Cultivating Relationships

The reason so many people find social media to be overwhelming and feel they are not seeing the results they would like has much to do with a lack of relationship building. Just like any other type of relationship, the bonds you form with your potential customers on social media need nurturing. You wouldn’t meet someone one time and expect them to buy products and services from you, right? You would follow up, get to know them and work on forging a stronger relationship. Then once the person has an established connection, they are far more likely to do business with you.

So, how do you cultivate relationships with your followers on social media? It is all about starting a conversation and letting them see who you are as a person behind the brand. Consider working on these things to start conversations with your followers.

1. Send a personalized message to every new follower on Instagram. (Unless they are clearly a bot.)
2. Respond to every comment. (Even a like on a person’s comment on your post communicates that you appreciate them and their feedback.)
3. Interact on your follower’s posts. (This can be a great way to encourage conversation and put your brand at the top of mind.)

Cultivating relationships takes time, but the results are invaluable. So, find time each week (at least) to engage with your audience. Thank them for their time and attention and seek out ways to keep the conversation going, you won’t be sorry.