I came across a lady’s apt description of how the typical African mother would ask her daughter not to go out, date or even breathe around men. In her words, ‘But once you mistakenly reach 20, they are asking you where your husband is’. The girl is expected to ‘download’ her husband instantly.

This is the same mentality a lot of us bring to social media. We want instant results but we are not ready to make efforts to boost our online visibility. If you want to be noticed online, you need to turn up. You need to be seen and heard at all times. Your followers and potential clients need to get familiar and conversant with you.

Over time, emphasis has been laid on increasing your followers by all means. I get that. A huge following online is important in getting your products and services to a wider audience. However, your huge following is useless when you don’t put out quality and engaging content. It is important to get personal with followers and other brands while telling the world what you are bringing to the table. Without this, your personal brand cannot fly online.

In my article How To Convert Social Media into a Money-making Machine, I stated that I’m not sure there’s any of my follower who doesn’t know the services I offer. I may not have tens of thousands of followers online, but amazingly, I end up being one of the first people to be tagged when an opportunity or need arises in my field (Content Creation & Business Development).

It’s basically a continuous work in progress but here are a few tips that have helped me capture the hearts of my followers and clients online:

•  Engage: Social media is a symbiotic relationship. If you want likes, comments, and retweets on your business posts, you need to do the same on the business posts of others. Personally, I do this all the time. I share business adverts of my friends online without them asking and of course, they reciprocate by doing same without me asking. Basically, if you want to receive, you have to give. If you want to be noticed, you have to notice.

• Show your work: If you want fans, you have to be a fan of your work first. Are you a caterer who just delivered a sumptuous meal to a satisfied customer? Post it online! Tell the world what they are missing by not patronizing you. Public speaker? Why not share your brand with your audience. And of course, what kind of content creator does not share his/her work online? Being noticed online is as a result of your conscious effort to show your work. Put yourself out there!

• Invest: In the constantly evolving world we live in today, one thing you wouldn’t want to become is old-fashioned or out-dated. Regardless of your field, stay on track with the latest trends. New and better trade secrets pop up each day in your business-sphere. Stay abreast; invest in your personal knowledge. If you don’t, rather than improving on your client base, those who were once on your service-roll will move on to better offers.

In Conclusion

Trust is the currency of online business. To gain trust, you need to put out conscious efforts to get your brand noticed. Without gaining this trust, converting your social media platforms into a money-making machine becomes an uphill task.

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