Archives for June 2014
Using Questions as Inspiration for Social Media Posts
Whether you need fresh ideas for your blog or want to strike up conversations with your social media followers, questions can provide you with a wealth of potential content. For example, if you regularly receive the same questions from your customers, it’s likely that others have those same questions. By writing a blog post or starting a social media conversation around those questions, you are performing a valuable service. Not only that, many users perform search engine searches in the form of a question. By including questions in your blog, your posts could be served up as the answer! Below are a few different ways that you can use questions and answers in social media.
- Create a Blog Post Around a Question – By asking a question in a blog post, all you need to do is answer it. However, don’t just answer the question; go on to explain your reasoning. Give the blog post some depth. The options here are numerous. For example, you could ask, “Which is better: Choice A or B?” and then compare and contrast two relevant options. You could also ask, “Why choose this product?” and then discuss the benefits of the project in question. You can use who, wha
t, when, where, why, and how as you think of different ways to pose your questions.
- Create a Blog Post Around Several Related Questions – Another option is to include several related questions in a single blog post. For example, if you are writing a blog post about an upcoming product launch, you could use a Q&A format to answer questions such as “When will the product be released?” or “How can I pre-order the product?”
- Start a discussion – Ask probing or thought-provoking questions on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media sites to get your followers talking. Your questions can be directly related to your products and services (such as “What is your favorite part of owning ______?”), it can be focused on the problem your products and solutions solve (such as “What is the worst thing about _____?”), or it can be more general but of interest to your customer base.
- Ask your followers to help – Another option is to ask your followers to help with a difficult question. For example, you may receive questions that you can’t
immediately answer on your own without doing some research. Why not give your followers the opportunity to share their expertise? This is a generous way to help others as well as show some humility and that you are not a know-it-all.
Start keeping track of the questions you receive. They’re potential blog posts and social media discussions! In addition to creating engaging discussions on your blog and social media sites, you can use your newly created blog posts in the future when someone emails you that same question. Simply respond with a brief answer and include a link to the blog post for more detail.
Watch out elephants! This slayer of business challenges comes with 30 years of record breaking sales, marketing, operations, training and leadership experience . He has worked face-to-face with 100’s of small business owners as well as large firms. His love of creating, communicating, developing and executing results for clients shines with each project, publication and training event. His entrepreneurial spirit, passion, industry experience, education, problem-solving prowess, charismatic personality and been-there-done that attitude leads his client focused approach.
You've Joined Quora: Now What?
Quora is a social media website built around questions and answers. Essentially, users either ask or answer questions (or both). Like other social media sites, you need to register for a free account in order to participate. Once you become a member, you then “follow” specific topics of interest. For example, if you’re a web developer, you’d probably want to follow “web development” and “search engine optimization” topics. On the other hand, if you’re a fashion designer, you’d probably follow fashion-related topics.
In any case, once you’ve joined Quora, you can use it in several different ways. Below are a few ideas:
- Share your expertise – To start, you might want to use Quora as it was designed: for asking and answering questions. Answering questions about your area of expertise is yet another way to build your personal brand. In addition to questions and answers, Quora also has a blog feature built in. If so inclined, you could create your own Quora blog and contribute to it regularly. These blog posts are visible to the public, so blogging on Quora may be an opportunity to gain additional exposure both within the Quora community and the Internet at large. Keep in mind, however, that any content you post to Quora can be reused by others elsewhere with proper attribution. If you are uncomfortable with this, then don’t create content and post it there.
- Get ideas – Not sure what to blog about or discuss on other social networks? Quora can provide you with a wealth of potential topics. Follow all topics related to your niche and regularly log into your Quora account. You’ll be presented with dozens of burning questions that are relevant to your audience. While you could certainly answer questions as you see fit, there’s nothing stopping you from creating your own blog post around a question you find on Quora. In fact, one of the web’s biggest sites, BuzzFeed, regularly uses Quora for inspiration.
- Follow Quora blogs – By following other users’ blogs in your niche, you have yet another source of potential topic ideas as well as interesting links to share on your social networking sites. For example, if a thought leader publishes an interesting blog post on Quora, you could link to it on Facebook and start a conversation around that post. What types of thought leaders are on Quora? Naturally, it depends on your niche. However, in March, President Obama answered questions about the Affordable Care Act on Quora and movie directors make regular appearances answering questions about their upcoming films.
Finally, you can use Quora simply to have a little fun. For example, Quora’s Game of Thrones topic has over 138,000 followers asking and answering questions about HBO’s wildly popular television series.
