Episode 5: Using Social Media to Build Deeper Connections

Dawn McGruer:

Hi, and welcome to my fifth episode of Dawn of a New Era, the Podcast, Chronicles of a Serial Entrepreneur. And in this particular episode, I’m going to talk to you about one of the most important aspects in business in all time. And this is about deeper connections. This is about the people in your business, the amazing prospects, customers, clients, suppliers, everybody that you need to connect with, but on a deeper level. 

Now where we are is we work and live in this fast-paced, ever-evolving world of online marketing, digital media, and it seems never-ending. And what’s actually happened is, is that we’re operating in such a fast pace that we are just fighting fires, plowing through, getting through the working day. And we need to take time out and step back, and really think about the deeper connections. And when we’re using channels like social media that can be so utterly powerful and can drive amazing profits, these channels should be helping you absolutely drive leads into the business, and turning these amazing networks that you have built and invested in, into paying customers and clients. 

Now, if they’re not, it means one of two things. That really, that your content is quite boring and people are not engaged in it. There’s no demand for it, and people do not relate or resonate with what you are saying. Now, the key here is, is that when you are posting on social media, it’s about engagement. And it’s not just about using social media because everyone else is. This is about using a channel to build deeper connections. And in today’s episode, I am really going to delve into this, because in business, all the way through my journey as an entrepreneur, people have been at the center. They are the hub of everything. Your business will not exist if you didn’t have customers, if you didn’t have clients, or even employees within that business. 

So what do I mean when I talk about deeper connections? Well, I mean that we need to actually just press stop, and consider what it is that we’re trying to do and why we’re trying to do it. If you actually churn out content day in, day out, and people aren’t engaging, they’re not sharing, they’re not commenting, they’re not liking, what is the point? So we have to think about everything having an impact. So every action you take, that it’s considered, that it’s actually getting you one step closer to achieving your dreams and business goals, the reason you set out in business today and what you want to actually get from them. Because quite often, on social media, you’ll attract the wrong people. You’ll get people who are looking for price reductions, telling you your products and services are too expensive. They are not your ideal clients. You want to be positioning your content to repel people who don’t fit that criteria. 

And you might think this sounds harsh, but it’s reality. It’s about being a smart marketer. Being smart, actually developing the relationships and attracting the ideal clients that you want to work with, that make your world go round. There is no point attracting somebody who’s going to challenge your pricing structure. Because, number one, you maybe are not front-loading the benefits. Maybe you are the reason that they are not seeing the value in the amazing products and services that you create. 

So let’s take a step back and think about, when you are posting on social media, the key, the crucial aim here, is to get people to comment, like, and share. Engagement is what social media success is. And when you start using these channels as a key driver of influence, positioning you as an expert, but more importantly, to actually turn these connections into clients, then your social media is absolutely working. So people in business, one of the things that you have to think about is that, with building deeper connections, often the thing that holds you back is time. It could be money. It could be that you don’t even know what you’re trying to do. So this is about kind of like your time, your tactics, and tools. And these three essential areas are one of the most important topics that we’re going to cover. 

So when we think about having the time, building deeper connections, we all know when you speak to a client, or a potential prospect, these are valuable conversations. But why do we not value these the same on social media? These should be central. When I talk to people on social media, one of the biggest tips that I always encourage is that if somebody takes time out to actually comment on your post, don’t just like it. Don’t just go back and say, “Thanks.” Start a conversation. Take it to the next level. 

Every time somebody is engaging your brand and your business, and seeing you, the brand awareness, the message recall, is going up and up and up. You’re building a tribe of people who know about you, who consciously are taking action. And you are getting to a point where you are drawing these people in because they like what you have to say. So don’t just then post on social media and then think, “Well, that was a magical post. I got 14 comments, likes, and shares. Great. Everybody loved it.” Build on that momentum. Build that deeper relationship. And think about how you can take that post and make it into a series, and take the people who engaged in it onto the next step. 

So don’t just leave people hanging. If people take time out, spend the time back with them. Think about, when you’re posting on social media, are you talking to a person? You’re not trying to sell. You’re trying to position yourself so that that person feels like you’re talking to them, that you truly understand them as a consumer, their wants, their needs, and what their pain or problem is. That is fundamentally why people will choose you. There are many people out there, and unfortunately, our businesses are not unique, but you are. And the reason that you exist in your business is because you have a passion. You have to get that passion across and you have to get people buying into what you do. 

