Social Media: Now That I’m Here, What Do I Say?

If you’re new to the world of social media – and believe it or not, you’re not alone – one of the big questions is “Now that I’m here, what do I say?” Even if you’ve been Tweeting and blogging for a while, sometimes it’s a challenge to come up with new content…content that’s relevant and newsworthy…content that creates a buzz.

It’s not enough to simply post or Tweet something, and it’s been documented that one of the major reasons that people “unfriend” others on Facebook or stop following on Twitter is because of a preponderance of uninteresting, irrelevant Tweets or posts. Our days are busy, and for most of us, we don’t have the time or inclination to learn that a potential vendor or client “just had a weak latte” or “is bored” or “is planning on watching CSI tonight.” We all have unique sets of experiences, interesting backgrounds, individual points of view and areas of expertise. Sharing thoughts, insights, lessons and inspirations drawn from our lives and learnings is a powerful, inclusive way of connecting with others in the social “blogosphere,” and of keeping your social media posts relevant and insightful.

To jump start your social media writing, I encourage you to peruse “50 Content Ideas that Create Buzz.“  It’s a valuable and extensive list that encourages you to draw on all the things that you know, that you see, that you do, that you hear, to provide a bona-fide buzz to your posts. It has some great food for thought, and lots of sources of inspiration as you look to provide fresh, interesting communications. The more relevant and useful your posts are, the more likely that others will read them. The more that others read them, the more they’ll come back, and the more likely that they’ll share them. The more sharing and reading, the more “eyes and ears” you get … and you get the picture. A nice, healthy buzz about your blog – and your website and your business – can be a powerful fuel for the growth of your business.

“Networking” has never been more important than it is today, and as the saying goes “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Today, the power and reach of the internet allows you to “know” more people than were ever before possible – IF they want to connect and know you. So, Tweet away, post to your Facebook, Link on In – but take care to make your connections relevant, fresh and interesting.

Green Thumb Gardening Coach

Green Thumb business cards

A Growing Business

Several months ago, we were approached by a potential client (recommended to us by another client, but that’s another story…) seeking assistance in launching and presenting her new business. Jen Kirkpatrick had decided to tap into her passion and years of experience in gardening and horticulture, an entrepreneurial drive, and a love of working with people, and create Green Thumb Gardening Coach – offering gardening and landscaping assistance, education, direction and motivation to others.

Tilling, Planting and Fertilizing

greenthumbgardeningcoach.comJen had a great business idea and great skills and knowledge with which to work, but she was looking for a (literal) ground-up approach to get her business started and promoted. We worked with her to come up with a logo and overall branding and image style that reflected her business, and provided our custom photography services to visually capture Jen, her business and her passion.

From there we created her initial marketing pieces to allow her to approach potential clients, including a custom, easily-updated dynamic website, business cards and magnetic vehicle signage.

Green Thumb Gardening Coach on TwitterFinally, we helped Jen “fertilize” her marketing and promotional growth efforts by implementing an initial social media marketing strategy (including blogging, Twitter and an RSS feed) to help her publicize and grow her business.

Growth and Propagation

Properly prepared, planted and nurtured, Jen’s business has really started to grow. Her vehicle signage gets her name, number and message in front of hundreds (if not thousands) of potential customers each day. Through incidental contacts and networking during her normal daily activities, she’s promoting her business Green Thumb vehicle magnetsvia word-of-mouth and with distribution of her business cards, and her website continues to enjoy increasing traffic. Most recently, one of our primary online sources for Web tools and technology selected GreenThumbGardeningCoach.com as one of their feature Showcase websites, putting Jen and her business in front of thousands of additional sets of eyes.

Congratulations, Jen! You’re off and running, and we’re thrilled and honored to be your partner in the process.