Always Be Nurturing {Social Media Should Be Social}

Social media should be social. So many times the books and the magazines and the webinars tell us that we need to be pushing sales all the time. Make a call to action, make sure that you are pushing the latest product (you know, that “SELL SELL SELL” mentality). The reality of the situation is that no one really holds onto those things. They hold onto accounts that entertain them. People want to read something new. Followers want to be informed. Sure, you’ve got to tell people what to DO with the information – but don’t assume that people aren’t smart enough to figure it out. I know it’s an unpopular opinion, but it’s been working for Misty Saves the Day and our clients for YEARS.

You might be wondering… what exactly is a “Call to Action”? This is an important marketing term to not only know, but to understand how, and when to utilize it. Calls to action are posts that encourage your followers/customers/fans/friends to DO something. You want them to click a link, subscribe to a newsletter, come to an event, order online! The list could go on and on. The simplest example of this is the classic “Buy Now!” button you see on so many web ads past, previous, and present.

These kinds of posts are important, absolutely! Your business is your baby, and you worry. Without telling people what to do, will they know to do it? If you aren’t constantly talking about what you sell and where to get it, will people care to find out?

And there you have the key. Do people care to find out? If every post on social media you make is one that  instructs your customers to do something, there will come a point that they just keep scrolling. Call to Action fatigue is real!

We hate being told what to do all the time, don’t we? One might suffice to say that we don’t like constantly being told what to do by brands or companies on social media, either. Getting the like isn’t the hard part. Likes on posts aren’t everything. It’s making people WANT to interact. It’s INSPIRING them to do more than just scroll.

Before you sit down to plan out your next post, think about what YOUR favorite social media posts are. Are they posts directing you to do something, or are they posts that relate to you as a person?

You can have an amazing product, mesmerizing photos, or a brand new location, but if that’s all you ever talk about, you aren’t nurturing the relationship with current and future clients. Eventually, they just scroll on by because they know every post is just going to be asking for something. We don’t live in the ABC (Always Be Closing) marketing world anymore. We’ve shifted, and it’s a pretty cool shift that allows what you and your company are all about to really shine.

Forget ABC. Think ABN (Always Be Nurturing). If you post solid content, about yourself, your business, what really makes your product great, instead of always throwing out the big blinking “BUY NOW” button, you are nurturing current and future relationships. Someone might not be ready to buy your product TODAY, but if you’ve posted great content that resonates with them, they will come back to you in the future. And they’ll keep coming back.

One piece of advice that has always stuck with me: “An engaging piece of content will always appear fresh in the eyes of someone who has never seen it before.”

Take it a step further: you don’t want to just be posting blindly. You’ve got to have intention behind what you do – you just don’t always have be that salesperson at the furniture store that won’t leave you alone when you just wanted to sit on a few couches to see what feels right. But that’s a conversation for another blog post.