the embedded tweet, above, you can see some of the top tweets about #KidneyChat.

As a brand, a hashtag can be quite useful to add authority. Many brands have their own hashtags. They may also start a tweetchat using a hashtag to get people talking about a specific topic.

And in case you didn’t know, hashtags weren’t always a part of the Twitter lexicon. The Wall Street Journal has a fascinating article on how hashtags came to be.

Other Supported Platforms

Hashtags are used on Pinterest as a way of searching, just as they are on Twitter. On Instagram, certain hashtags are used specifically to describe photos. Google+ lets you search from Google to Facebook or Twitter using a hashtag, too.

How Do You Use Hashtags?

Do you like them? Find them irritating? Think they’re too nerdy? Let me know in the comments! Thanks!

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Twitter: Get More Followers

October 24, 2013 By 10 Comments
Twitter: Get More Followers

Twitter: Get More Followers

You’ve read about this topic a gazillion times and it’s the first thing people always ask. How do I find  people to follow? And how do I get them to follow me back? My method is not foolproof, but it’s pretty damn good (not bragging). You will get followers, and they won’t be fake followers. It is work, however. You might not like that part. Then again, it’s not rocket science!

See Who Your Friends Are Talking to

Start by looking at who your friends talk to. Look at their profiles and their top ten tweets. If you like what you see on their profile and what they’re tweeting about, chat with them. Follow them if you like the way the conversation is going.

Say Something Directly to That Person

This could be anything. “Where are you from? Your profile doesn’t say.” “I like what you said on your profile about rapscallions.” “It looks like we went to the same school.” Start with something easy, just like you would in a real-life conversation. Start there. LifeHacker has some good, simple conversation starters that work in real life or online.

Retweet Them

Find a tweet that would be important to them. This requires a little more work. Preferably find something about their business or something you think they’d like you to retweet. If they have a small following, they’ll probably notice right away. If not, you may need to retweet a few to get noticed. If their tweet is short, you may have space to add a comment. And I recommend that you use an “old-school retweet,” for many reasons.

Comment on Their Blog

A blog comment is even better than a retweet, and is much more likely to get you noticed if you’re trying to establish a relationship. Bloggers love love love comments! And most will write back to you, I’ve found. And be happy to follow you.

Follow, Retweet and Comment

Be Generous First to Gain Followers

Be Generous First to Gain Followers

This is the trifecta of engagement. If you do all three of these things, then your new friend may be oblivious or a snob. And if they don’t want to engage with you, then why are you following them? Some accounts may give you really good content, but most people aren’t Katie Couric (and need to converse with others).

Have Good Content

Think of your followers (or your potential followers) as friends. What cool and interesting stuff would you like to share with them? It doesn’t always have to be related to your business, but you’ll be more likely to attract the right crowd if it is. Don’t trick people by saying, “Hey guys, I liked this” and then a spammy link. Share things you do truly love if you want to make friends either online or in real life.

Is This Approach Too Much Work?

Let me know what works for you in the comments! Thanks!

 

 

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