Social Marketing is not just an excellent way to add an additional stream of income to your life, but it also gives you the amazing opportunity to be a part of a strong community of like-minded, passionate, solopreneurs! This business concept has been around for decades and is exponentially growing on a global scale year after year due to the fact that ... it works, and the ways to participate in it are evolving to include influencers and affiliates. The residual income and dual business model that most companies provide offers individuals the opportunity to make it either a full-time career or provide a second source of welcomed income.

With all of that said, in order to be successful in this business, it does require hard work, stepping outside of your comfort zone, and being persistent. You have to remember your business is you! A reflection of you and your creation. Thankfully, once you set up a solid network of relationships, your business becomes MUCH less time-intensive, and the right company will provide apps, systems, and resources to help so that you can almost run your business on “autopilot” from your phone. As I’m sure you can imagine, the key is to automate without losing the human touch as fast as possible!

Here are 10 simple tips to help you jump-start your business and maximize your social marketing potential in the next 7 days:

Tip #1 - Use Your Products Regularly

This is number one for a reason! This is the most ignored part of every social marketing business. How do you expect your business to succeed if you are not using your own products? Having a first-hand testimonial story from your products is HUGE. Keys to great marketing and repeat sales include being able to answer your customer’s questions (or find the answers), posting photos of yourself with your products, and educating people on the benefits your product may. If you are not already, make a commitment to start using your products this week and see where your business goes.

Tip #2 - Educate Yourself Constantly

This is especially important. Business and self-help books are a great way to start. Many industry leaders or stand-out CEOs have written books about how they got their business started and how they reached the top. Following the path of successful people before you is always a smart way to start in any business. Reading books on cultivating a positive attitude and a business mindset will set you up for success when you are facing a lull in your business or feel like you don’t want to keep going. Successful people are constantly working on their self-development and expanding their horizons. I recommend reading a mindset, business, or self-help book for a minimum of 15 minutes each day, preferably in the morning, to set the day off right!

Tip #3 - Spend As Much Time as Possible with Your Upline

The “upline” is a vast source of knowledge and information for social marketers. Mingle with top solopreneurs in your group, or other groups, and ask how they made it and created success for themselves at different stages of their careers. Do three-way calls with your prospective customers/ business partners and your upline so you can get comfortable talking about your products and your business model as soon as possible. Most people are more than happy to share tips and advice with you. Be coachable and listen to their advice -- act with authenticity that matches your goals, style, and unique personality. Be prepared to step out of your comfort zone.

Tip #4 - Start Making a List and Reach Out to a Minimum of 10 People Each Day

Start by making two dream lists: one for the people who you know would be interested in your products and another of the people who you think would be interested in hearing about your business and possibly want to join you. Making these lists are essential, and moving through these lists every day and reaching out to a minimum of 10 people per day will put you on the fast track to success. Almost every successful social marketer has done this at some point, and many habitually continue to do this because they know it works. It keeps you consistent, it keeps you actively engaged every day, and it continues to open new doors of opportunity to move more product or reach more people who may be looking to join a business like yours. Your business and influence will stall quickly if you're not constantly creating and working your dream lists.

Tip #5 - Care For Your Downline

An entire book can be written on this topic. Usually, it’s the little things that show how much you really care. Maintain regular contact, especially in the beginning. Offer online group hangouts and trainings to get your team started strong and always praise your team members’ accomplishments. Constantly promote company resources and educational opportunities so they are self-sufficient. Join them in strategizing and positioning themselves for success, always edifying and positively interacting with them and the spaces they invite you into. Offer incentives for specific achievements, such as free product, recognition, free admission to a company training, or other rewards that will keep your group motivated. The more you can motivate them in the beginning and get them connected to the group, the more they will want to stay engaged and be excited about continuing to build, make more money, and move up in the ranks of the company. As they grow, let them fly without micromanagement, remembering their organizations are a gift to your future success. Capitalize on the smallest and greatest achievements to motivate others on your team.

