Marketing Part 3: I Want To Promote My Talent Via Social Media. Will It Work?

Did you skip Part 2?  Grab that jump rope of yours and skip rope over to I Have Plenty of Talent. If Only I Could Find Customers (or Clients) Online.

Will social media marketing work for you?

You’re not going to like my answer but here goes…

“It all depends.”

Promoting your talent via social media will work … IF you work it.

Let me explain …

Social media marketers are not lazy people. 

They’re tenacious, determined, nose-to-the-grindstone people.

They’ve done their research and plenty of it! 

They’re more than aware of where their target audience is hanging out on the internet.

They’ve chosen a social media channel or two (or maybe three) and they work those sites … DAILY.

Consider this:

Just because Facebook has a billion users doesn’t mean diddly squat if you don’t know how to tap into the right audience there.  

And do you know, for sure, your potential customers or clients are Facebook users?!

Your target market may very well be spending their social media hours on Slideshare or Pinterest or Sound Cloud or You Tube or …??

As far as Twitter goes, it’s pointless to set out to collect tens of thousands of followers (even though some nincompoop will give you that crappy piece of advice). 

That old adage, “There’s power in numbers” does not apply to Twitter.

By the way, my friend and fellow blogger, Martha Giffen, has a great 3-part program called Tweet With Martha if you’d like to become a master at using Twitter for profits.

The bottom line …

I know it sounds like going back to school again, but do your homework if you’re serious about marketing your talent online. 

Do the assignment of figuring out which social media channel or channels you need to work. 

Then turn in your homework every day by consistently showing up in those virtual locations to:

  • Answer questions
  • Ask questions
  • Share resources, tools, articles, ideas, videos, music, images, and tips
  • Offer words of encouragement and inspiration
  • Collaborate with colleagues
  • Host a contest, sweepstake, or giveaway
  • Announce special events of interest to your audience
  • Actively participate in groups or forums
  • Share your latest blog post
  • Make new connections  
  • And have lots of fun

Comment Box Call to Action:

Are you getting good results using social media marketing?  If not, what is your biggest challenge or stumbling block?

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeygottawa/2221152288/

  • Nice post and very informative! Really social media is a very powerful tool to promote your skills and talents. Thanks for your advice. 🙂

  • Very nice post. I’m very passionate about engagement with others online and building communities, and your bullet point list provides a very nice, straightforward way to remind myself where to focus my efforts.

    • Very sweet of you to drop in, Megan — thanks!

      You and I just crossed paths in the blogosphere for the very first time today …
      And here you are knocking on my door.

      So I know this is absolutely TRUE about you …
      “I’m very passionate about engagement with others online and building communities”

      Always a pleasure to meet a fellow blogger who walks her talk. 🙂

  • Love how you mention research in your post – it’s ongoing and never, ever ends! It’s just not something everyone can do (even tough they think they can). Thank you for posting – love the tips!

    • Lovely to see you here again, Brooke!

      Sometimes when I mention the task of doing pertinent online marketing “research” …

      I’m sure it sounds like fingernails going down a chalkboard to some people. They really resist doing the research. Maybe because it’s not fun?! LOL!

      But any social media marketer worth the proverbial hill of beans will agree with you wholeheartedly …

      ” … it’s ongoing and never, ever ends!”

  • Do your homework and make every day count–results come to those who show up, share, collaborate, and connect consistently! Nice post!

    • Hi Nancy and welcome back!

      I sometimes hesitate to use the word, “homework” …
      Since there are folks out there who didn’t exactly LOVE school as much as I did.

      With life, in general, making every day count is important. And that philosophy carries right over to social media marketing, as well. But it’s most important to count the meaningful moments … not your numbers of followers. 🙂

  • Great post with great advice! I always make sure my clients have a great website and blog first! Then we look at social media and where they need to be. It differs with EVERY business! All platforms are not created equal.

    • Toooooo true, Dorien!

      ” All platforms are not created equal.”

      And I don’t know if anyone else has noticed …
      But there are new platforms popping up at the speed of popped corn!

      Who has ample time to keep up with all this new social media stuff?! Certainly not me.

  • Thanks for clarifying the right way to use social media. Building numbers makes no sense if there’s no engagement.

    I love using social media to share info and new finds, as well as connect with colleagues. There is no substitution for the reach and power.

    • Flora, I couldn’t agree with you more!! …

      “There is no substitution for the reach and power.”

      Especially when you consider the global aspect of social media marketing. After all, there’s only so many ideal customers or clients in your own backyard, right? 😉

  • ice post and appreciate the mention! You are spot on with your advice about being present. If you want to do social media “right”, you have to show up every.single.day.

    • Hi Martha

      You’re more than welcome for the mention. You’ve got social media nailed! 🙂

      “Being present … every. single. day.” is a huge commitment, isn’t it? But, oh, so worth it if you want to make social media work for you!