Advice From Some Leading American Social Media Practitioners

Some good tips in this Techcrunch video that ties in with what we preach at Bua Consulting. Start with the business, its strategy and objectives before you even think of the tools....

1. Decide “who” you want as your customers. Unlike mom and dad where you don’t get to pick, here on the Internet, you do.

2. Find everything about “who” before you start a business. Visit forums, read blogs, think hard about where they are and what they are reading (or watching).

3. What are the things that your future customers don’t do but you like to… for instance I like reading blogs, but what if my target market likes watching videos instead?

4. Who is your competition? What are they not doing? For example if you opt to their newsletter… how often are they sending it you? Do they have a blog? Do they update the blog regularly? Are they on Facebook? Do they have a phone number on the website? Where are the gaps?

5. Sit down and ask yourself honestly that if your business solves a problem that this slice of market has? If yes… move forward. If no… look again at what you are planning to sell.

6. What makes you different from everybody else out there? Is it something you sell? Is it the way you sell it? Is it your story? Is being you is the difference?

7. Here is a piece of paper & my question to you: why should your business exist in this world with so many businesses already doing what you are doing? Write the answer down. Is it the best answer you can do? Can you tell me in 30 words or less?

8. Launch a Facebook Business Page before you launch your website. Most websites languish because of no traffic, no attention. Facebook Business Fan Page gives you instant traffic, instant feedback, and instant interest.

9. Name your page wisely.

10. Point traffic to your Facebook Business Page both organically and by advertising.

11. If you are coming from the corporate world and your day job did not had anything to do with marketing & selling – you are going to have some mental queasiness about buying advertising. I can’t help you get rid of it. Nobody can. Just acknowledge and know that it will be there. Ignore it.

12. How are you going to get leads? Where are your buyers found? And how can you show up there without annoying them?

13. Avoid the temptation to scream as in going to a blog or a Facebook Page and screaming your site and running as fast as you can. People remember you for warm handshakes and hugs you gave out not for loud screams.

14. Once you know how you are going to leads – what can you offer on your blog / Facebook Page / website or where ever you are asking this traffic to go to convince them to opt in to your list?

15. What is going to happen once they are IN – they opt in to your newsletter, left you a voice mail, fill out a form requesting more information? Are they getting something from you? What are they getting? Is it ready or are you going to build it once you have 100 people waiting?

16. How are you going to sell? Is there a process or is it all random? Do you have bullets, photos of products, PowerPoint, webinar, video? A system for selling your product or service (up sell, down sell, cross sell) that exists and is repeated over and over again?

17. I am sure you have a basic version. What can you offer in a premium version that probably 20% of your customers would be happy to buy?

18. Are they getting a thank you note from you once they buy? A hug? A cookie basket? What are we going to do to bring a little happiness to them?

19. How are you going to give them a gentle nudge to remember you once the sale is done to write something about you on Yelp or recommend your restaurant to all their friends on Facebook or Fan your Page up? An email or a card or a phone request or is it all going to be left to chance and fate?

20. How are you going to keep in touch with them once the sale is done? A newsletter? Something on your Facebook Page to keep them interested? An event online to teach them something?

21. Now look at every step and ask is this the best I can do to completely to blow my customer expectations away? How far apart can I stand from my existing competition that is already online and showing up in Google when I start? Two feet, 10 miles or three light years?

Article link: http://ijlal.com/things-to-ask-before-you-launch-your-business