100 best sales & marketing ideas: 9 social media tips

78. Avoid the “Field of Dreams” fallacy.

You have a firm presence on a variety of social media platforms and have carved out a stout digital footprint? Terrific! Now, are you taking time out regularly to engage your client-base? Despite the optimistic “if you build it, they will come” mentality, creating social media outlets without frequent, active participation is like fashioning a clipper ship without a mast or sails. In order for your efforts to produce a spike in business or revenue, you need to get into the trenches with your clients. Use ‘@’ replies on Twitter to demonstrate light-speed customer service; post valuable, thought-provoking status updates on Facebook and participate in the conversations that unfold. Never underestimate the value your customers place on actively engaging their questions, concerns and compliments.

—Russell Trahan

77. Marketing in 140 characters or less. 

For advisors striving to market themselves on social media, there’s a lesson to learn and it’s this: You must be concise and recognizable at the same time. Twitter allows you just 140 characters to communicate your message, forcing you to be direct and to the point. Can you create a vision or mission statement in 140 characters or less?

—Shep Hyken

76. Focus on creating simple navigation. 

Lead people exactly where you want them to go and keep it easy and clear. What do you want people to learn about your firm on your website? If you had to pick just one thing, what would it be? You will want to make sure that it is easy for site visitors to discover that one thing. Take a look at how your navigation is set up, and make adjustments accordingly. For instance, a popular website page is often titled, “What Makes Us Unique.” To ensure it is found by quick-looking visitors, the navigation for this page should be prominent in your top navigation bar. You can place a link to this critical page below in a larger box.

—Maribeth Kuzmeski

75. LinkedIn’s CardMunch.

There is a solution to that pile of business cards waiting to be processed. It’s called CardMunch, and it eats your business cards in no time. Here’s how it works. Take a picture of a business card and upload it. People at CardMunch will input the data from that paper business card into an electronic one, including any LinkedIn profile information. Then connect via LinkedIn, sync the contact info with your address book or send your new contact an email straight away.

—Jan Vermeiren

74. ALWAYS try new ideas.

Think outside the box.

—Bobby M. Collins