Your fans online are the lifeblood of your business (more than ever before). But you may not realize how big of an impact super-fans and social sharing can have on your overall business, and your bottom line.
In a recent AdAge post, Taddy Hall identifies an “influencer” as anyone who shares your message with their friends/fans at least once. It turns out, this group typically comprises less than 5% of your visitor base, but accounts for up to 50% of your website traffic…
Basically, that means: time to start paying attention to YOUR “influencers” and potential super-fans and start rewarding them for their contributions.
How Significant a Contribution do Influencers Really Make?
According to Taddy’s research, these visitors are 2-4 times more likely to “convert” — meaning, whatever the goal of your website page or business blog is targeted to accomplish (whether its email signups, product sales, or fan-page follows) users who are sent by your fans are 100% more likely to do what you’d really like them to be doing:
When it comes to conversion, visitors driven to a site by influencers are two to four times more likely to convert compared to visitors from other sources, such as display advertisements or paid search. That means your landing pages for people coming from shared links and social sites should reflect these visitors’ interests and offer enticing deals that will encourage them not only to convert but to share the deals with others.
Sharing = Caring (for real)
When someone shares your content, it means they’re a fan of your work. They may not be a super-fan yet, and they may not even be a fan of YOU, but they’re showing that they endorse what you’re saying. They’re also the ones who are driving some of the most valuable traffic to you. You’re job is to simply acknowledge them, thank them and maybe even give them something useful, and cool, and free (the gift is optional, free is not). Social sharing is powerful. The gift of gratitude is even stronger.
Nurturing the “Super-Influencers”
As soon as you acknowledge the share, reach out to your endorsers and fans, and actually show your appreciation for them, they will continue to share your work, and you may be well on your way to having a “super-fan.” The truth is, anyone who shares your work online, and also becomes a fan — these people should immediately be considered and seen as “super-influencers.”
They should be courted, and treated with respect, because the potential influence they wield goes way beyond their immediate circle of friends and fans. Nurture them by encouraging and acknowledging their contributions. Enter the world of super-social sharing…
The 5 Steps to Turning Your Site Visitors Into Super-Fans:
1. Be remarkably human
Not only remarkable in who you are, and what you offer, but in how you communicate and share and connect with your visitors. Be totally human and totally generous, and totally real — demonstrate an understanding of your audience.
2. Offer remarkable stuff
It’s not enough to just “Be Remarkable” — you have to offer remarkable content, information, products and services that express and convey the “remarkability” that you carry. You’re going for creating something worth talking about.
3. Just ask for what you want!
Sometimes the best way to get what you want, is to just ask for it. Fine.
What’s almost never done is this: Include a compelling “call to action” with reason for them to share, that ties in to your content, i.e. “if you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends — they’ll probably also enjoy (understand, be changed by, find it useful to _______, etc..) and I’d definitely be grateful for your support!”
4. Make it easy to find and share the love
Of course, you should optimize your articles and your pages for social-sharing by adding “share this” links and buttons to the bottom of your posts and pages, adding a Facebook friend box to the sidebar, optimizing your email newsletter sign-up form and page, etc. But you can go a step further by including social-sharing links right in your “call to action,” and giving your visitors cool free resources that are easy to find, but also easy to love by virtue of their usefulness, and therefore easy to share.
5. Thank them for doing it
Show your gratitude by giving your fans and followers more free and cool stuff, special offers, and other stuff worth sharing. But don’t forget the difference that areal connection makes — reach out to them individually as much as you can, and really thank them one-to-one. See if you can offer them something more valuable than any commerce-based transaction ever could be — human kindness and acknowledgment.
6. Rinse and repeat
Keep rocking, keep being a remarkable and generous human, and don’t forget the fans and influencers — they are your lifeblood, and can make your life and work a LOT more rewarding.
The Final Word:
If you can be human, connect with the people coming to your site by smartly conveying your unique “remarkability,” and make it easy to be lovable and shareable (and follow-up with a little gratitude whenever possible) you’ll have the only business and marketing model you may ever really need. Once the initial connection is made — your job is to reach out, and make that connection stronger, as effectively and as often as you can.
Most of all — enjoy your work, and give from your heart. It will be noticed, and rewarded generously.
If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends with the “share/save” button below, and get my spam-free newsletter here: The View From Inside — I created it to share the most useful and remarkable gifts, and inside insights for the people who understand — and I’m definitely grateful for your support! :)
(Couple sharing image by Coal Miki)
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