Launch your idea with social media

Step 1 - Get back to basics

• Get out all the names you have and make a list of all people you have ever made contact with and those who may benefit from you
  
• Check your phone list and group them to see if they meet the niche product or service you plan to launch. Compile a list of the right names and their phone numbers
  
• Check your email address book and see if they fit your product or service launch. Find their phone numbers. The idea is that we make contact with them in a more personal way than a cold email.
  
• Check your diaries - and create lists of names, phone numbers and email addresses of the right people who you had had contact with
  
• Make a list of potential clients - this is a list of people who you have not made contact with in the past
  
• Brainstorm a list of possible businesses that may benefit from your product or service and list their names and phone numbers
  
• Define groups by brainstorming a list of possible groups that may benefit from your product or service. This may be ladies teas, anti war, civic associations etc.

Step 2 - Define a problem for each group

• Each group has a unique problem or many problems that your product or service can resolve. By defining the problem, you can provide a solution. This may sound simple but it needs a creative mind. You can only provide a solution if you know what the problem is.
  
• Write up a solution. Start by talking about the problem and then show how you provide a solution. I know that some issues are not problems, they can be frustrations or you can move a person from being bored to having fun, or having little information to more information. You can solve these.

Step 3 - Create a blog

• Create a blog that can develop in a fully-fledged social media tool
  
• Add static pages to your blog with the following information:

  • About me
    
  • Contact details
    
  • Testimonials
    
  • Examples
    
  • Create posts

• Create a blog post for each problem
  
• Integrate a newsletter
  
• Automation and integration of your blog publication, with your newsletter dispatch are critical
  
• Add a subscribe box
  
• Add a newsletter subscription box to your blog. Now subscribers can add themselves to your newsletter software
  
• Add auto newsletter publication - when your publish anything online, the story gets emailed to all your subscribers at the same time

Step 4 - Create an invitation

• When you create an invitation you have one objective. You want people to become part of your new social network or cultivation pool. You are going to be very thorough in preparing your invitation. Most of the people you are going to invite you have made contact with in the past. Some once and other more times or some you have never dealt with.
  
• The most critical aspect of this procedure is to make physical contact - face to face. If that is not possible call them, if not send them an email. If all else fail SMS them
  
• Never ever try and sell
  
• You have to be short and sweet. Do not stomp around.

  • Introduce yourself
    
  • Ask if this is a convenient time and offer an apology for intruding
    
  • Tell them about the problem people/businesses experience and that you believe you have a solution but you need help
    
  • As an example, ask them if they would like to subscribe to your problem-solving newsletter.
    
  • Tell them about your blog where they can go and read more.

• Face to face. This is by far the best way of inviting people. After your intros get their email address and subscribe them. See “Voice” for more details on the approach.
  
• Voice - When you phone them, make sure you follow the procedure. Be polite. Never sound like the cellphone or credit card company call centre. Phone them at times that you believe they will not be occupied and ask them if they would like to attend your event, if you have one, if not ask if they want to subscribe. If they say yes, ask them for the email address. Then add them to your blog/newsletter integration software. When done, send them a personal email thanking them and telling them what they can expect.
  
• Email - You will email two groups. The one group is of the people who you met face to face and those you spoke to over the phone. The second group consists of people for whom you only have an email address. The first group is the easy group. Send them a short email thanking them. The second group needs a longer email to explain what solution you have and where to find the solution. You should write them an email asking them if they would like to subscribe to your blog or become a fan of your social network. If they want to receive your newsletter, they can just reply to the email. If they want to become a fan of your social network, they can click on the link you provide.
  
• SMS - Many times you only have a cell number. Then call this number and follow the “Voice” invitation. Sometimes people don't have email or don't visit the internet. I can think of people who are working with people all day long, who are influential but never use email. If you know such a group, phone them and ask them if you can send them tips via their cell number. Never sell. Always share information they can use.

Step 5 - Publicity

• Gossipers are powerfully connected people in your business sphere. They are not necessarily celebrities. They are the kind of people that know everything and everyone. You have to connect with them. Many times these people are coaches and teachers, gurus and leaders. They are good people who want to help. These people may be involved in social structures, civic organizations etc. They may be off line or online. You have to find them and ask them to help you. They will naturally help you if you come to them with a unique solution for a problem. If you are trying to sell anything, forget it. If you can win these gossipers' trust, you will have someone that will gossip to all about your product or service. These gossiping leaders are ethically stable and balanced. Never try to buy their goodwill. They are sensitive. But nothing stops you from asking them if they would like to sample what you have. The intention must be to help them know what you are doing, what you are providing etc. Also ask them if they would like to subscribed to one of your social networks (cultivation pool = blog, FaceBook, Twitter etc) When you connect with such gossipers they will amplify and broadcast your message to all they know, because that's what they do best and because of who they are, their followers will trust their judgement and support you.
  
• Celebrities - if you know of any of them, ask them to support your business. The best approach with these celebs is to combine your promotion with a charitable drive. This needs a lot of thought and planning. If you do this well you can add a lot of people to your social networks, as long as you design a system to get these leads, to attend your launch, to subscribe.
  
• Related industry - identify who in your industry can benefit from your product and service. Make contact with them. Again never sell anything. All you want to do is give. Give them an invitation. Invite them to your launch. Whatever you do; always invite them to subscribe to your social networks.
  
• Networks - on and off line networks are ideal places. They take time to develop but you can share solutions to issues and as you deliver, they can become your fans.

Step 6 - Roll out to more

• As you get the hang of it you will start having more time to create more social cultivation pools
  
• You'll learn how to use Facebook
  
• You'll learn how and why Twitter is different and also effective.
  
• LinkedIn - If you want to teach business people how to use your services or products then go there.
  
• YouTube - videos are an important way of quickly and visually communicating what you do.
  
• Keep them cultivated - now that you have people at your social networks you have to keep them interested.
  
• Give them what they want - the most important aspect is to teach and share
  
• Teaching is your new task. In the past, your advertising was supposed to bring customers. Now you will become a teacher for life. You will teach your existing clients and potential new clients how to use or apply what you provide. Through applying social media, this teaching becomes effective and you will be a happy teacher, while your bank balance improves.