Exactly how does a moonlighting entrepreneur use a social media platform? Easy! You venture online and try it out. No longer are the different social media sites simply different versions of MySpace. Social media is the new “it” thing for entrepreneurs who must now work online as well as offline to build their brand.
Before you shrug off social media as something your moonlighting venture doesn’t need, think about how your entrepreneurship is perceived both offline and in the Web 2.0 world. Will potential clients work with a moonlighting entrepreneur who won’t blog, won’t post to Twitter, and refuses to even look at Facebook? It completely depends on who you are trying to reach as prospects. Your moonlighting venture must be something that translates well to the Internet and some don’t; however, truth be told, more than likely, your business will do great on the web.
However, a few things to avoid when launching your moonlighting entrepreneur social media campaign:
1. Just showing up won’t fly. If you are on Facebook with little more than your name, business name, and location, people will ignore you. Social media is a conversation with potential customers. Add a picture of you, your team, or your company’s logo, add web site urls, link your Facebook page to your blog, or start a group and activate conversations with those who join.
2. Don’t ignore your Twitter feed. You can accidentally lose your readers if you never post anything. Try posting urls on news, gossip, or articles that will help your core audience (do they want to read about photography tips or fashion?). Make your content applicable.
3. Don’t be too “stuffy.” Have some fun. Play the most popular Facebook game, PackRat, or add a flair board to your profile. Accept and invite friends from all over and update often, either using the status update or by imbedding a note into your profile.
4. Follow others. This includes leaders and innovators that you admire. Respond to their Twitter feed with your comments. That is a true conversation.
5. Above all, refresh new content and often. The biggest mistake moonlighting entrepreneurs make with social media is thinking that a static Facebook profile will do the trick — a la landing page. Nope, not anymore. Keep the new content coming every single day (even several updates each day).
Now that you’ve got some tips to start with, it’s time to get to it! Social media is social, so get out there!
