Leveraging Social Media as part of a Referrals Program in Sales

"Now, we trust strangers." That's how New York-based Universal McCann sums up their 2008 study on the impact of online social media on society. They note that there has been a real explosion the number of ways in which people can share information and influence decisions. The marketplace used to be run almost exclusively on face-to-face meetings and transactions. Today, that has been transformed into a space occupied by networks of people where social capital is earned and valued.

This has important ramifications for sales, because the real power behind social media is how it can help transform you from being a complete stranger into a known quantity even among groups of people you've not even met yet. As marketing and social media strategist Kneale Mann sums up rather nicely, the benefit is that "social media can eliminate the cold part of the call."

To be clear, I'm not saying that salespeople and business owners should get out there and post ads all over the place on their favorite social media websites and ask for referrals outright. In fact, that's a strategy that's doomed to fail, because it breaks the golden rule of reciprocation: to ask something from others, you ought to provide them with something of value first.

Be a resource. Provide something that's truly useful to readers. That's the key leveraging social media. The referrals come later, only after you've demonstrated that value over a period of time, and after you've have earned it through your work providing products or services to your client.Let's look quickly at a few of the leading text-based social media tools out there today... 

Twitter: Twitter has the unique advantage that it caps individual posts (or "tweets") at 140 characters, so the onus is on you to be succinct. However, it also tends to encourage prolific tweeting, so you remain top-of-mind among fellow twitterati who follow you. Don't just clutter your tweets with details of what you're up to daily. Use this service as a modern method of broadcasting something of value. Have a link to a great product review...a great article featured in a marketing magazine…or a hot tip about a trend in your profession? Share it here. If followers find it useful, they can choose to re-tweet it. Voila! Your message just picked up extra traction. 

LinkedIn: Widely considered as social media's go-to place for business, LinkedIn helps you connect all your professional relationships and trusted personal contacts. This service is a great way to reinforce your network of clients and suppliers and discover previously untapped connections between people you know. It's also a great place for testimonials—to receive them and to write them about others who have provided you with great service. One of the best ways to communicate your expertise and gain followers on LinkedIn is by asking and answering questions. To do this effectively you can:

Join groups that are relevant to your business and participate actively in the forums;

Start your own group, focused on creating a community of focus on your product, service or topic / expertise area;

Search for questions based on keywords and supplant yourself in the middle of an ongoing conversation; and 

Ask questions that will help you start a dialogue or gather research in an area that can better serve your customers and prospects.

Regardless of how you use questions make sure that you are delivering value in your answers. Do NOT shamelessly pitch your products or invite people to "check you out" on the web. Use the questions function in LinkedIn as a tool to showcase your expertise and knowledge in a specific subject matter and users will seek you out as a resource. 

Facebook: While many treat Facebook as a more personal-focused networking tool, there's no denying that it's a great place to get noticed just by maintaining a presence. Remember: this is one of the most visited places on the web every day. Nielsen research in January 2010 ranked Facebook third among the top-ten web brands in America today. Therefore, if you have a time-sensitive message that needs to get out, this is a good place to do that. Top-ranked real estate agents are masterful users of Facebook, using the status updated to post news about their latest hot listings, encouraging readers to share that news with friends and family.

Make sure to create a fan page for your business and invite clients to join. The best companies ensure they deliver knowledge updates in the daily fan-page status field. They also share links and resources to fans on a daily basis. The aim is to create an active community that will dialogue with you and between themselves. You will attract referrals and testimonials if you provide high value advice everyday and reward the community for participation.

Consumer forums: For salespeople, online consumer forums can be a great place to share your product knowledge and offer advice...in other words, to be a valuable resource. Don't EVER use these forums to pitch. Readers will frown on that and your social capital will be hurt. Instead, create a thread in which you introduce yourself as a sales professional who is knowledgeable about the products or services you sell and that you'd like to invite readers to post any questions they might have. This is a great way to start a dialogue with people and it gives you an opportunity to really demonstrate that depth of knowledge that you keep talking about.

There are many other social media sites, of course, and that list is endless. The list I've shared today is focused on text-based sites, but visual-based social media (e.g., YouTube and Flickr) is another important, rapidly growing segment. Take some time and do your research. Find out where your prospects gather online and find a reason to join in on the conversation. If you do this in a way that's pitch-free and value focused, people will appreciate your efforts and that goes a long way to helping to build an online presence that is seen as memorable and as a valued resource for readers and potential customers alike.

Colleen Francis

Starting Your Own Networking Group - Be Sure to Weigh the Risk and Reward and Begin With a Bang!

Networking and connecting can be incredibly rewarding. And as you get the hang of it you may determine that the time has come for you to start your own networking group. While many who choose to will succeed, the risk involved should be measured against the potential reward before jumping in.

There are many rewards for starting your own group should it succeed. You may be in a highly competitive field like banking, insurance, or real estate and all the positions in the established closed groups are filled. Starting a group would provide you with an opportunity to participate in a closed or exclusive group. Of course when you start a group you have the added luxury of determining who will be allowed in the group. And by starting your own group you can determine when the group meets, where it meets, and virtually all other logistical aspects of the group. 

While there are many other benefits to starting your own group, one final benefit is that you have the opportunity to demonstrate your leadership skills. This will make you instantly more likely to receive leads and referrals. Everyone wants to associate with a leader.

