Building relationships is at the heart of every successful business. You need people to connect with you in order to build trust. I have put together a list of all the ways you can build relationships and connect with others.
- Ask questions in groups (the question doesn’t even need to be business-related in fact its better if it isn’t.)
- What is your favorite book?
- What podcasts are you listening too?
- What are you bingeing on Netflix?
- What is your favorite song?
- What time do you go to bed?
- When do you wake up?
- Where would you like to travel too next?
Think 20 questions. Create a list of questions you can ask, be sure to participate in the conversation to keep it moving. The goal of this is to have people click on your profile and find your business page, website, or group.
2. Don’t be afraid to ask questions geared toward business.
- What are some new habits you want to start building in your marketing?
- What is your favorite business tool?
- What is one thing you never want to purchase for your business again?
- What is your why?
- What do you do?
- Who is your ideal client?
- What is something new you want to try in your business?
Don’t start with a business question, ask a question that is more personal before asking business-related questions. Consider it like this you wouldn’t go to a party and have the first thing that comes out of your mouth when you are introducing yourself to someone be I wrote a book. That’s just awkward. You need to build up to that. It needs to flow naturally into the conversation.
3. Answer questions- choose 3 groups where your ideal clients hang out and one entrepreneur group local to you. Pick 3 days a week to post and comment in those groups and spend a minimum of an hour each of those days sitting in them. As an entrepreneur, your business is your job. By spending this time building relationships and networking you are treating your business as the job that it is.
4. Written content is amazing and necessary for building SEO on your website, which is why you see me talk often about needing to have a blog on your website. In fact, I did a whole webinar on how you can increase your profits with a blog on your website.
Blogs don’t just give you a larger platform for your content, they also provide a bigger window into your life for your audience.
> Share a behind the scenes look into your business with a detailed post on your office set up.
> Share the products that you utilize to run your business (double check if the company you purchase the products or apps from has an affiliate program or referral program and share the link.)
5. Not everyone learns by reading, which is why I also recommend branching out and doing one of the following:
> Live videos on either your Instagram or Facebook page.
> Create a youtube channel.
> Start a podcast.
By being more versatile in your content’s format you reach a wider audience and connect with more people. Also by allowing your audience to see your face, it develops a more personal bond as your audience is able to connect with you.
Finally it makes you more trustworthy as people can read your body language and see your sincerity, your energy, and decide if your personality fits well with theirs.
6. Every time you get a new friend request or send a friend request include a message. Find something on their profile to comment on, or if they don’t have anything you can see to comment on, ask a question. Some of my favorite questions to ask new friends are:
- What are you most passionate about?
- What inspired you to start your own business?
- How is your day going?
- What are you currently reading?
- If you could travel anywhere where would you go?
Be sure to review their profile before asking questions. Not everyone will respond back to your questions, and many will respond, but not directly answer the question. I usually go through my friends’ list once a month or so and for everyone who didn’t answer my message within 4 to 6 weeks, I unfriend especially if they are not engaging in any of my other content.
7. Message those who are regularly engaging with your content, be sure to check their page for their own content and engage with theirs as well. When you message them, gear your message towards something you noticed on their page. Make it personal don’t attempt to sell, unless they left a comment asking you directly about your services.
8. Some people say messaging or posting happy birthday on people’s timelines can be “spammy.” However, if you are engaging and messaging conversationally to build a real relationship and not attempting to have the first thing you share with people to be about selling to them I think its a kind thing to do and just adds to the overall relationship-building aspect of your business marketing.
The thing about sending out these messages and communicating with your network one on one is to help build engagement on your business posts as it puts them in front of your audience more often.
The more often you connect with people one on one and comment on their content, the more likely your content is to show up in their feed, especially if they are responding to your comments, so make sure when you respond you do so in a way that insights a response and utilizes a minimum of 6 words.
9. If your email list is small or nonexistent, personally email your list. Write a personal email to them about your business and what is going on. Ask them questions about what their wants and needs are. If you don’t have a list email a few of your previous clients and ask if they would like to join your mailing list.
10. If you have a personal group, you should be posting in there every day and connecting with your audience. Comment and tag those who like the posts, but don’t leave a comment. Ask those who liked the post to leave a comment. Do shoutouts of group members. Personally message your group members asking them what they think of the group, and what they are enjoying. (Honestly, this tip could be a whole post on its own.)
11. If you are on Instagram and someone follows you, that you have no interest in following back go to their page and leave comments and likes on all of their posts from the previous week.
Don’t follow them if you have no interest in seeing their content in your feed. By doing this you are thanking them for the follow, without getting caught in the follow for follow game that tends to annoy so many.
As you market yourself on social media you don’t need to get super personal with everyone about your life or their life. You simply need to show up and ask questions that get people to open up about small things. Engage with others and watch as your following grows. Ask for people to join your group and like your page who are engaging with your business content.
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