So think about your content. It would be far better to create five social media posts that really talk to a specific ideal client and tell people who it’s not for. Repel the people that you don’t want to work with because no one will have an enjoyable experience. You will not be in flow with the client, the client will not be in flow with you, and that will not be the nirvana that you sought out to achieve. 

So the other thing is, is that every month I try and think about the people that I want to connect with, that I can’t just pick up the phone sometimes and just start ringing people. But how can I connect with them? Well, being on social media is part of that. Them keeping up to date. I’m on their radar. They see me growing and scaling, what I’m up to. Loads of times, I’ll meet someone, and they’ll say, “Oh, I saw that you launched a new podcast. I saw that your book came out.” People keep up to date with what you’re doing, and you have to showcase this because it’s your story that you’re showcasing. It is like, honestly, sort of reality TV on social media. And some of you may not like that, but this is what people buy into. They want to keep up to date with you. And you can’t reach out personally and speak to everyone on the phone, and social media has brought this power. Using other channels, like email marketing, keeping people up to date with what is happening, and how that can help them.

Now, what I do is I try and reach out, and I always answer anybody, even on LinkedIn or Facebook or whatever. If they get in touch with me and they’ve reached out, I don’t want to just send the boring humdrum text email back to them, saying, “Yes, I can help. This is what I do.” You want to stand out from the crowd, and you want to build this deeper connection, this relationship that is different, that shows why they should choose you. So I leave a voice message. I always do this. So on LinkedIn, if somebody inquires, we get about 80% of our leads through LinkedIn, I always reply with a voice message. 

I might follow it up with a piece of text and a link, but just hearing someone’s voice is different. If 20 people got in touch with that person that day, I want to be the one person they remember. I want to be that one person that they felt that they really connected with, and the one person that can really help them with their business. So think about it, is a nice, new way of thinking about replying. Don’t just send emails. Stand out from the crowd. Leave voice messages. Talk to people on WhatsApp. Do voice messages that way. Try and connect so that you have a way of staying in touch. 

Now, one of the other things that I do every month, I think about clients or past clients that I’ve not maybe touched base with, or suppliers, people I just need to kind of keep that relationship and that momentum going. And I will then write down 10 or 20 people, and I will leave voice messages, and I’ll proactively send these out. I get a hundred percent replies. This is the difference. This is the difference of sending an email or a text reply in a message. You want people to reply and engage with you. So don’t do what everyone else is doing. Stand out from the crowd, and be true to yourself, and think about how you want to be connected with, and how you want to be connected to. 

So when we think about your success and building relationships, there are lots of different relationships that need to be built within your business, from your employees, or your suppliers, from partners, affiliates, people who are in your communities, customers, prospects, suspects, all of these people. And you need to have methods and processes in place so that everybody feels valued, everybody feels that they’re central to what you do. And it just takes seconds. You would be far better sitting down and just leaving 10 voice messages than sending one email. The impact is far greater. 

Now, for me, I always look at my month ahead, and I use a process that I’ve written about in my book, Dynamic Digital Marketing. Because as much as my book is about digital marketing, it actually charts my journey. It talks about being a business owner, but it also talks about training, skills. And one of the biggest is time saving, goal setting, and also, what you actually want to achieve. Because work is one thing, and we know that we spend so much time in our businesses, or in our jobs, that we sometimes neglect the other things. 

And this is why my success planner, my eight elements that I use to set my monthly goals, is so crucial. So in this podcast, as you know, in every podcast, I always do a worksheet so that you can take action. And these are tools that I use myself, that I created in my challenges, or through my challenges and pitfalls as an entrepreneur. 

So in the success planner for this episode, there are eight sections. And this is a great activity. I love it. It’s one activity that I will never let go past in a month, that I have to do. Because it keeps me sane, it keeps me in control, but it also means that I have balance. And as much as people talk about work-life balance, which is honestly something that never happens, it’s about getting a balance and getting more wins out of losses. And you have to think about it. For me, sometimes work will win, but sometimes family will. And it’s about balancing those wins, and being true. Because if anyone tells you that they have work-life balance, I just would not believe it, because it’s impossible. There is so much to juggle. And we’re always thrown a curveball, and we don’t know necessarily when that’s coming, or how to plan for it. 

