Think with me for a moment…
When you’re scrolling through your Newsfeed on Facebook, what is it that catches your eye? What causes you to stop scrolling and engage with a post?
…Or on the other hand, consider the content that you do scroll past. Is it an image that is being reused and re-shared over and over? Is it text with no image?
In the world of psychology, we call this habituation. It allows people to tune out non-essential stimuli and focus on the things that really demand attention. Habituation is something that happens regularly in our everyday lives, yet we are largely unaware of it!
How, then, are we supposed to cut through all of the static and create posts that really demand attention?
Create Purpose
Before you’re able to build relationships and create meaningful content, you must understand WHY you are posting. More importantly, give each post a purpose beyond just sales. Yes, you are a business, and yes, you need to make sales in order to stay in business. However, if all you ever do is promote products and ask for a sale, you will exhaust your audience to the point that they leave.
When you, instead, focus on people first and foremost, the sales will naturally follow. Focus on providing VALUE and building RELATIONSHIPS above all else. Whether you are giving your reader inspiration, a tip or tutorial, a sneak peek into your everyday life, or something that makes them laugh, focus on a well-rounded social feed instead of all-business-all-the-time. People buy from those they trust and have a relationship with, so be sincere, and the results will follow.
Go to Your People
Figure out where your ideal clients are hanging out, and meet them halfway. If we try to make people come to us, it’s a whole lot more work than meeting them where they hang out. By meeting them in their element, it makes it easier for them to listen, and they are more likely to interact with us.
Isn’t it frustrating to feel like you're constantly asking people to show up somewhere (email, calls, Facebook, Instagram, texts), and yet they never show up? Ultimately, it takes being aware of your audience, and going to where your people are. This may mean you have to get out of your comfort zone, but trust me, it is well worth it!
Engage Back
While we may not all understand the Facebook algorithm, allow me to let you in on a little secret. Engagement plays a BIG role in getting your posts noticed and shown to more people.
Facebook’s algorithm likes comments, so as soon as you’ve seen someone comment, always make it a point to reply back. Even if it’s just “Thanks!” or “You’re welcome!”, you’re doubling your engagement which makes Facebook see that post as more popular. The more popular the post, the more people Facebook will show the post to.
Also, consider who else is reading your comments and how that comment could answer questions they don’t want to ask.
I know I’m not the only one who has been intrigued by a sponsored Ad that comes across on Facebook. Just today, I saw a sponsored Ad for a company that takes your puppy’s face and puts it on a pair of Christmas socks. I was curious what people were saying about the company, so I started reading through all of the comments. So many people were asking what the cost was, how fast shipping would be, etc., and yet, the company wasn’t responding to basically any comment. On the ones that did receive feedback, it was a lot of “PM sent.”
Again, consider who else is reading your comments and how your response can help countless others wondering the same thing. For example, if someone asks “How do I place an order with you?”, don't just say “I'll PM you.” Give a detailed response like, “I can't wait for you to try X product! To place an order with me, you just have to send me a message here on Facebook. I'll start the conversation by sending you a message now!”
Stay Consistent
I can’t stress this enough–consistency is KEY. Am I saying that you should be posting every single day? No, but you do need to regularly be on your customer’s radar.
Think about the emails you receive from companies or the blog or YouTube channel you follow. When there is consistency (paired with purposeful content), you know you can count on that person or company to be sending you useful information that you want to hear and engage with.
I know that every Sunday afternoon, I will receive my BookBub list of discounted and free e-books. I can depend on them to always send me that list. Because they are dependable and consistent, I have built trust with them.
Are you building trust with your customers by providing reliable and consistent communication?
It’s never too late to start or to get yourself back on the right track! Pick certain days of the week that you know you are going to share, and write that down in your calendar to remind you. (Check out this post to see how I use a planner for my direct sales business!) Would having a weekly Facebook Live video sharing makeup looks or application tips and tricks be something you could do? Whatever it is, create a regular posting schedule and stay on your customer’s radar.
There’s nothing worse than someone asking you, “Are you still doing (Insert literally any direct sales company here)?” because they haven’t seen or heard from you for so long.
Give Them Quality
Lastly, always be concerned with providing the utmost quality to your customers. This ties back into creating purpose. Are you sharing the same image and text that all of the other business owners are using? I’m going to wager a bet and say that many of your customers know more than one person in your direct sales company. When they see the same post from multiple people, it makes you seem inauthentic.
Think about your branding, think about the quality of your graphics, think about the quality of what you are actually saying. Is your post actually worth reading, or is it just something to scroll past in their Newsfeed?
By creating purposeful, quality content and consistently engaging with your audience where they’re at, you will be well on your way to truly connecting and building those trusting relationships that last and pave the way to growth within your business.
