Cocktail parties.  I can dread them.  I can be excited to go.  Either way, I always end up meeting new people and talking about my business.  It’s one of the best ways to connect with potential clients.  Here’s another VERY social setting – Facebook.  Did you know that 79% of online adults use Facebook on a regular basis?  Social media is a series of giant cocktail parties. In fact, 69% of adults use at least one social media site on a regular basis. I’ll prove it to you in the next few paragraphs.  So grab a drink and let’s talk.

Which parties (or channels) will provide the best return on your social media investment?

How well do you know your customer? What makes them tick?  What do they do in their spare time?  What do they like to talk about? Create a persona.  Bring all the most common characteristics of your customer into one person and give him/ her a name.

This is your ideal customer.  It’s called a “persona.”  Now where does he/she hang out?  Here are some examples:

You are at the party.  What is the “vibe” you are giving off?

Here is some free advice: Don’t talk politics or religion at a cocktail party.  There is always that one guy….am I right?  There is also the close talker, the guy who bathed in cologne, and the person who cannot stop talking about her divorce.  Harsh?  Maybe.  But as a wise company once said, “you only have one chance to make a first impression.”

How does this translate in the social media world?  Well, people are more likely to pay attention your page if you have some (or all) of the following:

• A long list of followers
• Images that are relevant to whatever you are marketing
• Lots of good conversation (meaningful topics that YOU engage in)
• Posting on a regular basis (frequency depends on the channel)

If you have some of the above, you are the cool kid at the party that everyone wants to talk to.  Don’t you want to be the cool kid?  Don’t ya?  In the world of social media, you’re the merchant of good vibes and great conversation – not a widget salesman. You didn’t come here to push a product; you came to build a relationship.  Don’t just sell.  That’s really freakin’ annoying.

The Exit and Follow Up

George Costanza, Jerry’s neurotic best friend on the 90’s sit-com Seinfeld, once said that you should leave on a high note.  It was a simple, but beautiful model: The one-two punch of a good joke and a good idea – followed by a quick exit.  Leave them wanting more.

His execution of this tactic wasn’t always smooth, but the guy was on to something.

When it comes to social media, once you’ve gotten a few likes, it’s time for an ongoing strategy.  A long-term plan.  Turn your customers into actual fans!  Engage them on a regular basis with information, not just a sales pitch.  Turn yourself into a wealth of information that they can like, share, and engage in conversation.  Heck!  Invite them to an actual cocktail party where you can all enjoy face-to-face conversation about the topics you’ve posted about.

If you want help, we are always here to guide you.  I’d be happy to talk about which social media strategy is best for you and your customers.  Remember.  You don’t have to attend every party, just the ones your customers want to attend.  And, for the love, avoid the close talker.