Your Social Voice: Backstage Pass with Lynda Buwalda

If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed at the thought of taking on social media for your business, you’re not alone. The rapid change and growth of the social web can make taking on a new, online challenge a daunting endeavor, especially for entrepreneurs.

But for me, it presents an exciting world of possibility. As a member of the marketing team at Strategic Coach, I help drive our social media efforts. I’m always looking for new ways to increase engagement, build our online community, and connect with our audience in new and exciting ways.

I believe that digital technology is a great multiplier for businesses, and I love putting it to work for us each and every day!

A voice that reflects your company.

Social media is a fast and easy way of connecting with the world (and in our world, the faster and easier, the better). We can interact with a broad audience in fun and engaging ways that truly reflect the amazing and unique culture we’ve built at Strategic Coach.

Since not everyone online knows who we are, it’s always possible that these platforms are where people are hearing about us for the first time. And it’s important to let our real voice come through.

So, when building an online presence, know what you’re all about first; then, allow your online profiles to reflect that. While social media provides you the opportunity to show your character, remember not to expect your social efforts to give you personality.

We’ve worked hard to create a first-class workshop experience for our clients, so we make sure the image we create online accurately reflects that.

Bring a personal voice to the conversation.

Your clients or prospects don’t want a boring and binary experience with you in person, so don’t give them one online either.

Social media is not advertising. Social media is social. It’s about relationships, community, and engagement. It creates that “I’m a regular” feeling we also want our participants to feel when they walk in the door.

Having honest, human conversations online builds trust.

At Strategic Coach, we have an online engagement team, who are available to listen to and interact with online conversations. Our online community is an important one, and we strive to foster and grow those relationships too.

Sharing is caring.

Building community means listening and engaging, and the more we can do that, the more valuable we are to others. We want to share our wisdom, and we want others to do the same.

As entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurial team members, we can use this social space to our greatest advantage—and together we’ll learn from each other, grow together, and foster entrepreneurial growth and success!

Are you socially engaged with your clients?

What has your experience been when you’re actively engaging online with your community? We’d love to hear about what’s working — and what’s not! Tell us in the comments.