So you’re feeling like a Rock star. You’re on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more. You’re tweeting that you just posted that your new blog article is up! You are on it. Your Twitter followers have doubled in just the last two weeks, you’ve posted over 1000 tweets and your friends on Facebook just toppled a thousand!
You’re in Tulsa, OK finishing up a speaking engagement and you’re talking to the crowd gathered around when someone says to you “I feel like I know you. Your posts are simply amazing. When you said… last week it was just what I needed to hear. And the ensuing discussion that followed showed that you were touching on a need.”
Hmmm, you don’t really recall saying that! Nor do you have any idea what “discussion” he is referring to. You hope your look isn’t too obviously quizzical as you humbly accept his praise but redirect the conversation. It occurs to you that he must be speaking of something you plugged into your scheduler to post awhile go. That must be why you can’t remember. Your schedule has been packed. Your messages are on auto-pilot, you have not personally touched your social media pages in weeks.
A few days later you realize that just below your post on “Understanding the Will of God” is a series of questions, a string of dialogue exists without you. Your audience is actually reading and responding to your posts. They are talking to you but you have not been there talking back.
Wow, can you imagine the impression you just left with them? And of course your intent on writing the blog post in the first place was to help, to fill a need or answer an unasked question. But unfortunately you missed an opportunity to answer when the questions were articulated.
Don’t allow yourself to be falsely impressed by the number of people on your page, followers of you tweets, and subscribers to your list. It’s the quality of the engagement that matters most. Yes, you want to increase your presence; but in order to do that you must be continually fulfilling their need.
Here are 5 tips to making the most out of your presence online:
- Plan or can. What do you want to gain by being online? Success is intentional. Without a plan, you are destined to frustrate yourself, your team, and your visitors (well you’ll just lose them; they won’t let you frustrate them). Before you jump in the boat, chart your course.
- Engage, engage, engage – whether it’s a website, blog, or Social Media Network you must interact with your audience on a regular basis. If you went to church and no one spoke to you, no one greeted you, no one sang, and the preacher didn’t even preach would you go back? It is the same as with your online presence. Determine a feasible schedule for each of your platforms and be honest and diligent with the frequency of your interactions. Whether it’s daily, weekly or several times a day, determine, decide and be diligent!
- Value everyone, diss no one! –
- Thank newcomers for following you or joining your network. This process can be easily automated using www.TweetLater.com.
- Respond to all posts NO MATTER what! (*if you don’t have time delegate this task but it MUST get done)
- It’s NOT about YOU! – when marketing online or offline remember the cardinal 80/20 rule. 80% of what you say is NOT about you, your ministry, or your products. Meet needs and you will make life-long followers (don’t believe me….ask Jesus!)
Remember your online audience IS an audience. Treat them like the valuable people they are.