31 July 2008 3 Comments

This posts starts a new category here at SocialMediaMarketerTips.com. It’s called Social Media Example To Follow and is all about people who “get it”. These people are those who are using social media in a way that we could, well… follow.

The first person I want to let you know about is actually the person who inspired this type of post. Her name is Kim Beasley and blogs at KimBeasley.com.

First a little background

My first connection with Kim was on Facebook. That connection then grew to include Twitter. Through Twitter we were able to communicate on different subjects and build a relationship that was one of mutual respect.

We talked about some different subjects and replied once in awhile to updates and posts that were made. Which brings me to a very important point: Relationships are built over time. Through replies, several connection points, and interest in what each other is doing, a working relationship was been created.

An example to follow

Here’s how it started.

Today I was checking out Twitter for what had happened over the course of the night when I saw a twitter update by Kim about her newest blog post Business Makeover: Mission Possible. The post detailed some questions Kim asked herself as she was spying on her business in order to determine her “enemy”. The questions are right on and I felt the need to comment on how I liked the post.

Here’s where the example begins to kick in. From here on out you will see what to do in bold font. Those are the things Kim did, which didn’t take a whole lot of time or effort, that 1.) created a stronger relationship, 2.) built a stronger foundation for her social media presence, and 3.) helped others involved.

Kim thanked me on Twitter for my comment. This is a great example of how social networking is suppose to work. Kim took a few seconds to thank me for the comment I made on her blog post which did two things. First, it showed he actually read the comment and was actually thankful for it. Next, she gave another opportunity for people to read her post.

Not only did Kim thank me, but she asked for input. This one blew me away. Most times, and even I am guilty of this, people just say “thank you” or “glad you liked it” like they knew it was great anyway. Kim, in an incredibly humble way, asked if there was anything I could add. Wow!

Not only did she ask me, but she was also actively engaged with other commenters in the same way.

Kim then went the extra mile by updating her blog post with the new input she received. She is now using social media in an amazing way that is beneficial not only to herself, but also to the people she in connected to and interacting with. It’s a great example of win/win. Kim benefits by extra content. I benefit by having a link back to my site.

Then Kim goes another mile by publically acknowledging the people who commented/added input to her post by asking her followers to follow us. After Kim notified me about the update to her blog she then tweeted to her followers that they should follow me and @jenngilver.

Kim doesn’t stop there, she keeps doing it with each new comment. Kim has social media networking figured out. She isn’t one of those twitter users who plays favorites and tries to suck up to the “power users”. She knows the power of social media and is using it in a very effective way.

The lesson today is…

So here’s what you should have learned today from Kim Beasley for effective social media marketing.

1.) Always add valuable content to the conversation. Kim did this when she posted about her newest blog post.
2.) Acknowledge people publically when they add a comment. It only took a few seconds to let me know she read the comment and apprecaited it.
3.) Ask for any added input that could be used to add to the post. If they didn’t already add it in the comment… ask.
4.) Update your post with what you learned. Give people recognition for their contribution.
5.) Tweet your appreciation by helping them build their follower list. When someone helps you and you think they could add value to someone else’s social stream, let others know who they are.
6.) Continue to do it. Don’t just do it for people you like, want to suck up to, or whenever you feel like it. Continue doing it as a task in your social media marketing plan.

Thanks Kim for showing us a great example of effective social media networking!

If you are not following Kim yet in your social media travels I do recommend following her.

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