Between Inside919, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, I have nearly 6800 connections. If you take into consideration that a number of those connections overlap, the number is probably more like 3000. The reach, however, is probably in the tens of thousands because I have to admit I travel in some circles with some pretty popular people.
So what does having all of these connections mean when it comes time to promote something you’re selling or doing? I put it to the test recently when I announced an Amazon promotion. I decided to turn one of my print books into an ebook and give it away for FREE over a 72-hour period via Kindle Direct Publishing. All anyone had to due was go to my page on Amazon and download it.
OK—so what did I learn?
1) Just because it’s free doesn’t mean everybody is interested. Your product or book may simply not be something your connections are interested in, even if they like you very much.
2) Thousands of connections doesn’t mean thousands of downloads.
3) Promoting anything requires a pre-promotion. You cannot start promoting in the 11th hour as I did. Olalah says “strategy–then execution” (I did have 549 downloads with only 3 days promotion–so imagine what I could’ve done with a clear plan in place).
4) Don’t expect everyone to see your Facebook page or tweets about your promotion. Would you be surprised to know that some people “hide” your posts or “unsubscribe” from you on FB? And the Twitter goes by so fast, if you blink or sneeze you’ll miss the tweet. And Lord knows, no one wants you cluttering up their stream with tweet after tweet after tweet about your promotion. Where’s the value in that?
5) Have a few teams in place to help you get the word out—remember they probably have connections who know nothing about you. By being a part of the MasterKoda Group on FB, I became connected to a whole new world of authors and writers.
6) Don’t rely solely on friends and family
7) Make sure you’re targeting the RIGHT audience
8) Don’t spam people
9) Everyone who says they will support you will not
10) If you network locally and you don’t get support from your group, RE-THINK your networking strategy
11) Don’t waste your time and energy where you haven’t gotten much support in the past. If you’ve been paying attention to how others interact with you and on what social media sites, you’ll know the answer.
12) You must make personal contact. This goes back to #4. When I sent out an email just hours before the campaign was up, I had a number of people respond that they were sorry they didn’t download in time because they either hadn’t been on Facebook for a couple of days or they just never saw any of my posts—or perhaps they just flat-out lied.
13) You many not be as popular as you think. Lots of connections on your social networking sites doesn’t always equate to YOUR popularity. Remember other people have agendas too.
The book stayed solid at number 2 on Amazon by the time the promotion ended and I learned some valuable lessons along the way.
Everyone’s Articles – The 919 Business Network – Local Business Networking
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