Between seventy and eighty percent of the effort in social media marketing is wrapped up in content creation. By far, it is the most daunting task in terms of time commitment. It is the fundamental reason that NCI has been growing so quickly over the last year as more than 1200 local companies began deploying turn-key social content and marketing programs as clients of one or another DigitalSherpa social media solution service.

As experts in making things simple for our clients when it comes to social media marketing, we were struck by the excellent post by Tami McCarthy, CEO of NCI’s public relations firm TMG, entitled #1 Way to Jumpstart Your Social Media Dialogue:

So much talk about how to leverage social media tools and having a content strategy can be daunting for anyone just starting out on the powerful digital platform we’ve all come to love (or loathe) – the social web – that I thought it would be helpful to those of you who are ready to engage, but do not yet know where to begin, to have a way to just jump in. Taking that first step – which could be writing your first 140 character tweet, blog post, posting an update on your company’s Facebook page, or perhaps you want to shoot that first Flip video for your YouTube channel – whatever it is, that first message about who you are and what you stand for, for many, can cause palms to sweat and heads to pound.  Take a deep breath.  Here’s a simple way to get started and get talking, without much risk. Ready? Say “Thank you.”

Who doesn’t like to feel appreciated?

…In my business, whenever a reporter writes about one of my clients, or interviews them on TV or the radio because of a pitch I did, I follow up with a “Thank You.”  This is something that I’ve religiously practiced for over 15 years. These days my notes can be hand-written or sent via direct message on Twitter, or a simple email.  It’s amazing to me that even to this day, journalists are not just appreciative of receiving it, but surprised by this.  And the best part? They remember it, and they remember me.

Tami does a good job connecting simplicity, what we understand to be powerful in familiar channels of communication, and a way to address the growing flame telling everyone to join in with the rest of their business and personal circles on the social web.  Just thinking about ways to be useful and memorable in your communications will work.  Getting started can be as daunting a step as it is an important one:

Forget about the social media revolution (not really), but we all know the mega-numbers by now: pretty much everyone in every demographic uses social media for information in some facet of their life, and that is only going to continue for years to come. Let’s start a new social media etiquette revolution together.  Of course, we’ll all keep sharing important links to articles and research and all sorts of data that makes the social web the useful place that it is.  But taking a moment to say “Thank You” to those who have helped you grow your business will go a long way in creating a two-way dialogue that builds a relationship of trust and respect.  And if you are just getting started, and feeling a little behind the eight ball, this is a great way to get started.  Conversations around gratitude lead to sparking new ideas for working together in other ways, or just staying top of mind, which as any marketer knows, ultimately helps shape behavior (be heard, be remembered!).

Tami reminds us that getting started can be one giant hurdle. A combination of understanding, expertise, and time management can easily get in the way. For real estate professionals that sense the opportunity and want to feel expert and confident with an optimal investment of time and money can now turn to BrokerSherpa to manage their campaigns for a low monthly feel. Feel free to contact us and we can tell you more.

Filed In: Marketing Ideas, Social Media Tips, Top Posts