So what are my eight sections? Well, my whole podcast kind of breaks down these elements, and this is why I wanted to introduce these core pillars. These eight core pillars are the fundamentals, the foundations, that I use every single day to drive me as an entrepreneur, a person, and business forward. And it’s about personal development as much as it’s about business development. So I think about well-being, and I have these eight grids that I fill in each month, and I have a goal for each. So for instance, the first one is well-being. The second is family. Then it’s work, friends, relationships, adventure, money, and home. 

Now you can follow along with this in the worksheet and fill it in. But what I do is I set a monthly goal. And well-being is central to that. Family, again, that has to be part of what I do, because this is why I’m in business. I want time to spend with the people I love. I lost out on that in the beginning. And I really feel, as an entrepreneur, that I have taken a big hit in my life because my life… I had to, I suppose, I started at 21. I took a hit quite early on where I traded doing things for work, traveling all the time. And I just thought I had to do these things. It wasn’t really until I was probably in my thirties, maybe even forty, until I realized that I didn’t have to do all of these things. So I changed the way that I worked so that I really focused on getting more balance into what I do.

So well-being is definitely number one. And this is all about sort of things that I want to do for me, that make me feel better, for my mindset, my mental health. But also me and my body, and exercise, walking, doing all the things that I love doing. Now, I also look at family. And as I say, this is about just maybe spending time with my mum and dad, or going to see other friends, et cetera. It’s so important because this is what really gives me the motivation. So family and friends are key. 

Work is definitely something that I have in place. And I always, always, always think about work goals. There is never a minute in my life, unfortunately, apart from maybe when I’m doing exercise and I’m just trying to get through that last section with doing, say, Pilates, or doing some personal training, but I always are constantly thinking about work. And I think, as an entrepreneur, this is something that you have. That as much as you’re present in a situation, sometimes I’m present but my mind is just thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking. 

And you do, as an entrepreneur, take on an incredible amount of woes and worries. And sometimes people won’t understand that. And if you have had a salary, or you’ve had money coming in before, and maybe you’ve changed to an entrepreneur, you realize that there are pressures, especially if you’ve got employees and rent and all things to pay. 

So work is a goal that obviously I set. But I think I set quite inspiring goals. I used to set really kind of mundane ones, and I’d wonder why I never really kind of got through and actually achieved them. So it’s about thinking about how you can be a smarter marketer, or business owner so that you’re not working harder. You’re focusing on the things that really matter, and setting these goals that really do inspire you, and push you, and challenge you. So we’ve looked at well-being, family, work, friends, relationships. 

Now, this is not just about your own sort of personal relationships with partners and things. This is about relationships as a whole, and really investing in those relationships. Because sometimes, you don’t see friends and family enough. What do you want to do? Maybe you don’t have time with your partner. Maybe you want to have some date night that you have, that you make time for. And it is, it’s about, as sad as this sounds, but scheduling these things into the diary so that they become a habit. They become something that you look forward to. So that once you finish your day, you think, “Right, I’m going to do this. I’m going to go for dinner. I’m going to have a picnic.” Whatever you want to do.

And the next one is money. Now, this is not just about, obviously, money, in terms of you earn for your business. This is about money and your whole attitude to it. So you’re earning money in a business. Many business owners that I meet, and this is really something that pains me, is that they don’t take their money first. They are thinking about paying everything, and then they’ll take what’s left. You need to pay yourself at the beginning of every month. And this changes the focus of what you need to earn, and what you want to earn. Because you set out in business to take a certain amount of money home, and you should be able to take that. And even if you build this up incrementally. Don’t just take enough money to pay the bills. Take the money that you want, and pay yourself first. So chart this out. And this is something that we’ll come onto in the next episode more. But the whole attitude to money is about making sure that you take the money out, that you spend then after that, and you build in suppliers after you’ve paid yourself. You’re the most important person in this business, and you deserve to be paid, and you need to be paid. 

So think really hard about talking to your accountant, or doing your own spreadsheet. Think about what you want to take out, what would make a difference, and what would really, really inspire you and motivate you to do what you have to do every day. And then think about what savings that you can make as a business owner. Using an accountant and really understanding that you’re getting the best and that you’re putting profit first. This is not about putting profit before customers, but this is about structuring your business correctly, making sure that you have savings, making sure that you have the right solutions in place and tools to make sure that your money is working for you. 

And think about also, when you take that money out, are you investing it back. Think about your balance of liabilities. Not always is being a successful entrepreneur about buying a massive house, getting a car that’s your dream car, costing you 50, a hundred thousand pounds. It’s not about that. It’s what it means to you. And extending your liabilities and just putting more focus on material objects and building that up, that’s not necessarily the way forward, because you’re putting more pressure on yourself. 

