Trust: The foundation of selling Social Media

As we all know, most people in the United States, especially small businesses, are going through a tough time right now. Business has slowed down, expenses continue to increase, and not enough money is coming in. That being said, most companies have either shrunken their marketing and advertising budgets, or they've gotten rid of them all together. Most of them know it's not a smart move, but they have no other choice. Others have the money to continue to market themselves, but are afraid to spend the money they have. So how do you show these businesses value in something they've never heard of and has no direct ROI attached to it, such as Social Media?

Well...it starts with trust. How do you get their trust? It comes down to a few things... 

Don't over-promise. This is where I think a lot of social media firms can get into trouble. They meet with a potential client and the only thing running through their head is SELL, SELL, SELL!  They will say whatever needs to be said in order to come away with the check. They promise guaranteed results and say things like "Traditional mediums such as newspaper, TV and radio ads are outdated..You need to take your money out of there and put it into a strong Social Media campaign." That couldn't be further from the truth. While it is true, that social media should be an integral party of every company's business plan, it can never replace those aforementioned mediums.  Social Media is only a supplement to a business's overall marketing and communications plan. TV, radio, and newspapers now act more as a promotional tool than a marketing one, but is still an integral part of their overall campaign. Why? Because it gets the word out. That funny commercial I saw on television, or that great jingle I heard on the radio, is what got my attention. It gets me to notice the brand. Once that takes place, thats where social media can make a huge impact. It's turning those potential customers into brand advocates for your company and as we all know, there is no stronger marketing tool then Word of Mouth. 

Talk in Lamens Terms. Most businesses have no clue what Social Media is, let alone SEO, or the importance of starting a blog or Twitter account. Some of them are very interested in learning about it, while others just want to know how it will affect their bottom line. Whatever the case may be, try talking to them in terms they understand. When you come at them with terms like SEM, link baiting, and micro-blogging you are likely to get a blank face. If they can't understand you, chances are they won't trust you. Everything to them will feel like a sales pitch, and nothing will sink in. Try relating Social Media to their business with personalized examples of how they can use it, and what they can expect from it. The more they understand exactly what you will be doing, the more they will trust you. 

Expose yourself. Depending on your company, you either charge by the hour, sell monthly packages, or do both. When presenting these options to a possible client, they might be skeptical as to whether or not things actually take as long as you say it will. At Endagon Innovations, we realized this and looked into a way that would solve this problem. We came up with Basecamp. Basecamp is a web-based tool that allows you to manage and track all of your projects, assign to-do's and milestones, and most importantly show your clients what you are up to. They can login to their own project, see everything we plan on doing, and track it's progress everyday. By implementing this, our customers can now rest assured that we are doing everything we said we would, and that is what builds trust. 

So just remember that there is a huge market out there for great social media firms to thrive in, and by being open and honest you will start seeing your business grow ten fold. Businesses are made up of people, and people talk. If you work hard, live up to your word, establish trust, and create success stories for your clients, be ready to receive a lot more work you can handle. Where I come from, that isn't such a bad thing. 

- Social Media Man