Number 1: Have a raunchy headline for your posts. Haha, I’m kidding. But it did get you interested didn’t it!

When I say ‘seduce’, what I mean is: how do you make your followers want to keep following you and others want to start following you?

These top tips will give you some pointers.

1. STOP TALKING ABOUT YOURSELF ALL THE TIME

Ever been to a networking event and met someone who literally WILL NOT SHUTUP?

You know the type – the guy who talks so much he’s not even pausing for breath. I mean, this one’s turning blue.

I’m sorry to say it, but he’s probably the spluttering type too. The kind of guy who has no problem with spitting on your lip or eyelid, knowing he’s done so and then having the audacity to keep on talking…. about himself!

Social media is all about listening, working on the fundamentals of good networking. Think of it as a date, where you ask lots of questions about the other person, showing that you are interested in them and not just yourself.

Listening tip: use keyword searches and hashtags (#) to find conversations relevant to your business. You can set these up in a social media dashboard, such as Hootsuite, TweetDeck or SproutSocial

2. BE RESPONSIVE

If you set out to engage with your followers and they do what you want them to do and interact with you, the least you can do is reply and as Twitter puts it so neatly “Keep the conversation going”.

If you just ignore them then that is the most ridiculous waste of time imaginable. Let’s use the networking analogy again:

You: “Hi, great to meet you. Tell me, what makes your business unique?”

Person you’ve just met: “We sell home made pizza with any topping you want – Literally any ingredient goes”

You: NOTHING. ABSOLUTELY NO REPSONSE WHATSOEVER. SILENCE…. AVACANT LOOK AND SILENCE] Ok, maybe you’re standing there dribbling and the sound of dribble hitting the floor makes a noise, but apart from that….NOTHING!

How do you think the person you’re talking to would feel? Would they bother talking to you ever again? The answer is most certainly ‘NO’.

So, be responsive and engage with your followers. To do this immediately, check your emails! Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+ will alert you when someone has interacted with your content, allowing you to be reactive at all times.

You should also download the app for each social media platform you are using, so that you are always able to check what’s going on and respond accordingly.

As a final tip, it’s a good idea to set up Google Alerts, for mentions of your company name to keep your finger on the pulse 24-7!

TIP 3: DON’T SPAM!

Picture the scene. A big company you’ve always wanted to do business with has started following you on social media.

After taking your shoes off, throwing them in the air with excitement and running around the room in your socks high-fiving yourself, it’s time to sit down…. That’s right, you’ve just stubbed your toe on the desk and it REALLY HURTS.

So now you’re sitting down, DO NOT get trigger-happy with your @BigCompanyI’veAlwaysWantedToDoBusinessWith tweets or messages. (By the way that Twitter handle is way too long and actually impossible to have, but work with me here!)

Relentlessly sending them links to your website, or messages every single minute of the day telling them you watched them drive to work this morning and love how they look when they concentrate, will not get you business!

No one likes spammers. So don’t do it. Instead give your followers (and by proxy the big company you’ve always wanted to do business with) reason to keep following you.

This means interesting content and stories they can share, but also things that get people talking. Why not facilitate a few user polls on Facebook or LinkedIn for example and then publish the results after?

Mix up your content, don’t overdo it (3-6 posts a day as a general rule) and think about the time of day that you post in order to reach a bigger audience.

Follow these tips and you may just win that big contract after all!

What are your pet hates in the social-sphere? Maybe it’s people coming up with made up words to describe the social media arena. Either way, I’d love to hear your comments and experiences!