We tend to spread ourselves out as far as we possibly can to as many channels as we can when trying to brand our companies or ourselves. Visibility is key, as is a consistent message on these channels. There is a key ingredient I see missing in so many campaigns. Human connections. And it’s only through human connections that we build relationships. Relationships build loyalty. Loyalty builds business sustainability. Human connections must be the priority as we try to cut through the constant chatter of the social media world.
In this article we’ll take a look at the 140-character social media platform Twitter. Sometimes, it seems that getting “heard” on Twitter can be close to impossible as the feed goes by at lightning speed. One way to make a good connection on Twitter when someone follows you is to Direct Message (DM) them. Use this simple connection to say hi and thanks for following me. It takes about 5 seconds. But one of the great advantages of this, is that it allows you to type as many characters as you would like. I do recommend keeping it short, sweet and always to the point. People are busy and don’t have time to read a long paragraph. However, you can expand in this larger space a little and offer something to say “let’s stay connected”.
Tip: Never use DMs on Twitter to sell for pay products or programs to your followers unless they ask. It’s a sure way to get dropped in droves.
When you DM them, I want you to have a goal in mind. To illustrate this, we’ll use the example of getting them on your mailing list. I want you to simply say, “Thank you for the connection! Please accept this FREE ebook from me as my thank you: “21 Ways to Increase Your Paid Speaking Gigs” and then include your link to your giveaway. I use this as mine. Remember, don’t use a URL shortener in your DMs as many people don’t trust hyperlinks unless they can see where it’s actually going to take them.
Tip: Use URL shorteners in your feed to save on characters. People are used to that.
Important Step: Address them directly. I know it takes a bit more time, but if you want to genuinely create good connections and long term relationships you need to start with a personalized message here. It’s important to let people know you care and what better way in a noisy world than by addressing them by their first, correctly spelled, name. So now you will have:
Hi Susy, Thank you for the connection! Please accept this FREE ebook from me as my thank you: “21 Ways to Increase Your Paid Speaking Gigs”
The majority of people are putting the “thank you” on auto send to save time. I don’t agree with that because they are not making that human connection via an auto-reply. This personal message is just a little extra touch that means you care more than most others and the recipient will remember you taking the time to address them when sending your DM.
This DM strategy helps you make more meaningful connections, plant seeds of relationships and helps you add followers (prospects) to your mailing list.
Take 10 minutes out of your day to do this. Maybe before you go to work or on lunch break or perhaps right before dinner. Whenever you make the time, be consistent and stay committed. You will see your list grow filled with people who actually want to stay connected with you. You will also build awesome, lasting and potentially very profitable relationships.
If you enjoyed this post, you’ll love our free guide on how 21 Ways to Increase Your Paid Speaking Gigs! Get that here