In 1936, Dale Carnegie (originally "Carnagey," and no relation to steel baron Andrew Carnegie...) published the widely popular book, How to Win Friends and Influence People. It has gone to publication multiple times and is still considered a foundation for both personal and professional success.
The tenets shared in Carnegie's book are easily translated into the world of social media and, if you apply them, you're bound to get more leads and cultivate a more passionate following for your brand.
Six Ways to Make People Like You...And Get More Leads!
Part Two of this world-famous book is titled, "Six Ways to Make People Like You." We encourage you to apply the methods found here across the social media spectrum and watch what happens.
- BECOME GENUINELY INTERESTED IN OTHER PEOPLE. If customers are cardboard cut-outs, existing merely to feed the bottom line, you've already lost the social media battle. You must be genuinely interested in who your customers and prospects are if you want to get more leads that actually manifest in conversions. Invest time to develop detailed buyer personas so your social media interactions intuitively speak to them.
- SMILE. Dale Carnegie also advised, "Don't criticize, condemn or complain" Your social media platforms should only be used to promote the positive and constructive. They should never be used to denigrate or poke fun at a competitor or another product. Let your positive vibes be the beacon of light that draws prospects right in. How can they resist?
- REMEMBER THAT A PERSON'S NAME IS TO THAT PERSON THE SWEETEST AND MOST IMPORTANT SOUND IN ANY LANGUAGE. Social Media Today shares the statistic that marketers who personalize their content see a 20% increase in revenue. Go beyond profiles and get to the heart of the people comprising those profiles. Go beyond the norm to make your customers feel like you know them by name:
- Reply personably and conscientiously to Yelp reviews
- Respond to and/or Favorite or reTweet prospect and customers' Tweets
- Take five minutes a week to post relevant content on your followers' Facebook accounts to spread the love and give them a little thrill.
- BE A GOOD LISTENER. ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO TALK ABOUT THEMSELVES. Netflix Senior Data Scientist Mohammad Sabah says that about 75% of users select their movies based on recommendations from Netflix. Wouldn't you love to get in on that type of conversion-slash-sales action? But hey, they work for it. Netflix listens to your reviews and they analyze those reviews using mathematical algorithms that get to know you. What version of "be a good listener" could your company adopt to get more qualified leads, and convert them to sales?
- TALK IN TERMS OF THE OTHER PERSON'S INTERESTS. Our unique interests define us. They take us from, "Woman" to "Woman who loves to read historical fiction, with her dog on her lap, after biking home from yoga class." There's a lot more meat to this second description. The more you talk in terms of your prospects' interests, the more inherently personal the conversation becomes. Use the spectrum of social media accounts - from Google+ to Pinterest - to draw out the niche interests that will help you capitalize on content ideas to inspire further insightful engagement with your customers.
- MAKE THE OTHER PERSON FEEL IMPORTANT - AND DO IT SINCERELY. As an inbound marketer, it is to make each of your prospects and clients feel heard and understood. When you achieve that, they automatically feel important and like your company is one they want to make friends with. Once they're your friends, then, they'll then want to follow you forward down the Buyer's Journey.