No matter what you’re interested in, others likely share that interest on Quora. Share your expertise, get inspired, and acquire additional knowledge about the topics you’re most passionate about.
Watch out elephants! This slayer of business challenges comes with 30 years of record breaking sales, marketing, operations, training and leadership experience . He has worked face-to-face with 100’s of small business owners as well as large firms. His love of creating, communicating, developing and executing results for clients shines with each project, publication and training event. His entrepreneurial spirit, passion, industry experience, education, problem-solving prowess, charismatic personality and been-there-done that attitude leads his client focused approach.
You’ve Joined Quora: Now What?
Quora is a social media website built around questions and answers. Essentially, users either ask or answer questions (or both). Like other social media sites, you need to register for a free account in order to participate. Once you become a member, you then “follow” specific topics of interest. For example, if you’re a web developer, you’d probably want to follow “web development” and “search engine optimization” topics. On the other hand, if you’re a fashion designer, you’d probably follow fashion-related topics.
In any case, once you’ve joined Quora, you can use it in several different ways. Below are a few ideas:
- Share your expertise – To start, you might want to use Quora as it was designed: for asking and answering questions. Answering questions about your area of expertise is yet another way to build your personal brand. In addition to questions and answers, Quora also has a blog feature built in. If so inclined, you could create your own Quora blog and contribute to it regularly. These blog posts are visible to the public, so blogging on Quora may be an opportunity to gain additional exposure both within the Quora community and the Internet at large. Keep in mind, however, that any content you post to Quora can be reused by others elsewhere with proper attribution. If you are uncomfortable with this, then don’t create content and post it there.
- Get ideas – Not sure what to blog about or discuss on other social networks? Quora can provide you with a wealth of potential topics. Follow all topics related to your niche and regularly log into your Quora account. You’ll be presented with dozens of burning questions that are relevant to your audience. While you could certainly answer questions as you see fit, there’s nothing stopping you from creating your own blog post around a question you find on Quora. In fact, one of the web’s biggest sites, BuzzFeed, regularly uses Quora for inspiration.
- Follow Quora blogs – By following other users’ blogs in your niche, you have yet another source of potential topic ideas as well as interesting links to share on your social networking sites. For example, if a thought leader publishes an interesting blog post on Quora, you could link to it on Facebook and start a conversation around that post. What types of thought leaders are on Quora? Naturally, it depends on your niche. However, in March, President Obama answered questions about the Affordable Care Act on Quora and movie directors make regular appearances answering questions about their upcoming films.
Finally, you can use Quora simply to have a little fun. For example, Quora’s Game of Thrones topic has over 138,000 followers asking and answering questions about HBO’s wildly popular television series.
No matter what you’re interested in, others likely share that interest on Quora. Share your expertise, get inspired, and acquire additional knowledge about the topics you’re most passionate about.
Watch out elephants! This slayer of business challenges comes with 30 years of record breaking sales, marketing, operations, training and leadership experience . He has worked face-to-face with 100’s of small business owners as well as large firms. His love of creating, communicating, developing and executing results for clients shines with each project, publication and training event. His entrepreneurial spirit, passion, industry experience, education, problem-solving prowess, charismatic personality and been-there-done that attitude leads his client focused approach.
How to Make Your Clients Feel Important
One of the biggest parts of outstanding customer service is taking the time to deliver truly personal service. Every one of your clients should always feel like they are the most important client you have, whether they are big or small.
But how can you accomplish this? Here are a few tips about how you can make your clients feel important:
- Always have pleasant conversations. Whenever someone calls in to your company, the person who answers your phone should be pleasant, attentive and courteous. The same goes for email conversations. Your client or customer should always feel welcome and comfortable, and should never feel rushed.
- When meeting face-to-face, have comfortable reception areas. Whenever a client comes in for a face-to-face meeting, you want them to be as comfortable as possible. Have comfortable seats, plenty of magazines (that are neatly arranged and up to date), and offer refreshments if possible (water, coffee, soda). The meeting area should be comfortable as well.
- Always keep your client at ease. Don't feel like you have to be overly buttoned up when meeting with your clients. You can still be professional while having an informal tone, and that tone is likely to help your client to feel at ease and open up. It instantly builds a sense of trust in you and your organization.
- Practice good communication skills. Listen attentively; don't just wait to speak. Acknowledge that you have heard and understand your client's questions or
concerns, and repeat them to show them you understand. If you need anything clarified, feel free to ask questions of your client rather than guessing at their meaning.
