A Confused Audience Won’t Take Action and You Won’t Make Sales

Today’s post is a sequel to “Twitter update – What Are You Cooking for Dinner Tonight?”

Consistent and Clear messaging across social media venues is what you want to aim for in your communications with your target audience.

Nothing breaks down trust and destroys credibility faster than being all over the map with messages that confuse your target market.  And once they get confused, they disappear!

To keep your prospects, clients, and customers from doing the disappearing act, you need to strike a “balance” of sharing relationship-building messages and messages that are promotional in nature.

Be a savvy social media marketer and use the 80/20 rule (or even the 90/10 rule!) when posting your messages.  The majority of what you share should be focused on relationship-building.

Thanks to my awesome mentor and colleague, Jessica Swanson, I’ve learned buckets full of tips and strategies to build lasting relationships with mompreneurs and moms who want to ditch the 9-5 and work from home.

Now it’s my turn to share them with you.

The best way to begin building a relationship with your target audience is to offer them your tantalizing freebie!

Here are 50 “free offer” ideas from my mentor to me to YOU:

1)  Ebook

2)  Tip booklet

3)  Special report

4)  Mini ecourse (delivered over time)

5)  Industry report

6)  Sample chapter of your book

7)  How-to guide

8)  Cheat sheet

9)  Tip sheet

10) Checklist

11) White paper

12) Warning or cautionary report

13) Ezine subscription

14) Downloadable kit

15) Written interview (transcribed)

16) Buyer’s guide

17) Template

18) Quiz

19) Survey

20) Audio class/lesson

21) Audio course (delivered over time)

22) Audio interview

23) Live teleseminar

24) Recorded teleseminar

25) Podcast episode

26) Video

27) Video course (delivered over time)

28) Slideshow

29) Live webinar

30) Live webcast

31) Recorded webinar

32) DVD

33) CD

34) Product sample

35) Demonstration of your product

36) Consultation

37) Free trial offer

38) Discount coupon book

39) WordPress plugin

40) Mobile application

41) Free mystery gift

42) Free “set-up” or “assembly”

43) Free hotline service

44) Free customer support

45) Pamphlet

46) Brochure

47) Informational packet

48) Free class or lesson

49) Free seminar

50) You fill in the blank here – use your imagination!

Next you’ll want to grab 50 Tweetable ideas tailor-made for the small business owner and entrepreneur:

1)    Share a relevant quote from your industry.

2)    Link to your blog post.

3)    Link to someone else’s blog post.

4)    Share a link to a video at:  www.TwitVid.com

5)    Share industry tips.

6)    Ask questions.

7)    Answer questions.

8)    Share a cool, new tool that you just discovered.

9)    Start a new # discussion within your industry.

10)    Join a # discussion within your industry.

11)    Re-tweet relevant tweets that your followers will enjoy.

12)    Share a picture at: www.TwitPic.com

13)    Link to one of your published articles.

14)    Link to someone else’s published article.

15)    Share a link to one of your recent press releases.

16)    Post updates while attending a conference.

17)    Share a link to your podcast.

18)    Let your followers know about an upcoming interview.

19)    Brag about your favorite clients and customers.

20)    Ask for help solving a problem.

21)    Share a link to your online radio show.

22)    Create informal mastermind groups at: http://grouptweet.com

23)    Generate quick polls at: www.TweetPoll.com

24)    Give away free stuff (ebooks, reports, audios, etc.)

25)    Review a product pertinent to your industry.

26)    Review a book relevant to your industry.

27)    Set up a #TweetUp to meet your twitter friends in-person.

28)    Offer great customer service.

29)    Find Joint Venture partners.

30)    Brag about a job well done by another company or individual.

31)    Provide your expert opinion.

32)    Tweet out your eZine.

33)    Promote your live event.

34)    Promote your virtual event www.Tweetvite.com

35)    Showcase your work.

36)    Promote your new product or ebook.

37)    Host a contest.

38)    Build relationships with bloggers.

