You might wonder why this should be important to you. Simple: increasing your perceived value helps to differentiate you from your competition. Creating competitive advantage takes market share away from the competition and gives it to you! So sharing your knowledge and expertise can directly impact your top line revenue. If done right, it drives right to the bottom line without any increase in your cost of goods sold.
Social marketing tools offer great, low-cost ways to share your expertise with the world. Sullivan Tire is a great example. On Twitter, they remind followers to check their tire pressure and how to find the information about proper pressure. They frequently offer discounts on wiper blades on rainy days. They discuss fuel efficiency and the importance of regular car maintenance. And they spice it up with fun, interesting and sometimes funny information about cars, New England and the Red Sox. Best of all, they are very responsive so if you contact them via Twitter looking for a nearby store, they will send that information right back to you.
How could you share your knowledge and expertise? Depends on your business. If you’re in the lawn care business, you might take a look at Scotts Lawncare Twitter feed. They can give you the grass seed formula for every major league ballpark. They will also tell you when it’s time to put down crab grass preventative. And they offer out advice for all sorts of common lawn challenges intermixed with the reasons (beyond vanity) why you should take care of your lawn.
Mortgage brokers or realtors could share what they know
about maintaining value in your home, what features help sell a home, how to
prepare to list your home, how to best improve your credit score, how to
protect your credit, etc.
A CPA firm might post examples on how new laws and proposed legislation might impact municipal budgets, businesses or individuals.
Look for MaineWeightLossCoach.com. Lisa Prince uses Facebook to post tips to help her
clients and fans eat more healthfully. Her posts offer timely advice for menu
selections when dining out, tips for working in more activity and exercise and
what not to eat to reach your goals.
Lisa Fuller, owner of LifeStages LLC, shares her expertise and industry news on eldercare issues via Facebook but automatically feeds that same information out through Twitter. Facebook provides information to her clients and fans. Twitter helps her prospect based on the keywords she uses in her posts.
Take a look at the notes on your desk and think back over
the past week. What did customers ask about? What did you read about in an
industry publication? Start a list. Sharing your expertise via social media
tools is only daunting for a short while. Most people find they enjoy it. And
when it starts generating some buzz, prospect conversion and customer
retention, it becomes meaningful and very worthwhile.
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