- Go above and beyond expectations. When a client has a problem, don't just solve the problem; prevent it from happening again. You should also be liberal in sending thank you notes, greeting cards, birthday notes, holiday gifts and anything else that you feel will help your clients to feel like they are important to you.
- Give special discounts. If you have a client or customer who has been with you for a long time, don't be afraid to show them how much their patronage means to you. Offer special deals or discounts that are unique to them.
Looking for more tips about how you can make every customer feel like they are your most important one? Contact us at Viral Solutions and we'll be happy to give you some more pointers!
Christine Kelly | Queen Bee | Viral Solutions LLC
Prior to joining Viral Solutions, Christine held executive leadership roles at some of the largest small business consulting firms in the USA. Her experience includes leading direct reports of over 130 remote sales agents who generated $38mm in annual revenue. She obtained her Marketing degree from British Columbia Institute of Technology. Bring her C-Suite experience to your small business. Although our company is virtual, and we can work with you wherever you are located, she is located in Denver, Colorado and owns a second home in Vancouver, BC Canada.
Social Media Group Member Etiquette
Joining LinkedIn and Facebook groups is a fantastic way to meet new people who share common interests as well as potentially gain new followers and exposure to your brand. However, as with any social group, there’s a right way and a wrong way to present yourself. It’s called etiquette. Use the tips below to become a valued member of the group.
- Introduce yourself – Once you’ve been approved to join a group, come on in and say hi. This is a fantastic opportunity to share a little bit about yourself (not too much), why you’re excited about the group, and what you hope to learn or achieve as a member. Keep your introduction brief, professional, and approachable.
- Be prepared to interact – It’s not unusual for others to welcome new members or ask questions. Thus, if you introduce yourself, stick around so that you can interact
with others who welcome you to the group.
- Participate in group discussions – While you may get a lot out of “lurking,” you’ll get so much more if you actively participate. This is where relationships begin! If you don’t participate, you won’t build relationships and you’ll miss out on opportunities to show that you know your stuff.
- Provide value – As you participate, always try to provide useful, relevant information. It’s not about touting your services; it’s about being valuable. For example, if you’re a real estate agent and someone asks for advice on pricing their home for sale, you may be tempted to say “call me for a consultation.” That’s not what the other person is looking for. Instead, you might suggest websites where the other person can look up recent sales in the neighborhood or even point to a blog post you wrote addressing how to price a home for sale.
- Share relevant information – It is perfectly acceptable to share links in groups periodically. However, those links should be relevant to the group. For example, if the group is focused on accounting topics, sharing a link about plumbing would be completely irrelevant.
- Don’t spam the group – While your blog posts may be valuable and relevant to the group, use sparingly. This is not the place to link to every single blog post you write. It is not your platform. If you have a particularly timely, topical blog post that could serve as a fantastic discussion starter, then it might be appropriate to share with the group.
- Use the promotions tab for announcements and promos – Posting a promotion in the main discussions area is considered bad form. On the other hand, it’s expected in the Promotions tab. If you are running a special, launching a new product, or have some other promotion in the works, use the Promotions tab.
- Stay professional at all times – Group discussions can become heated. Whether another member has said something offensive or you feel passionate about a controversial topic, remember to stay professional. Your words will be publicly available (at least within the confines of the group) long after the moment has passed. Before you click the “comment” button, make sure that your response is 100 percent professional. If in doubt, don’t post it.
- Replicate engaging discussions – Keep an eye on the types of discussions that are getting the most activity. These are the types you’ll want to replicate. For example, if you post a link to an article you found interesting, you may wonder why no one has commented on it. For insight, look at some of the other discussions that contain links. Did the group member introduce the article or ask a question of the group about it? Getting more engagement could be as simple as including some sort of call to action alongside your link such as “How can we incorporate some of the ideas discussed in this article in our own businesses?”
Participating in social media groups requires following basic social media group etiquette rules. Remember to be professional, approachable, relevant, and non-spammy and you should do just fine!
Watch out elephants! This slayer of business challenges comes with 30 years of record breaking sales, marketing, operations, training and leadership experience . He has worked face-to-face with 100’s of small business owners as well as large firms. His love of creating, communicating, developing and executing results for clients shines with each project, publication and training event. His entrepreneurial spirit, passion, industry experience, education, problem-solving prowess, charismatic personality and been-there-done that attitude leads his client focused approach.