If you designed your business to be a certain way and to give you freedom, maybe reducing the liabilities is what you want to be doing, and downscaling those aspects. So don’t get into the bandwagon and caught on the sort of steam train where everyone’s like, “Well, I’ve got to this point, so I’m going to buy a car. I’m going to buy a house. I’m just going to spend more and more and more and more money.” Maybe you just want more free money, more money to do other things. Go on holiday. So think about what’s right for you. 

And then we have home, which is number seven. Home, for me, is where definitely the heart is. And I love having everything in its place. My house, yes, is very organized, and I like everything as it is. And some people would maybe hate to live that way. But for me, it’s about living in a house where I really find the luxury. And luxury is just having nice things in my house. It’s not about having necessarily expensive things, but it’s things that make me comfortable, the things that make me happy. 

So this summer I bought a hot tub, and I really didn’t know whether I’d get the use out of it, but I use it every day. And for me, it’s a sanity tool. And when I finish work, or I just go and sit in there, or have a drink, or a coffee, and it’s time out. So for me, it’s a mindset thing as well. Having safe places in your house or sanctuaries. Having a nice work area, again, is really important for me. And I love bright and airy houses. I love candles and things like that. So it’s about making your home the one place that you want to be, and somewhere that you feel really, really comfortable and proud of. And that’s different for every single person.

So the last one, number eight. This is one of my favorites, absolutely, without a doubt, and it’s something that, for many years, I probably neglected. It’s adventure. I probably forgot, for many years, what having really, really challenging goals that were adventurous, that were just going to be something that really motivated me every day, that every time I got out of bed at five o’clock in the morning, why was I doing this. Now, adventure, for me, is that, let’s say, for instance, Christmas. What I don’t do is, me and my partner don’t buy each other presents. We sometimes do little gifts here and there. But we started doing this a couple of years ago and I absolutely love it. 

And what we do is we both go away and we write down 12 things that we want to do the following year. Things that we are really, really excited about. So traveling somewhere, concerts, doing things we’ve never done before. And these have to be really exciting, really compelling challenges that you set for yourself, or places you want to visit. And it’s amazing, because we had such alignment, but also such different ideas that we’ve never thought about. And just taking this time, and it did take some time, to really research what was happening, where we could go, what we wanted to do. And then once we came together with our 12, we then chose each month which one to do. And sometimes, because we loved them both, we did both. This is a game changer in the way that you think about your life. 

Do not get caught up, like I have done probably for many years of my life, of just doing because I’m doing, and just getting onto this carousel that you just want to get off sometimes, where it’s just work, work, work, work, work, work, work, I’m doing, earning money. And then I was thinking, I’m earning money, I’m achieving all these goals. I was ticking these things off my list. I’d done my top 10 every year. But what was I doing it for? Why was I doing it? And you have to have a purpose. So you can’t be all work and no play. Get the play in place, and make happy memories. For me, experiences and memories are the centerpiece of what makes my world go round. And it’s taken me a long time to even realize that. 

So I urge you, I urge you, to look at my eight areas, the success plan, and start planning yours out and really looking at what goals you can set each and every month. And it just gives you this control, but also there’s this clarity around what your business is for and why you’re earning money. And it also makes you kind of think about money differently, because you start to think, “Well, I’m going to buy this. I’m going to do this.” And your money seems to go further because you’re not sort of just frittering it away. You’re putting it against things that you will remember forever and ever. 

So I really hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s podcast. And please let me know how you get on with your success planners. Come and join me on social media. Please, please, please make sure that if you’ve got any comments, let me know. And for many of you, I will see you in the group. So if you’re not already a member of the group, the Marketing, Motivation and Mindset group on Facebook, just search for Business Consort. Come and join us. It’s free. And we discuss all the things to do with business and our entrepreneurial journeys. So have a super week. Remember to get the success planner worksheet. And I will see you on episode six, where I’ll be talking about money and your whole attitude to money, but also giving you some quick tips that took me a while to learn, but definitely can revolutionize the way that you think about the money that you earn in your business. 

I hope you enjoyed this week’s episode, and don’t forget, I’m going to be with you each and every week. So download and listen on Dawnmcgruer.com, or on iTunes, and come and join us in our Facebook community too. All the details are on the website. And I’ll see you next week.