There are exceptions to prove every rule, but in general you shouldn’t use social media to sell stuff. The function of blogs, social network sites, Twitter, etc. is to build your following and generate a positive predisposition that will translate into sales elsewhere.
But where is elsewhere?
Usually, it’s your website. That’s where you have the most permission to be overt with your sales message and insistent with your call to action. This means that when you’re crafting your social media strategy you need to relate it directly and systematically to your site.
Partly, this is a question of keyword management. You should be using the same underlying search terms to drive both your social media activity and your site copy. Partly it’s a question of creating the “trail of breadcrumbs” that leads from your social media outposts to your site. The trail of breadcrumbs simply means offering tidbits of value and exciting the appetite for more.
This isn’t rocket science, but once you get your head around it you’ll begin seeing your website and your social media world as an integrated whole. Your results will show you the benefit of that.
In the few seconds that people spend on a first visit to your website, there’s one question that needs to be settled instantly. Who is this site for?
If there’s any doubt, they’ll be gone before they even discover your offer.
I see no reason to be subtle about this. If the main headline doesn’t explicitly designate the target audience, consider a superhead (small headline above the main one) that says: “Attention: Dentists / Dog Lovers / Orientalists…” or whoever your tribe may be.
Needless to say, the more narrowly focused the audience, the more attention this will capture. “Attention: Scottsdale Cosmetic Dentists” or “Attention: Young Whippet Lovers” will speak to a smaller audience but generate a far more interested response.
Take a look at your website now and ask: Is it INSTANTLY clear who this is for?
