Ways to Plant Social Media Seeds

Social media is all about growing your brand's outreach and engaging your audience, Sundeep Kapur, author and digital evangelist at NCR Corporation, explained at the Publishing Business Conference & Expo in New York City this week. While social media is a powerful marketing tool, there are more seeds that need to be sown.

"Twitter is a lot like Hyde Park in London," said Kapur. "There are a million people ranting and raving, but only six people are listening. At the end of the day, my goal is to have more people hear what I have to say."

So, how do you go about reaching more than six people out of a million with your message?

Think of your social media strategy as a bird feeder. "Sprinkle a few seeds for cardinals in your bird feeder," said Kapur. "That bird will come back for more, and get comfortable with your bird feeder in the process." Once the cardinal is comfortable, it will bring a friend. Then that bird will bring a friend and so on. The cycle will become a trend and grow from there.

Citing the recent security breach at Epsilon in which major credit card companies and retailers' databases and email lists were exposed, Kapur said to be sure your customers feel safe in dealing with your brand. "This has opened up a new wave of customer vulnerability. Customers need a sense of security."

Bird seed was the main ingredient in the bird party at the feeder, but what's relevant to your fan base? Once birds (i.e., fans) flock to your social outlets (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and company blogs), it's important to keep them there. Other than offering standard special deals, discounts and coupons, providing engaging content is a must.