Social Media ROI ~ How to Make Socializing Pay Off

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

So many internet marketers look at social media with some disdain or even as a complete waste of time. I’m here to disagree… although that wasn’t always the case.

Here’s the deal…

Times are CHANGING… social media is no longer about wasting time, and just making friends, it’s now one of the best ways to drive traffic, AND, a great way to get your blog coming up in the search engines.

You don’t think Google created its own social media site for nothing right? Google searches are changing, they’re incorporating more “personalized” searches, and starting to show results based on who you know and what they like.

If you’ve not jumped into social media… you’re going to have to.

**take note** Big font**

THERE IS A RIGHT WAY TO DO THIS!!

Social media is just that, about being social, and connecting with others. You can not go into a social media setting and just start blasting your stuff. It takes a little mindset adjustment to make socializing payoff.

You have to stop thinking about yourself and what’s in it for you. 

Instead you have to start thinking about what’s in it for your readers. You have to provide quality content, (whether written by you or someone else) you have to start creating an environment where when people hit your page (whether on FB or twitter) they can get to know you, and what you’re all about. You have to start building yourself up as a resource ~ and doing that means you have to do a lot of giving. But don’t worry ~ from the giving will come traffic, and sharing, and linking ~ and all the things we internet marketers love… but it all comes from the giving first.

So what does that look like?

It depends what network you’re on. Different networks seem to respond to different things. You will have to test things out a little bit to find what exactly works for you, but here’s some things to start with.

Twitter… 

People on twitter love links ~ they love to check out what other people are checking out.

So make sure you share links with your network. Your own links, but also great content you’re reading elsewhere that you find interesting. Tweet buttons are found on just about every site now… use them! If you liked the post, tweet it out!

You can use a service like tweetdeck or buffer to schedule your tweets through out the day. This works especially well if you spend a block of time reading blogs and commenting. Instead of blasting out 5 or 10 links in 30 minutes you can spread that great content out over the day.

Retweets ~ if you see something you like, or floats your boat on twitter, retweet it! It’s a great way to connect with other people as well as provide value to your network.

Facebook… 

Facebook is a whole other ballgame. I’ve found people do NOT respond as well to links on Facebook, unless it’s super relevant to a conversation and sometimes on a fanpage.

However, pictures, quotes, comments ~ those work GREAT on facebook. I get lots of likes on that type of content.

You might be wondering how that helps you get traffic if people are just liking a picture or a quote…

Well, it gives you the opportunity to really connect with that person. Turning random “friends and followers” into true connections is what it’s all about. It’s super simple… when someone likes something you’ve posted, just send them a quick message. Hey thanks for the like, what are you working on these days? A simple message can start a conversation and from conversation comes friendship, and from friendship can come raving fans who spread the word far and wide about you. That personal touch will set you apart from 99% of all the other bloggers/people on Facebook.

Does it take some extra time?

Yes, but the return on that time can be huge, and well worth it.

Soo… there are some tips to help you make socializing on twitter and facebook pay off for you. While I’ve not delved into all of the social networks and other possibilities in this post realize the rules are the same no matter where you go.

80% personal

20% business

As long as you share yourself, and the things that interest you, in addition to business related stuff.. your social media roi will be through the roof.

Just think of your social media profiles like “cocktail parties”. There’s lots of conversations, about a bunch of different topics. You don’t just jump right in and shove business down people’s throats… chat it up, provide value, and entertainment. Then invite them home with you.

Your blog is your “home” online. It’s where you get to write about the things you like, the things you feel strongly about. It’s the place where people get to go to really get to know you, and see if they like and trust you. Your blog is where you get to build a deeper connection with the people you meet on social media. Your blog is KEY to a good ROI on social media.

f you don’t have a blog yet, or are struggling to get one off the ground, the viral blogging platform I use here at Empower Network is fantastic. All the tech stuff is done for you… all you have to do is write and share! (and it provides an amazing opportunity for a residual income stream!) Check out the video in the sidebar for more information.

Have fun socializing!