How to spend your Social Budget.

They say you learn something new every day…How about a new Business oxymoron: A Social Media Budget? In most companies, it simply doesn’t exist. They expect Fans, Followers, Likes and Pins to fall from the sky. However, it isn’t that simple.

The ‘plus’ of being visible on Social Media is that visitors choose to look at your posts, meaning it is their decision to do so, and they aren’t being sold to do it. This leads to more trust in your business. To do this, however, takes investment in either time or funds in order to be this open to everyone.

But, how should a social media budget be spent, if they have one? You do not want to spend hard earned money, simply to get ‘vanity metrics’, or fast-to-disappear trends. Let’s start with not doing something that is all too prevalent: Taking the HIPPO’s opinion: The HIPPO (highest paid person’s opinion), is also (usually) the least knowledgeable and furthest away from the front-lines. If you need ammunition to curb the HIPPO, try these ideas:

One of the best ways to successfully grow a social network is to funnel people from existing sources. This could mean your existing website traffic or e-mail database – wherever you have contacts.  Or it could simply mean your existing, off line contacts (i.e. customers that come to your business). You will need a ‘base’ of contacts in order to attract more. Don’t forget your work colleagues, and existing customers – these are fans of yours. The larger base you can call on, the more possible contacts you can add in the shortest time.

Now, make sure that your Call To Action is strong enough.

Concentrate on one message, and one call to action for prospects to follow. Large corporations and big ad agencies do this all the time on commercials. Next time you’re interrupted during your favorite television show, count how many commercials show a Facebook icon, and nothing else. No Facebook page URL, no direct call-to-action, and no reason or incentive to actually get-off-the-couch and take action. All they’re doing is promoting Facebook.

If you have customers that enjoy being in your store, give them a reason to return to it with your Call to Action. Have them experience something they enjoy, and cull their contact details from them. In turn, they will pass this information on, automatically funneling both themselves and those that come after them into your system: A ‘hearer’ of your business, becomes a follower to learn more, then a visitor to your experience, then a ‘passer on information’ to others that, in turn become hearers, and so on….

It takes approximately seven times longer or seven times the introductions to acquire new followers – something that HIPPOS usually forget. Better to keep in touch with those that you have already, and invite them to join your promotional network, helping others to be introduced. If you have a social media budget, in either funds or time, use it to show your present fans multiple aspects of your experience, and let them bring more in.