39)    Build relationships with PR people.

40)    Share a link to your Hubpage: www.Hubpages.com

41)    Share a link to your Squidoo lens: www.Squidoo.com

42)    Announce the upcoming launch of a new product or service.

43)    Redistribute content.

44)    Share a link to a powerpoint presentation on     www.SlideShare.com

45)    Take questions from the audience whenever you participate in a teleseminar or conference.

46)    Form a group for your customers and clients at: http://grouptweet.com

47)     Tell an industry joke.

48)    Rant about something not done well in your industry.

49)    Solve a problem that your target market is facing.

50)   You get to fill in the blank here – use your imagination!

Could you benefit from more information like this? If so, begin by downloading your Free Shoestring Marketing Kit.


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  • Hi Melanie,

    I absolutely agree that you need to focus your messages across the social networks or you will confuse your readers! I just wrote something similar to this for a membership site that I write for.

    Here’s something you might want to think about, too. If you have multiple keywords that you’re shooting for, you can set up multiple accounts on Twitter and focus each account on a specific niche or angle. All, of course, leading to your site or blog. Theme them the same, too. It’s a great way to reach more people with focused messages.

    Great post as always! You’re so great at opening the mind to expand ideas. XOXO

    • “If you have multiple keywords that you’re shooting for, you can set up multiple accounts on Twitter and focus each account on a specific niche or angle”

      That’s a brilliant idea, Deb, and thanks so much for sharing! I think a lot of folks don’t know it’s okay to have more than one Twitter account.

      And thanks for the kudos — I’ll be wrapping my day up with a smile. 🙂

      Love you back!
      Melanie

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  • Well, if I mining gold here, Fiona — you’re mining platinum over at your blog! 🙂

    I agree with you 100% – you have to have a main focus which will help you to create your main message — which your target audience needs to see/read/hear/experience at least 7 – 12 times before they “get” it.

  • Melanie, your blog is a gold mine. To matter what you’re selling or marketing, you have to have a main message you want to convey so your target audience REALLY gets it. Or else they truly do stumble away, uneffected.

  • You’re right, Deb — it’s an easy line to cross and it can also become a very slippery slope if you’re not careful.

    I’m a gal who prefers the 90/10 rule. I like to have a safety net underneath me when it comes to social media marketing. 🙂 I don’t want to step on any toes, offend anyone, or come across as a spammer in any way, shape, or form.

    One of the things I love best is building community — and striving to do it the right way.

    Thanks a heap for sharing your thoughts on this post! Love ya.

  • Awesome tips packed in here, Melanie. And I really like that you pointed out the 80/20 rule, and better still 90/10. Right on!

    Building relationships is what social media is all about and if you go overboard in trying to make sales instead, you’ll lose. Nothing worse than coming across as pushy and a spammer… and that’s an easy line to cross! People won’t tolerate it.

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  • My pleasure, Stacy!

    I’m just happy knowing you’re able to take something with you from this information that will make your life a little easier. 🙂

    Thanks so much for coming by and taking a peek at my post.

    Have fun and Write On!

  • WOW! Melanie, you’re a lifesaver! I have been stressing over two things lately: 1) keeping up with the Ultimate Blog Challenge, and 2) figuring out what I could do as an opt-in offer when I get to that point. You have given me a wealth of information that I can use for both of these stressers, since many of your tweet tips can be used as the starting point for blog posts. Thank you for being a resource!

  • Leanne and Annie — I’m tickled pink you found some value here!

    And, Annie – boy, do I remember those “hiccups” when I first started doing online marketing. 🙂

    Thanks a bunch for your feedback!

  • Excellent list of tips Melanie 🙂 you have covered lots of the major areas where new marketers hicup and this gives a clear guide to add value before broadcasting your marketing 🙂 like this a lot

  • Oh. My. Gosh. What a fantastic post! This is one of the most comprehensive and useful lists of types of Tweets that I’ve seen. You’ve definitely given me some ideas. Thanks, Melanie, for offering such great content!