Creating Opportunities and Opening Doors with Social Media

There is a great quote by Milton Berle that I just love: “If opportunity does not knock, then build a door,” In other words, don’t sit around and wait for an opportunity, go out and work and make one. At least, this is what it means to me.

Social media is no different. You have to build that door! Are you making your own opportunities? I believe one of the biggest opportunities out there for small business is social media marketing. The problem is, most of us are missing it. I would like to share with you three opportunities for you to create by using social media.

1. Listen first, and then engage.

I believe if you will listen, you will find an opportunity somewhere to connect and engage with potential clients. Start visiting various targeted groups. Listen to what is going on in that group, and then start commenting on the posts or answering some questions. People will take notice, and some will want to know more about you. That’s how relationships are cultivated and clients are obtained. I’ve been listening a lot lately, and I learn more about my clients and potential clients every day. In fact, I have a whole Word document created for it.

2. Share good content that solves your target market’s problem.

Sharing across all the social media boards gets you a lot of visibility. I shared some of my content with groups last week, and someone contacted me wanting to know more about what I did with social media. That post, and the subsequent conversation, resulted in me getting a new client. Interestingly enough, in my aforementioned Word document, one of the most common statements is, “I just need a solution for my problem that converts.” Everyone is looking for a solution to a problem.

3. Write a personal note.

On LinkedIn, I do this with every invitation I accept. It doesn’t take long. Here’s an example of such a response from me: Just saying hello. It’s great connecting with you. If I can help you in any way, just reach out. The cool thing is, I end up with several reach outs asking me if they can set up a call with me to learn more about social media. I have gotten many clients using this strategy. It’s such a little thing, but it is powerful.