Learn the Art of Social Prospecting
Module #3
Key Points in this Module:
- What is SEO and SMO?
- What is SSO?
- How do you Optimize for Social Search
- How does Social content affect your ranking on Search Engines
- How do you set up your Profiles & Pages for success
- How do you reach out to your target market prospects
- How to build relationships with these prospects
What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
The process of improving a website’s visibility ‘organically’ by:
- Strategic use of keywords
- Updating with fresh relevant content
- Website presentation to search engines & directories
- Meta Description
- Link Building
What is Social Media Optimization (SMO)?
The process of optimizing Social Media content by:
- Using keywords in bio’s and descriptions
- Including contact info & links to website
- Sharing relevant photos, blogs & videos
- Engaging proactively, responding promptly
- And, cross promoting your social channels
What is Social Search Optimization (SSO)?
Social Search Optimization is a combination of SEO and SMO:
- Use keywords in your descriptions
- Plus, like, comment and share, reciprocate
- Update your social content frequently
- Optimize your posts on all social channels
- Include links to your websites
- And, most important, make it your goal to engage people in conversation.
Everyday I get asked what social networking sites should they be working in and I refer to the top 5 social networking channels today:
- YouTube
- Google+
And, I think it is a good idea to be active in all 5 of them. It’s also a good idea to set up business pages in Facebook and Google+.
NOTE: If you provide B2B services, I would add LinkedIn to that list.
How do you optimize for Social Search
Be deliberate:
- Focus on Brand Search
- Plan your content
- Optimize your Content
- Interact with your audience
Plan to post a variety of these different types of content
There four main types of social media posts and each appeals to a different target audience.
- Topical; trending topics, current events
- Visual; images, videos, graphs
- Expressive; share yourself
- Target-Specific; share relevant content
Focus on Social Networking Content Optimization
- Tell a story, people love stories
- Write content based on statistics, both social media & website
- Images lead to heightened interest, include them in your posts.
- Focus on strategic use of keywords and relevance for your target market.
The key to SSO is Interaction
- Comment, plus/like & share
- Reciprocate, respond quickly
- Use mentions, hash tags, tags
- Practice cross promotion; Promote people & content that’s relevant to your target market
- Engage with people, get involved in conversations
- Connect with people in your target market
HOMEWORK
Ready… Set, and Go get Likes, Pluses, Follows, Mentions, comments and TRAFFIC:
3:1. Update website weekly with fresh keyword-rich content (min. 1x week)
3:2. Sign up with the top 5 Social Networks
3:3. Set-up Business Pages at top 5 Social Networks
3:4. Determine what types of posts will appeal to your target audience
3:5. Plan for a variety of posts; relevant images, links to website, links to industry articles, quotations/questions
3:6. Optimize your posts using keywords
And the result will be:
- Online visibility due to the increased engagement.
- Early adopters stand to gain a significant competitive advantage and add more brand equity.
- Sales will increase due to increased engagement, organic traffic and client loyalty.
How to become a Credible Professional Brand
Review your target market and customize your social networking posts so that you are talking to them and what makes them tick.
- What makes your target market angry? However, keep it impersonal, E.G. “I hate it when people play the blame game”
- Since we are all about personal responsibility, that’s is who we want to attract
- Don’t rant and don’t cuss
What do you help people do?
- Every one of your visitors has a reason for being there, be relevant and answer the question they ae asking – What’s in it for me?
- Address their ‘pain’ issues. If getting leads is their ‘pain’, the post on getting leads. If having enough money to retire is their ‘pain’, then post on financial solutions to help them retire.
Biggest Mistakes that small business owners make on their Profiles
Profile Banner
1. Company branded instead of YOU branded
2. Religious or political (unless that’s your target market)
3. No banner
Profile Picture
1. Unclear, fuzzy, people too small
2. Not a headshot of You, people need to be able to clearly see who you are and you need to be smiling.
About Section
1. No contact information; email address, website
2. To much business promotion, the profile is about you- not your
business
3. Personal profile not connected with business page.
Profile Photos
1. You constantly partying
2. No event photos
- It’s a good idea to attend lots of events and post pictures of the amazing people
- you have met, show how you had fun.
3. No photos of your team
4. No candid photos, just google images
5. No professional photos, you should have something that looks
decent
Profile Posts
1. 80% of your posts are self-promotion
2. Tagging people that aren’t in your posts
3. No images in posts; without pictures your profile will be boring
4. No lifestyle posts; people want to know that you’re having fun and
experiencing things that others don’t.
5. Negative posts – political or religious
6. Game promotion
7. Bashing other companies
8. Posts with absolutely no redeeming value.
HOMEWORK
3:7. Review your Profiles, pictures and covers to make sure you are following the Attractor Factor Checklist.
Reaching out to your ideal prospect and initial contact
First, go back to Module #1 an review who your target market is:
- Profession
- Age Range
- Location
- Personality
- Gender?
Join Facebook Groups, Linked in Groups and Google+ Communities
- Use the keyword that best describes your industry and join.
- Join (or ask to join) and Like/G+, Comment or Share in the posts
- Interact with the group and get engaged.
