Social media was never intended to replace person-to-person interaction. It is a powerful way to collaborate with strategic partners to grow relationships that turn into clients. Here are three ways to do this.
Find Strategic Partners and Share Each Other’s Content
Strategic partners are people who have the same target market as you but sell something different. An example would be a chiropractor and a dentist, or a business coach and a bookkeeper. Here’s an example of how this would work:
Let’s say a business coach is working with entrepreneurs, helping them grow their businesses and she knows her clients generally need a bookkeeper. The business coach would find a bookkeeper who is active on social media. They would meet, share ideas, get to know each other and make an agreement to share one another’s posts. This is a very powerful collaboration and for both people.
Testimonials and Recommendations
I attend a monthly networking event where we take time during the meeting to acknowledge other people in the group whose services we have used. We thank them for the service they provided us or someone we know. You can post acknowledgements on your social media. Then you can even ask others to share it. You can also give recommendations on LinkedIn and then share your own and each other’s LinkedIn recommendations.
Promote Events for your Strategic Partners
Promoting events for your strategic partners is another very powerful way to collaborate using social media. Again, finding strategic partners, you can share and invite to each other’s events and programs. Social media is a powerful way to take relationships to the next level. It was never intended to replace human contact, it was meant to deepen the relationships.