Increasing Your Likability Via Social Media

While many use social media for marketing, it also has the potential to help in other ways. One of the most important is improving likability. Though likability is a simple thing, it can have a huge influence on sales. People want to do business with companies with good reputations, and taking that one step further, they want to do business with other people. And since no one is eager to do business with people they don’t know or individuals they don’t like, likability can be a huge part of sales potential in small business.

Anyone can post on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media sites on behalf of his or her business, but many struggle to turn their activity into increased sales. This is, at least in part, due to the fact that many focus too much on marketing or even outright selling and too little on being likable. This is a huge mistake, as social media is an excellent platform for building a reputation. Traditional advertising often falls short in this area, but social media is excellent for showing others what you are made of. With social media, you can take a personal approach, getting people interested in you as an individual, and by extension, in your company.

It is surprisingly easy to use social media to boost your likability. Here are a few tips for getting others to like you:

• Be Interesting: People are busy and there is more than enough content on the Internet to keep them occupied for a life time. Why should they take an interest in you? The answer is because what you post is interesting. You take the time to learn what interests your audience, and then you tailor your content to your audience members’ interests. Also, you avoid beating the same old dead drum everyone else does.
• Reciprocate: So your followers share, like, and comment on your posts? Be sure to do the same for them. This shows that you are interested in them as well. And let’s face it, one-way relationships just don’t work, even if they are online relationships.
• Be Present: How can anyone like you if you aren’t around much? One of the most important rules of social media is to use it regularly. Let your audience get used to having you around and seeing your content.
• Help Others: No one wants to be subjected to constant sales pitches, so keep the self-promotion to a minimum. Instead, focus on engaging with others and building relationships. Don’t worry, the sales will come.

Keep in mind that boosting your likability isn’t really about getting more likes for your Facebook page or adding more followers to your list. Instead, it’s about stimulating the kind of warm and fuzzy feelings that encourage others to choose you over the competition.