Fear & Loathing in Social Media - How Attitude Can Contribute To Your Success

I hear day in and day out from my clients (especially those just beginning their trek into the world of social media) that they feel overwhelmed, they don't see the point, they are frustrated, that social media and all it entails is scary. I can understand this to some extent. After all, it is new to them, and most people have an adverse reaction to change and all things new. I can't blame them, I myself am sometimes fearful of new things - there have been plenty of times when I just wanted to give up, throw in the towel and work a regular job where I could live on the surface, oblivious to change and just go with the flow. Somehow every time those feelings come up - something deeper comes rushing in immediately following the fear. There comes a knowing that I am meant for something bigger, something better - that I am here for a bigger purpose than simple customer service or administrative tasks.

It's that knowing - that inner voice that pushes me forward through the fear and onto stable ground. I think all of my clients have that same knowing. It's why they keep going past the fear and frustration and keep trying. All of us have a connection to something bigger - we know we are supposed to do something... No... BE SOMETHING that will change the world. We know that it isn't our ego that fuels our desire to BE THAT CHANGE as much as it is our ego that feeds the fear of that change we know is coming.

All that said, I wanted to take the time to write this post for the sole (or should I say SOUL) purpose of reminding you of the spiritual concept that exists in almost every path. We bring back to us the exact thing we put out. This doesn't mean if I give a sandwich to someone I'll get a sandwich back tomorrow - it means that if I give a sandwich to someone with fear in my heart that I may be giving up my last sandwich, I will sit tomorrow in fearful wonder of when I will eat again. We all know the motivational phrases that come through various spiritual teachings, but how often do we LIVE those phrases. How often do we focus directly on the how, rather than the energy, of the task no matter what that task may be? It is the energy we put forth in combination with our actions that really sets things in motion. Our energy in each action is like the Butterfly Effect creating energetic ripples that not only affect our own lives but the whole world. So my question to you is why fear? Why allow yourself to fear what social media brings? I would suggest instead that you focus on excitement and possibility or even better... on that knowing within you that pushes you forward in every other area. Focus on your divine purpose and use social media as simply an additional tool you use to change your world, so that you can change everyone else's world.

Fear breeds fear, loathing breeds loathing, frustration breeds frustration and so on and so on. Is that what you want to build as your foundation as you spread your purpose across the globe? I'd suggest that you let go of the fear and start with the things you know actually work to manifest what you want for yourself. If you put out the energy of fear in your marketing process, then you will become easily swayed from one thing to the next as you try to scrap for a piece of the pie. If you put out the energy of love & peace, it allows you to operate logically and enables you to see more clearly the steps that truly need to be taken in your process, so that you may assess what will and won't work without worry over whether or not you will waste your time. It is no surprise that the clients I mentioned who question and fear while working hard to accomplish things are just simply treading water in their business, while the ones who have taken the time to set their energies and attitudes in the beginning, as a part of the creation process for their marketing plan are moving forward at a steady pace. Which group would you rather be in? The success of the journey is entirely up to you!

Social Media And Customer Engagement

When considering social media and customer engagement there are a multitude of factors to consider, but in general the three most important things are sincerity, frequency & relevance.

We've already covered in past newsletters how important it is to make sure at least 80% of what you post online will add value to the lives of those reading your posts without directly selling them something. We've also covered how the majority of what you post needs to be relevant and applicable to your niche, while at the same time working to establish you as an expert in that niche. These are important things to remember with regards to posting and are almost equally important with regard to engagement of your customers and potential customers. Customer engagement is the bread and butter of online marketing these days and requires not only consistent participation from your customers/potential customers, but also, your consistent and sincere interaction with them.

THREE TOP CONSIDERATIONS IN ONLINE CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT:

• SINCERITY - All things posted by you or your employees/representatives must be sincere. Not only does this make sense on a human and spiritual level (you are a spiritual entrepreneur after all), but also on a marketing level. The buying trends in the last few years have grown toward relationships involving trust and away from those which do not. This is why brands must actively, directly and sincerely engage with their customers. Not only must you establish yourself as a sincere and trustworthy expert to your current customers, but you must also do this with your potential ones. Statistics show that over 60% of buyers won't buy without a testimonial from someone they trust and that number is steadily growing day by day. You have no choice but to build trust online - whether that be with current customers or potential ones - it's a fate that you cannot escape if you wish to make it in business.

