How Can I Supercharge My Social Media Efforts?

Now that is a great question author’s ask me all the time. And it is why I have a page here on my blog for author’s to use to know where to be on social media to promote your books effectively. But Marsha is an expert in this area and so I wanted to have her give us all that advice from a more PR perspective. So let’s get right to it!

Why You Should Use Social Media to Build Your Opt-In Email List!

By now, everyone knows that social media is a key component to any marketing campaign. At least if you’ve been reading these newsletters you do. But aside from the obvious benefits of outreach and awareness, there is something else you can be doing with your social networking campaign that can supercharge all of your efforts: build an opt-in email list.

I know from my own experience that social media marketing has enabled me to increase my email list by thousands, with those on the list continuously receiving my newsletters that carry my advice, my tips, and my message.

My newsletter helps my social media contacts remember me and what I do, not because I am actively selling and promoting myself. Like my social media strategy, I use these pieces to add value to the lives of the people on my list. My formula is simple – if some of you like what you read, when you have the need and the resources and are considering using a PR firm, you might consider my company. And that’s it. What’s more, I know it works, because I’ve used this formula to build a thriving 27-year-old business.

Adding value for my clients is the real reward I have enjoyed by combining my email and social media marketing efforts. So how can you do this? Let me share a few actions that we find are successful.

• Join Targeted Discussions and Post Valuable Content. Within your social networks, stay abreast of trending topics and discussions that your target audience will find relevant. Become part of these discussions using valuable content, making use of trending hashtags when possible to demonstrate your professional expertise and drive people to your website. Take care to make your posts short and interesting. Making the headline a question can encourage responses, or use words that contain phrases like “tips for” or “strategies for.” If your content links back to your website, tease the information that will be available once they click through to encourage better click-through rates.
• Make Sure Your Website is “Opt-in” Friendly. Make sure your opt-in form is prominent throughout your website, with a message telling visitors that when they sign up for your list, they will receive helpful information as opposed to junk mail. You can also include incentives to help encourage people to opt-in. E-books or whitepapers work nicely.

  

• Invite Everyone – But Don’t Pester! On some networks – like Twitter and LinkedIn – you can directly message new followers or connections and invite them to become part of your newsletter. Make these messages short, but friendly and try to maintain a tone that doesn’t seem one-size-fits-all. This can help increase your signup rate significantly. On networks that don’t offer the same level of access, weave signup call-to-actions in your content calendar. Try to limit this activity, and be sure to avoid being overly promotional. Again, ensuring your site is opt-in friendly will allow you to encourage signups just by sending followers to content on your site.
• Be Consistent in Your Social Networking! The key to making points 1 – 3 above really work is to stay active in your networks. If you are only an occasional visitor, you might as well “stay home.” In order to reap the rewards of these strategies, post often and wisely, and pay attention to your group members.

That’s how it all fits together. Social media is not the next big “thing.” It’s now part of the foundation of a good marketing campaign, as intractable as advertising and public relations.

Hope this helps!
Marsha

P.S. If you’d like professional help getting interviews with the media, we’ve been arranging interviews for our clients on radio and TV, and obtaining editorial coverage in newspapers and magazines for more than 26 years. We also offer a comprehensive social media marketing program for select clients, where we do it all for you. If you’re interested in our help, please call us at 727-443-7115 Ext. 231 or  (800) 881-7342 or send me an Email: info@emsincorporated.com We’d love to hear from you!

Please take a visit to my friends and see how they can supercharge your Public Image at EMSI Public Relations Firm!