The 7 Questions That Unlock Social Media Traffic Secrets

By Lilach Bullock

If you’re reading this post you are interested in generating traffic via social media. You’re bright, bubbly and enthused about social media and you love the fact that your new role allows you to demonstrate your talent. But before you switch your computer on, you need to ask your marketing department some questions…

1. Who is the ideal client for your company?
2. What demographics does she fall into?
3. How much does she earn?
4. Where was she educated?
5. What are her fears? Her problems? What keeps her awake at night?
6. How does xxx product (what we sell) solve her problems?
7. Where does she hang out?

Let’s address each of those questions.

Who is the ideal client for your company? This is the most basic question that every social media marketer MUST know the answer to. Knowing who you are selling to, well that’s essential. If you try to sell to everyone, you’ll end up mass marketing, broadcasting and running out of budget pretty swiftly. You need to know the perfect customer and talk directly to them.

Demographics are important, and question three and four qualify this. If your target market is women aged 30 with one child, then the chances are she’s married, educated and taking a career break. But what if your target client is a one parent family? Divorced? And working part time. How does that affect the sales of your product if you market to person A and not person B? It’s possible person A is more affluent and isn’t kept awake at night by the same things that keep person B up and pacing the floor.

Knowing their levels of education helps you talk to your ideal prospect in the language they understand. Jargon can help you demonstrate your expertise. If you are talking to scuba divers knowing the correct parts of the equipment and how it’s used is how you show your company is reputable and knowledgeable. Likewise, when you were interviewed for your role as a social media marketer or community manager, you knew the language and what you were required to show your expertise. And it worked because you got the job and are reading this post.

What keeps you up at night? Is it the same things that keep your prospect awake? Is she awake because she has debts? Is she worried about her bills? Is she awake because little Jonny is failing his SATs and she’s thinking about the help he needs? Is it her burst pipe in the loft? Whatever is keeping her awake, you need to know about it. Then you need to know why what you are promoting will help her.

After you have got the answers to those six questions, the answer to the seventh is easy. Does she hang out in forums? Velvet roped communities? On Twitter? On Facebook? Or somewhere else?

Just because she hangs out on Facebook that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t develop a presence on Twitter (your secondary customers maybe there), it means that Twitter is used to sign post people to the community you have where your prospect hangs out. In other words use additional social channels to boost your community where your prospect feels happiest. If it’s g+, don’t fight them and bully them to Twitter just because you love it there, go to where they are. If your target market is Pinterest then set up your boards and invite your prospects to collaborate.

Knowing where your prospect hangs out is vital – it’s where you can focus your social media marketing efforts – and your reward will be traffic that converts its socks off.

Remember, social media isn’t just about prospects. In my next post I’ll share why secondary customers are important and how to find the influencers, even if they have zero budget and live in another country…

Do you have answers for all of the above questions to unlock social media traffic secrets?

Lilach Bullock (15 Posts)

This monthly Social Media Traffic Generation column is contributed by Lilach Bullock. Lilach is a social networking pioneer, business consultant, mentor and personal brand expert. One of the most dynamic personalities in the world of UK social media, she is frequently credited with the accolade of being the first in the industry to actively leverage networking. She launched and then sold her first business within three years of becoming a mother. Even now, she juggles a demanding home life with commercial commitments. Lilach’s contribution was recognized nationally, when she became a finalist at the Best MumPreneur of the Year Award, presented at Downing Street, where she was praised for her entrepreneurial efforts.