Do you ever look at your Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn profiles and pages and wonder, “How do I get people to talk to me?’
When it comes to Social Media do you feel stuck and have no clue what to say or how to start a conversation?
Commenting on their posts and engaging with them will begin a dialogue that will grow and lead to networking if you play your cards right. You can’t just sit and wait for someone else to start talking to you.
If you want people to notice you, you need to spend some time noticing them.
Here are eight super easy ways to get others talking:
Listen – Ok, so it’s reading, not hearing, but you still have to pay attention. Take an interest in what others have to say and then use the share and re-tweet button often. When you re-tweet something on Twitter, add a comment to the tweet such as “great info” or “love this!” so you are re-tweeting and encouraging the other person at the same time. When you share on Facebook, be sure and tag the person so they know you have shared something they have done.- Talk to Others – Reply and comment on what other people have to say. Instead of worrying about coming up with something brilliant for your own status, try commenting on what someone else has posted for theirs. It doesn’t matter if it is Twitter, Facebook or Linkedin, you can comment on what someone has posted. Respond to them, ask a question, engage in the dialogue. In most cases people will respond back to you.
- Go Visiting – Stop by all those pages you “like” on Facebook or the groups you join on Linkedin and participate in the conversation. Most of the group or page admins are working hard to create a place where people can have dialogue. Help them out and be part of the conversation. You will be surprised how much influence you can have by doing this.
- Show Up – Check in daily and participate in the conversation. It is not enough to show up once a week for an hour and mass comment on everything and anything that people are saying. It is better for you to spend five minutes a day, but be present every day. The commitment to showing up daily makes it more likely that people will respond to you, if they do not see you updating and commenting on a regular basis they are less likely to notice you.
- Read and Comment on Blogs – If you have a blog and no one is commenting, ask yourself where do you go to comment? You need to participate in the blogging community by reading and commenting on what other people are doing on a regular basis as well if you want people to do the same for you.
- Ask Questions – The best way to get someone talking is to ask them a question. Even something as simple as, “I’m looking for a great book to read, any recommendations?” or, “What are your 3 favorite songs right now?” The bonus is that these types of questions give you insight into the people you are talking to and allows you to really get to know them better.
- Get Opinions – Have a new freebie? Ask your connections on Social Media what they think. New page on your site? Ask for feedback. This has two purposes. 1) To engage with your audience and 2) To drive traffic to your website/freebie/salespage/etc. Anytime I launch a new program I don’t just throw it out on Social Media and hope people will rush to buy. Just as I did with The Social Club, I share it first with my circle of colleagues and existing clients and ask for feedback.
- Be Real – This doesn’t mean you need to share every last personal moment in your life but it is ok to share some of the bigger moments. Showing customers and prospects that you are a real person with a family, hobbies, etc. is often a great way to make a connection and build a relationship. So, post a pic of your wedding, new baby, new car, new house, pets (have you seen my fur-kids on Facebook?), or kids. Enquiring minds really do want to know.
Engaging in conversation takes two but it only takes one person to get things started. If you find that people are not talking to you it is usually because you are not spending any time talking to them. Try to do for others what you would like them to do for you. Yep, the golden rule even applies to Social Media!
If you follow these eight steps I guarantee you that people will start having regular dialogue with you.
Want to learn more about engaging and building relationships? Join The Social Club —> www.LisaLarter.com/SocialClub
How do you get people talking to you online? Share your best kept secrets with us!
