Here’s why. 

According to Hootsuite, in 2019:

• 3.48 billion people use social media.
• 69% of adults use social media.
• 90% of brands use social media to increase brand awareness.
• More than 40% of digital consumers use social networks to research new brands or products.

So if you aren’t reaching people on social media, you really should be or you could be leaving money on the table — whether your business is online or not.

Most people make the mistake of believing that a large following equates to dollar signs. In other words, people think that the more followers they have, the more money they’ll make. So everyone is on this mad dash to get tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of followers. 

A lot of followers don’t always equal a lot of sales but it is important to do your part to grow your following. Most of us start out with a handful and have to grow our way up from there.

Growing your following on social media takes a lot of deliberate work and effort. Yesterday, in the Does Success Require Passion? episode of my podcast, Master Your Mission, I mentioned how I engage as much as possible in an effort to grow my following and get eyes on my page so that I can get people into my funnel. 

Part of what makes people buy from you is having a product that they want and need, but even more so, the trust factor makes people want to buy from you. How do you get people to trust you when they’ve never met you before and they only see you on social media?

You engage.

As I said yesterday, we don’t engage for the point of engaging. We engage deliberately. We want people to let their guards down and trust us, because we really do have good products and/or services, right?

So here are 5 things you should avoid doing.

1. Ignoring people when they comment.
2. Never liking or commenting on other people’s posts.
3. Following to get a follow just to later unfollow.
4. Over selling in your posts. Mix it up and offer your audience something for free.
5. Being too cold or too personal. Avoid posting a bunch of stock photos. People can spot them from a mile away. Also avoid posting a ton of pics from you kids kindergarten graduation unless it pertains to your business.

So here are a few ways that you can engage with people in a way that build trust.

1. Talk to people. When they comment on your posts, talk back. When you comment on posts, say something other than the shallow, I’m commenting on 1,000 pics today, “Awesome pic”.
2. Show your face. Even if you aren’t the face of your brand, a little BTS action goes a long way. People love to see the owner of a brand, because it helps them connect more. Don’t be afraid to show your face on your business social media page.
3. Let people get to know you. Share random facts about yourself. You don’t have to get too deep. In fact, I’d say don’t get too personal, unless it actually applies to your business and your audience. Again, people love to connect, so give them a reason to. Just be yourself.
4. Use realistic images that capture your actual product or service. It’s totally okay to pictures that aren’t professional or perfectly shot. People are imperfect so we tend to connect even more when something is “real”.
5. Keep it relevant. Share images and posts that are relevant to your audience. People will always appreciate the fact that it feels like you are talking directly to them. 

So every time you get ready to post to your social media, think about your audience. Ask yourself…

Who is this post for? 

How does it help them? 

Will they see the value in it? 

And don’t be afraid to connect with people. Talk to them, interact with them, and they’ll bond with you and your business more.

Are you being social on social? Find me on Instagram or Facebook and let me know.

Also, visit my website to check out the courses and training programs I offer and to listen to my podcast, Master Your Mission, for daily motivation and inspiration to pursue your dreams.