How to Sell Yourself on Social Networks

By Rodney Brooks, on June 21st, 2009

There’s a lot of buzz about how great social marketing and online social networking is for your business. But before you go out and make wholesale changes to your small business marketing strategy, you need to listen to the social marketing tips on this business television show.

The issue of making sales over social networks is a very controversial one, and some social marketing experts say that you should never try to sell at all on online networks, or you’ll risk losing your following.

In this business television show, dozens of experts contribute their latest advice on on using social networks profitably for your business.

Their first tip is one of the most important lessons you can learn for your small business marketing strategy: don’t be too salesy.

This is a little counter-intuitive to most business people and marketers, but online social networks are first and foremost social spaces. Just as you wouldn’t walk into a meeting and start shouting ‘buy my product’, good business etiquette applies when you’re online too.

Approach social marketing as if you were networking at an event or party. Let your hair down a bit, meet people and chat, and let your contacts hear about you, the person – not just what you’re selling. You might not close a deal right away, but by nurturing the relationships you make, the business will come.

Another of the social marketing tips is to follow up offline when you feel you need to talk business and close a deal.

You need to get out of the office and meet the people you’ve connected with on your social networks if you want to convert your social marketing campaign into sales.

Watch the show right here for free to hear more detail on these tips and to hear the rest of the social marketing tips.

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