With benefit we often find risk, and the risks are many when it comes to starting your own networking group. You may not succeed and those you attempt to bring into a group will be disappointed. This may lead to fewer leads and referrals. You may alienate a friend or networking partner if you do not invite them to your new group. There may be power struggles and difficulty moving the group to action from time to time. And if you choose to charge a fee to be apart of the group you will have the headache of maintaining the books for a new business venture that will make little if any money for some time to come. If you don't charge a fee you may find it harder to get participants to take the group seriously.

While the risks are many the reward in many cases will outweigh the risk. You should choose to jump in if this is the case. But you should do so after careful examination of all the factors that will impact your success. The most successful launches of new groups always begin by identifying a core group of key participants that will bring excitement to the group. These participants should be people you know well but don't network with as often as you would like. Once you've identified a core group, choose a day of the week and time that works for everyone and stick to it. Have an initial meeting to get the group going and to determine the other business categories you wish to fill. Then plan a launch party with at least four weeks notice. 

Begin with a bang by inviting more people than you need to fill the group. Each person in the core group should invite at least ten people to the launch party. Make this truly a party atmosphere full of fun and excitement. Plan this meeting well and invite more than one person from each business category. What should result is a competition for the open slots between the invitees. This creates buzz and desire to participate. These newly drafted members will add excitement and enthusiasm to your group. Do this as many times as it takes to fill the group. Don't be overly ambitious about membership. Most closed groups function best with between six and twenty members.

You may notice we have made no reference to open groups in this discussion. We believe there is an abundance of open networking groups and no need to create more. If you're looking for an active, powerful, open group, look no further than your local chamber of commerce. If it isn't functioning at a high level, volunteer to super-charge the networking for them. You will have an instant audience and you will be more likely to succeed.

Starting a group is typically the last resort or only necessary if you cannot find what you are looking for in another group. It is an option if your category is filled in all the exclusive groups or if there is a lot of competition in your industry. You can set yourself apart by starting a group. Be sure to identify the potential risk involved and measure it against the potential reward before jumping in. Starting your own group can be fun and rewarding so long as you know how to do it and what you hope to accomplish. 

Glen Gould 

Top 10 Referral Methods for Freebie Newbies

How to get referrals for your freebie websites? Now as a new member of xpango, freebiejeebies, trainn, giftmonkey, rewards1, or even lockerz, I'm sure you've been wondering; what are the best methods? Well to be honest with you, you are ultimately the person who makes that decision. Either way, I'm not gonna leave you hanging. I'll list some methods that will put you on a head start to claiming a free gadget online. 

TOP 10 REFERRAL METHODS FOR FREEBIE NEWBIES 

Social Networks - Social networks like Myspace, Twitter, and Facebook are filled with communities and groups of people who actively express interest in products or services offered by your freebie site. Simply send them a message, update a tip on your status... "I just got my free ipod. Im so happy! If you want one too, go here (url)." Your network will see your updates and will click your links. 

Email Signatures - You can always have a link to your freebie site in your email signatures whenever you email friends, family, colleagues, etc. You can even leave a note reading something like, "I get free macbooks and iphones as a hobby, click here to see how.." People will be curious to click on your link. 

Forums - You can always find forums online filled with communities of gamers, tech maniacs, or anyone who actively express interest in products or services offered by your freebie site. However, you need to be active in these online communities in order to gain a positive reputation. You can simply get traffic from forums by leaving a link or a banner in your signature. So every time you post something, your signature will appear and people who view your replies will click on it. 

Website or Blog - You can blog about freebies and convert your visitors into referrals by offering links within your blog posts. You can create a website introducing unique visitors to the freebie industry, showing off testimonials, press releases, and offer referral links. If you got your website on the first page of Google under a popular keyword, you could be simply relax and wake up to an account filled with referrals. 

Videos - If ever you earn a free gift, you can post a video on YouTube unboxing your free gadget upon arrival. Make sure to show the receipt as well so that people don't think you're just buying a product and showing it off as a freebie. 

friends and family - If your credibility with your friends and family high and they normally take your words or opinions in deep consideration, then you always talk to them about helping you out on your freebie ventures. Maybe they want a free gadget too. However, remember, your referrals can't be under the same household as you. 

Chatrooms - Like forums, you can connect with people with common interest live on the web. Whether it be Omegle, AimChat, or any other chatrooms, you can spark a conversation and mention your interest in free gadgets. It usually piques interest. If you can get people to ask more questions about it, that means they're interested. You can then send them a link 

Craigslist - You can always posts ads on craigslist to get referrals. You can also answer ads on craigslist for people who offer to pay money for a favor. In ex; If you're good at designing and someone craigslist offers to pay 100$ for a logo design, you can email them with a much better offer. "Hey, I can design a logo for you completely FREE if you can complete an offer under my link and refer 3 friends. This is much cheaper deal and I'll get your logo done in no time! If you get 10 friends to complete an offer under my link, i'll design a website for you!" 

Article Directories - You can always post articles on ezine, squidoo, hubpages. Once they go live, you can referrals from search engine traffic if you have a link to your freebie site. I mean, you're reading this article, aren't you? 

Referral Trade Forums - you can always go to referral trade forums if you don't mind completing offers for someone else in order for them to become your referral as well. You can also use freebie trade forums to pay people to sign up as your referral! 

That's your top 10 referral methods for now. There are TONS MORE, i mean tons more. However you don't need to know everything on the planet. You can start with these and I'm sure you'll invent other tactics along the way.

M L Shamir