Often bloggers just use social media as post amplifiers. I publish an article, I enter my account and share the link: end of work, end of coexistence between social and blog content.

In many cases, the RSS feed is replaced by a friendship on Facebook or a follow on Twitter. And as Jacopo Matteuzzi also suggests in one of his latest articles, social media marketing is a decisive activity in the sales funnel together with SEO So just sharing the articles on a bulletin board to complete this journey?

The Topic Of This Post

• 1 You have to create interaction
• 2 Take an example from (big) companies
• 3 Get closer to the audience
• 4 So are social networks enough?
• 5 Your way of blogging

You have to create interaction

Regardless of advertising. I prefer to emphasize the possibility of creating virtuous relationships with readers. I’m talking about a different path to create a community around your blog, a loyal audience.

An audience capable of following you everywhere, and transforming itself into ambassadors of your insurance brand A combination …: an interesting and profitable goal. But a goal that is not achieved by using social media just to share links, you must use them to take advantage of the true nature of social. The social networks were not born to create monologues without contradiction, but to create confrontation. Dialogue. Discussion. This is true for individuals but also for big brands. Indeed, it is even more important for companies to base a social strategy on the conversation.

Take an example from (big) companies

This conversation becomes a tool to shorten the distance with the customer. Not always, of course, but only when it is managed in the best possible way by specialists in the sector ( training in social media marketing is essential to obtain good results).

I’m already expecting the reaction: “Okay, maybe a small business. But do multinationals do this too?”. The answer is clear: yes, especially the multinationals. Especially these depersonalized entities who struggle to get closer to a single customer. Check out this example from the Starbucks Twitter account :

Starbucks works well with Twitter.

This is not just about doing customer care, they are not answering a question or trying to solve a problem in real-time. The social media manager is intercepting individual tweets and creating interactions. He is conversing with people by carefully evaluating the tone of voice. Here, this is the job you should do as a blogger too.

Get closer to the audience

The reader crosses the platforms with great ease. The same person who reads your blog content follows you on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus. And expects something from a blogger: quality content and active presence. . Are the contents what you post on the blog? Yes, but not only: you have to give one more reason to follow you on social networks.

You have to share something that is not found on Facebook: social networks are not synonymous with feed readers. They differ from the simple alert to read posts due to the presence (at least in principle) of an editorial calendar designed for a specific audience. A calendar capable of exploiting the strengths of a given platform.

Then there is the interaction. People want to interact with you, they want to ask for information through different channels, not just through blog comments. Indeed, more and more bloggers are recording a shift in discussions towards social networks. Copyblogger confirms :

The conversation moved to a wider public platform (…). The social platforms are fantastic for sharing your content, but they’re also a venue for the conversations that used to be mostly limited to your comment section.

Conversations move to public platforms. And you need to be able to follow, monitor, and actively participate in these discussions. There is your community in these discussions, you can earn important points for your blogging business.

So are social networks enough?

No. Social networks are not enough to create a community made up of readers enthusiastic about your work. Some bloggers bet little on social networks and still move large communities. There are too many factors to evaluate to be able to give good recipes for each season. Content is also important, even the activities you do offline are decisive for creating a community.

[Tweet “Social networks and blogging: create your community”]

What I can leave you is the need that I live every day with my blog and with that of my customers: social networks and blogging must interact every day. And profoundly. Not just leaving the same link on your wall 10 times a day or begging for shares, shares, clicks.

Social networks are not enough. But through these tools, you can change the fate of your blog. When they ask me, “They don’t share my articles, why?”. Answer: because they don’t know you, they don’t respect you, they don’t know what your opinion is. Shorten these distances, shorten them now. Immediately.

Your way of blogging

This is my point of view, but I believe that there are always different points of view to analyze and take into consideration. For example, how do you use social media? Are they a decisive element of your blog strategy or do you use them only to share links and increase visits? I await your point of view in the comments – help me expand this topic with your experience.