• FREQUENCY - In order to successfully reach and engage with your customers/potential customers, you must be there consistently communicating with them (notice I said WITH them not to them - engagement is a two way street). It is important to remember that with online marketing the market is expanded worldwide so you are reaching people on a global scale. This means that you must be aware of the fact that there are potential customers to reach 24/7. That said, I would suggest that you post to your FaceBook fanpage at least 4 times each day, that you blog at least 2 times per week (if not more), that you post to twitter at least 20-25 times each day, that you post/interact on a LinkedIn group at least 2 times weekly & that (if/when applicable) you post on YouTube a minimum of once monthly if not more. If that sounds a little overwhelming, don't worry, there are a multitude of free tools you can use that will assist you in auto-posting so you can work, sleep and live while your social media is running in the background. I will likely post about those in the future, but if you'd like to set an appointment to go over some of these feel free to email me.

• RELEVANCE - We all have a plethora of interests and therefore it's easy to want to share things about all of them. In online marketing, however, this is not a sensible thing to do. The key in your online forums is to have as targeted an audience as possible to increase your email lists and customers. This cannot be done if you post about random things every day that don't relate to your particular niche. Keep that in mind when you are sharing links and updates or liking/favoriting things online. It is fine to post things that may be political or controversial if you are a spiritual entrepreneur, or to post products you use, books you read, articles you are interested in etc. - but just keep in mind that all these things need to fit into two categories: A - they must be relevant to your niche while providing something of value they can use & B - They must not compete with your business in any way.

These three points should help you in establishing your presence online, being consistent in your marketing focuses and processes & engaging customers in your target niche. Be sure to email me via the contact link when viewing my full profile or ask a question on my brand new Fan page if you'd like to know more.

Thinking Outside The Box - Attraction Marketing

When most of us think of marketing, we think of standard methods, thinking and techniques. We've been conditioned to think this way like Pavlov's dogs. We have to consider, though, whether or not these techniques are in line with what it is we truly are. Are these techniques in line with who we are, what we believe, our purpose, or what we envision the world becoming?

I was lucky when I began my foray into the world of social media because I didn't begin my journey for the purpose of marketing. I was merely seeking a place in the world. That purpose is the reason that I came to understand that the market for something to believe in is infinite and social media is where the human race is going to find their connection, their something to believe in, their hope. The internet is to some extent, today's way of rebuilding the Tower of Babel, a way to connect, a way to seek unity, a tangible recognition of humanity as one, and this social connection puts an extremely high value on engagement, trust, sincerity and testimonials from those in their network who exude those traits. These are the reasons we now have to begin thinking out of the box in our marketing techniques & the reasons I believe that Spiritual Entrepreneurs have the biggest potential to make change (& dollars) on the internet.

As a Spiritual Entrepreneur, you are already thinking outside the box on most levels. What you believe your intent and purpose in the world to be, is completely out of the standard box. Most Spiritual Entrepreneurs want to connect with people at a heart, mind and soul level rather than just approaching people from the standard position of fear and scarcity. You know that what people are looking for is hope, or at least if you don't know that is what they are seeking, you know it's what they need. People want something to believe in, they want hope, they want unity, they want to belong to something bigger than themselves, they want to be happy and to live lives of purpose, and you understand that. You yourself are striving for the same thing. Those desires and connection to a bigger purpose are what makes you a good friend, a good leader, a good teacher etc. Those traits that make you good in those areas are the same exact traits you need to be displaying online.

Think of your online connections on the same level you think of your friends, your family, your students etc. The point is, that if you think of them in this way, you will be sincere with them and you will share with them, give them advice, help them with whatever you can, share stories with them regarding things that have improved your quality of life etc. This is what we do with our friends and it is no different with our online connections. It is true that many of them may not actually be your friends, but that doesn't mean that you can't share with them as if they are. I don't mean tell them your private business or give them your home number and address - I mean be sincere, sell to them only 1% more than you sell to your real friends when you go out to dinner or coffee. Establish yourself in their hearts as a sincere, trustworthy and knowledgeable expert in your niche who is willing to share not just a bit of your time, but the truest essence of who you are.

Use social media to connect to the integrity of the human race & mirror it back to those you connect with online in a way that allows their spirits to be renewed.