"People don't care what you know, until..."
/I heard a great quote two weeks ago that has stuck with me. The more I think about it, the more it applies:
“People don’t care what you know, until they know who you are”
Are you one of these people?
You make a new connection on LinkedIn, then send unsolicited messages all week pertaining to your [accounting] services, which your contact has not expressed any interest in?
You're on a group message on LinkedIn or Facebook and you think it's a perfect opportunity to advertise your [Assisted Living facility] business?
You're a residential realtor who posts homes for sale on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram (has anyone EVER responded, other than your friend who posts "nice home" just to be polite)?
You think the only purpose of a Facebook Group is to promote your business...or worse, you post a pic of your business card? 😫
I've encountered all of these clowns this week, you can hear me rant about it here:
The point is that people want to Know, Like & Trust you before doing business with you. You can also call this becoming aware of your brand. Or building rapport.
In any case, if you're jamming offers to people before they know you, you're wasting your time. Plus you're wasting their time. Even worse, you're hurting your reputation.
People won't want to work with you in the future, they will see your emails, Facebook posts and direct messages and they will delete them.
Social media is great for getting people to Like Know & Trust you
I've compiled a list of 5 tips of things to do instead to get people to Like, Know & Trust you:
In Facebook Groups, go through recent posts and offer your help by answering questions. This will help show your expertise and demonstrate your willingness to help unselfishly. The more you help, people will start to learn who you are.
Engage with other people's social media posts. This works especially well on LinkedIn. If you like, comment or share someone's post they will immediately recognize you and appreciate you.
If you do decide to cold message/email someone, do your research about what that person is interested in and how you can help them. If you're sincere and super-clear about how you can help, you might have a chance.
Utilize a content marketing strategy. Post content (written photos, videos, audio, whatever is easiest for you to create) that speaks to a specific target audience. If you're consistent, you'll start attracting customers to you and as they get to know you.
Overall, be authentic, try to listen to others, show some personality, use an 80/20 rule (every 4 posts should be a give before the fifth is an ask) and try not to be a pushy jerk!