Tip #6 - Duplicate Yourself by Making Your Organization “Independent” of You

This will help to multiply your time and make you and your team more effective. Always lead by example. Never stop recruiting, training, and duplicating. Remember the KISS formula -- “Keep It Simple, Sweety.” I know, I know, I changed the last word, but you get the meaning. You do this by conducting simple, brief, yet effective presentations and teaching your downline to do the same. Teach them to fish, find answers, and automate with company resources and apps as well as groups for education, training, opportunity meetups, and testimonials. The more self-sufficient your team members are, the more successful and proactive they will be in THEIR business. If you know of great coaches for business, mindset, social media, graphics, copywriting and crafting stories, provide those resources for your team members to evaluate and invest in for success.

Tip #7 - Create a Large Customer Base

This is another largely ignored, yet very important, piece of your social marketing business. Don’t focus so much on building a huge organization (downline) that you forget how much you can also make by selling your products to retail customers. Some people will not want to become a partner of your organization, no matter how great a product/system you may have. But, they may be very interested in buying your product directly from you and enjoy earning free rewards. Social media has allowed us unlimited access to free marketing to people we know, and to people we have never met before. The more you post about your products or lifestyle and educate people on the benefits of what your product offers, the more you will create a consistent flow of customers and a steady stream of monthly, residual income.

Tip #8 - Focus On Your Customers’ Needs

You must give customers more than they expect, and always satisfy your customers’ complaints considerately and when necessary provide them with the necessary phone number and email address to reach the empowered customer support hereos of the company you represent.

Try to listen 80% of the time and talk only 20% of the time when talking with your customers. Asking questions and choosing products based on their individual needs will keep them coming back.

When posting, don’t just post about your product; post about the problem that your customer has and why this product will help. Focusing on people’s pain points is what will draw them to you and the solution you have for them. Your customers can be a huge source of future referrals and business. You must earn and maintain their trust. Once you have their trust, you can always ask for referrals, which leads to even more business and a larger organization.

Tip #9 - Set Daily, Weekly, Monthly, and Yearly Goals. Write Them Down!

Goal setting for the Solopreneur is essential. Creating achievable goals so as not to get overwhelmed or to begin feeling unmotivated is important. Breaking up a larger goal into smaller, more easily attainable goals is the key to success. You cannot just jump to the end. You have to make progress every day. Writing your goals down will help you succeed. A goal is just a “passing thought” or “wish” until you put it in writing. That is when it becomes concrete and real. It is also a great idea to keep a business journal of your daily activities, as it will help you to become more productive and time-conscious. Your goals should include income and relationship building activities that actually support your business. Don't get caught up in busy work!

Tip #10 - Get Out There and Do It Now!

The most important ingredient for success is ACTION! The quicker you start following the resources your company, and possibly your Upline has created for you, learning the products and their benefits, and start reaching out to people every single day, the quicker your business will take off and the more motivated you will be to keep going! If you are unsure about what to say or are still learning about your products, use your upline to help you reach out to your prospects in the very beginning. When your friends, family, and colleagues see your excitement and enthusiasm for your new products and business venture, they will watch and eventually want to know more about what you’re doing. Not taking action is the #1 reason for failing at anything in life. Things won't always be perfect, it might get messy, but if you commit to consistent action every single day, you will be a success as a solopreneur in social marketing soooner rather than a lot later.

By following these 10 steps, you should begin to see results develop fairly quickly in your business. Hopefully, this has provided you with some actionable insights to help you to grow and succeed as you dive into the exciting business of social marketing. Download my FREE Dream List form and get to work. And, as with anything worth working towards, please don’t forget to enjoy the journey on your way to the top and take care of yourself along with way.

xoxo

Nelea R. Lane, CMWC The Happy Juice Chick

Founder Legacy Wellness Entrepreneurs