Five tips for building relationships through social media

If you are using social media as a marketing strategy to reach current and new clients, set yourself apart as an expert or research market needs, then you need to also be focused on building relationships online.

For many, social media is anything but social. Sitting alone in a room in front of a computer does not scream community, but there are ways to build relationships online that could benefit your business.

1. Interact through direct message tweets, retweets, blog comments and Facebook posts.Communication is a two-way street, so take time to get to know your online friends. This is such an important part of social media, but very few people actually take the time to interact with their friends and followers. Set aside a few minutes each day to network with people in your industry, especially those considered experts in the field. Never have these highly regarded leaders been so accessible. Respond to their blogs and tweets and watch your credibility increase and your net of followers expand.

2. Ask questions and solicit advice. Create opportunities for people to communicate with you and each other. What better way of creating a community than to find ways to bring people together in the name of a friendly debate or unifying to find a solution to a problem. Everyone wants to feel needed and valued, so soliciting comments is a fun way to get people active on your site and invested in your business.

3. Reward your followers and fans by offering discounts on products, a preview of a new publication or an exclusive report just for your followers. Who doesn't want to feel special? Find unique ways of offering benefits to those who are loyal to your business and be ready for a great return on your investment.

4. Be authentic. Post the way you talk and make sure to stay true to who you are. Your ideal client will be attracted to you, so if you are not genuine online, they will not be happy when they work with you offline.

5. Have fun. Let your personality shine through by sharing some personal items with your online community. Find a healthy balance of personal and professional and enjoy building new relationships with your (hopefully) new clients.

While it does take some time and a little bit of effort to build relationships through social media, it is vital to the success of your online marketing plan and overall marketing strategy.