Earlier this year, we celebrated that our Founder Chris Craft was named one of BusinessesGrow.com’s 70 Rising Social Media Stars. The list named some social media consultants and content marketing superstars who are rocking it in the social media sphere. As awesome as it was to be recognized, what would really be beneficial for aspiring social media consultants or digital marketers is to know what’s the pro’s secret recipe to finding success. What is it that these 70 rising stars do to make them so great at social media marketing?
Much like a good pasta sauce, there’s no one definitive ingredient in social media marketing that makes it a hit. There’s a combination of factors that social media consultants use, but it seems that there are some common ingredients they all share in their recipe for success.
You can follow in the footsteps of successful social media consultants by:
1. Actively Blogging
Believe it or not, blogging is still a crucial part of social media. It’s almost impossible to be active with social media and not blog. Social media consultants and digital marketing professionals regularly blog to build and maintain their online presence – there’s no way around it.
2. Sharing Others’ Content
Yes, content is important. But even more important than publishing great copy, is acknowledging the person who created it. The best social media consultants understand that reciprocation goes a long way online. The pros create amazing content all the time, but also don’t hesitate to reference other great work by sharing a post and showing some love. They don’t steal people’s work and they are always willing to credit people who are putting out awesome content.
3. Following Back
The top social media consultants try as hard as possible to follow back. They’re grateful to have the platform they have to speak from, so they often try to show their appreciation.
4. Being Courteous
Along with sharing other’s content, the savviest of social media professionals are mindful of others. They know the value of saying ‘thank you’ and will often respond to admirers kind tweets, posts or comments. A little goes a long way online, and the pros know how to abide by the rules of online etiquette.
5. Remaining Humble
Before they were pros, they were rookies. Social media consultants remember what it was like to not know the difference between a tweet and a pin, so they don’t hold it against people who don’t know either. Remaining humble is a key trait that digital marketing professionals carry. Part of what keeps them humble is knowing what it’s like to come from a place of internet ignorance. The opportunity to generously share their tips and tricks of digital marketing is all a part of keeping the web karma going.
6. Scheduling Time for Social Media
Although we all have busy lives, social media consultants know how to make time for their lives on and offline. They don’t use the ” I don’t have time for social media” excuse. They utilize the latest scheduling tools and mobile apps to always keep them connected.
7. Being Authentic
Although it is their career, social media consultants aren’t afraid to let their personalities shine through online. Followers are drawn to content that shows a little bit of who the pros are when they aren’t in work mode. The top social media consultants don’t take themselves too seriously. They share silly content sometimes. They have a sense of humor and laugh at things that are funny. They show human emotions and let their audience know they’re not some superhuman social media machine.
Following these steps may not land you on a “best of digital marketing list” today or tomorrow. However, including these habits into your online activity will put you in the right direction to be considered for a future position on a list with the top social media consultants.
