I bet you get the idea that you can have a blurb describing your business to the right of the category you host. That’s easy to see on categories like http://www.gospotting.com/cumberland-md/tag/toys or http://www.gospotting.com/cumberland-md/tag/trails That has some value, but how do you get value out of writing up a post for that category?
First let me explain all the buzz you’ve heard about “social networking” or “social media marketing” on the web. Facebook, Twitter, and YES GoSpotting are all “social networking” tools. They’re are just another way to speak publicly to interested parties. For years these kinds of connections happened during seminars at hotel conference rooms and convention centers. The efficiency of the web has brought the hotel conference room, podium, sound system, and audience to all of us for next to free.
Nice. Now everyone is watching you and all you have to do is say “buy here” and bam! You’ve got customers lined up around the corner? Here’s why it’s not that easy: the conference room I just mentioned, well, the internet brought it to EVERYONE not just you. So, yes, you have a conference room at the finest hotel in a 200 mile radius to speak in, right here on GoSpotting, facebook, twitter, and your website. There are just a lot of other people talking too. You need to stand out.
Surprisingly, it is not that hard if you just keep at it. Most people talking don’t take time to offer real value in their message so they don’t easily catch the attention of visitors to the conference room. Better yet? If you are a very local business and depend on local patronage you just need to rise above the din that is heard locally — that is even easier. GoSpotting has a nearly completely local audience.
The secret: To write meaningful posts to your category, or facebook, just realize you’re talking to real people. When you talk to people you talk from the heart about the things you believe, love, and do. You gain their trust by showing them you care. Then the magic happens — they trust you. Not immediately, of course, but over time. When they trust you they’ll buy from you. If you’re a club, an individual author, or an non-profit organization the ideas are exactly the same. Speak from the heart about things that matter to you and members, customers, donors, and respect will come.
Need I say more? Seriously, questions? Comment with your questions and I’ll give them a crack.