So you’ve managed to amass a following on social media. How do you use that following to reach out to people? How do you engage with them in a real and personal way that will affect the way they think of your company? How do you make the connections that will ultimately lead to sales?
Gary Vaynerchuk would seem to have the answers to all of those questions. He’s a social media marketer who knows how to promote his clients, and who knows how to promote himself. It’s a process he calls, “Jab, jab, jab, right hook” (which is also the title of Vaynerchuk’s just-released book). A “jab” is an interaction between someone and your brand, and anything of value that you can provide for them. This can be as simple as a compliment or acknowledgement of something they’ve said to you. Or it can be a larger favor.
Vaynerchuk likes to ask his Twitter followers, “Is there anything I can do for you?” And he’s willing to do it. For people who respond, he’ll make personal videos, talk on the phone, arrange to Skype into a dinner party… He’s even sent followers things like cheeseburgers or Tobasco sauce, simply because they asked.
Those are the jabs. The ways that he connects with people and helps them, making a favorable impression. Then comes the right hook: the request to buy something. He did a favor for you, so now he’s well within his rights to ask one in return. Not in an imposing way, of course. He might recommend his book to you or ask if you’ve pre-ordered it yet. But this is no longer just a marketer hocking his wares. He’s now an acquaintance, maybe even a friend on some level. So when he asks for something, you’re more inclined to do it.
Now, you don’t have to give your followers cheeseburgers in order to get them to purchase something from you. But the principle remains sound. If you can engage with your followers on a personal level, they’ll be more receptive to what you have to say. Help them with what they need, and they’ll be more likely to help you with what you need. Social media marketing is unique in that it allows for two-way communication between you and your audience, giving you the opportunity not just to spew your message at them, but to build up relationships. Find little ways to “jab” your audience over time. Then, when you’ve built up enough good will, hit them with that right hook, and turn them into a sale.