- Start looking for people that might make an ideal prospect
Questions to ask yourself when identifying a Prospect to Engage with:
- Do they have the personality trait of a high value leaders
- Are they agreeable… you don’t want someone argumentative
- Do they show power by speaking from experience, educating and not getting defensive
- Are they open? If someone is literally asking for information about your industry, I suggest an approach like this; “Hi, I know there are probably lots of people pitching you right now and I don’t want to do that, I just want to find out exactly what you are looking for.”
- Are they active? Make sure that they visit their profile at least once a day.
- Is their profile professional?
When you have identified a strong prospect – send them a personal message
“Hello [name], I am messaging you [because]. [Compliment] and [ask a leading question].
For instance:
“Hello Michele, I’m messaging you because I was reviewing your profile and noted that you are in network marketing. I’m also in network marketing and loved the description your wrote in your About section. It’s so cool that you are working full time in marketing – how is it working out?”
NOTE: Be sure to ask what they do if it hasn’t already been stated on their profile.
Don’ts of social media messages:
- Don’t message everybody extremely fast, connect with them first, comment, like or share their posts.
- Don’t copy and send the same message to all of your prospects.
- Don’t tag people in pictures that are not in your statuses all the time
- Don’t spam groups with your links, always provide value.
- Don’t friend request super-fast. After messaging them, ask if you can friend request them.
What to do if your message does not get answered:
- Follow up with a comment to one of their posts; “Hey I sent you a message, hope you got a chance to check it out.”
- Go back to the page where you found them and reply to their comments.
Building strong relationships
- People are looking for proof/stories they can relate to, provide them
- Use the word ‘because’ and give them reasons why
- Why are you messaging them?
- Why are you sending them info?
- Why do you think they will or won’t be a fit for your business?
- Why should the visit your business page or virtual event?
- Be relatable (common interests)
- Be a problem solver, NOT a salesman.
How to tell people “what you do”
Create curiosity and plant a seed:
- I’m a professional recruiter for a company located in [state]. We are actually looking for people in your area, how’s the market going out there?
- I show people how to make money promoting [x]. It’s pretty simple to promote with [the results people see] [the way the market is going] or [the amount of people looking for extra income these days]. Note: This is an example of social proof; it makes them think you and others are having success and they might like to look into it.
- I teach those that are entrepreneurial how to become their own boss.
- I have my own business, ever thought of doing something like that?
Rapport Building Question you can ask
- What do you do?
— Listen to their answer looking for clues on how to approach
How long have you been doing that for?
— You wnat to know how long they’ve been at it so you will know how
to close
- How have you primarily marketed your business in the past?
— You can be the expert in a field they aren’t familiar with
Have you had good results with that so far?
— Dig to figure out in what way you can help them
- Have you ever considered trying something else, or are you happy with where you’re at now?
— If they are happy, put them in a tickler file to revisit in a month or so
— If they are unhappy, ask – What’s different in your life that makes
you open to a change?
- Do you work full time or part time?
— You need this information to close the sale properly
- Do you enjoy what you do?
— Yes or No, this is a very direct question
- How do you mean?
— This is a a digging deep question
- Why have you tried that contributed to your success in the past?
— You need to know what they have tried, so you know how to close.
What do you do for fun?
— If you could do that whenever you wanted, how many days of the
week would you? What if I could show you how to have more time to
do the things you love to do?
NOTE: The purpose behind the questions is to get your prospects to question what they are doing.
How to pitch your business
- “Based on what you’ve shared with me, I think you may want to take a look at what I do. We’ve helped a lot of people in your situation”
- “This may or may not be a fit for you, but I have another product (or project) that has helped hundreds (or 1000’s) of people make more money and have more time to do the things they love.
Possible Closing Lines to use
- Based on what you’ve shared with me, I think you may want to take a look at what I do (or what I have to offer you). We’ve helped a lot of people in your situation.
- I have another product (or service) for busy people, to help them with [a specific problem], if you are open to it I could send you some information.
- When do you have about 15 minutes to take a look at something? I’m not sure whether it’s a good fit for you, but I’d feel bad if I didn’t at least share it with you.
- Are you open to looking at something that won’t interfere with what you’re currently doing, but instead, would enhance what you are doing?
How to get your prospects on the phone after you’ve sent information
- Offer your phone number just in case they have any questions, and then say – “what’s yours so I know who is calling?”
- Follow up when they tell you to, when you know they have already reviewed your information.
- If you want to get them on the phone ahead of time, say – “What’s your phone number, I will give you a call to find out where to send the info and where we go from there.
Things to remember when closing;
- Always create a sense of urgency and excitement, give people a reason to want to buy or get involved.
- Be in a hurry
- Tell yourself you are the best ‘closer’ in the world
- Be in control, this is not the time to try to be convincing.
- If they are negative – move on to the next prospect
- If you have sent them information – ask the what they LIKED about the info.
- If they are positive – be supportive and enthusiastic about what they say, this isn’t the time to be a trainer.
- If they like it but have questions – send them a tool; a guide, informational video, conduct a 3rd party conference call, refer them to some information online.
HOMEWORK
3:8. Block out ½ hour every day for sending out new messages, and a ½ hour to answer old ones.
3:9. Connect with 5 – 15 people per day.
3:10. Post at your social network sights at least 3 times per day; 1 fun, 1 image, 1 inspirational
3:11. Before you message a prospects, find out what you have in common with them on their profile.
NOTE: Remember, follow-up is the key. Keep an eye not only on your messages, but also your email and answer your phone. Remember a lead is only good about 20 minutes on the internet.