How Bloggers Can Use Social Media Like a Magnet to Grow Their Blogs

In this post, Frank McKinley shows us how we can effectively use social media to grow our blogs and build our tribe of followers.

It’s Christmas week as I write this. One of the best leftover meats is ham. I like it with potatoes, green beans, and corn. But I’ll settle for it in a sandwich. I usually use mayonnaise. 

 Have you ever tried scraping the last little bit out of the jar? Maybe I’ve got a bit of the Depression-era mentality my dear Grandmother lived through. But to save money, I’ll take a butter knife and scrub the sides of the jar again and again until I’ve got enough to spread a hint of mayo on each slice of bread.

 Of course, it would be a lot easier to just open a new jar, wouldn’t it? I could be more generous. I’d have plenty to make the sandwich as creamy as I want. And there will be plenty to last for a week or more of sandwiches every day.

 When the jar’s empty, I’ll have to go to the store for more. It will take time and money. But once I make that effort, I’m set for a while. In case you’re wondering what spreading mayonnaise has to do with social media, I’m about to tell you.

They Lied to You

Much of what you’ve been told about how to use social media is like scraping mayonnaise from an empty jar.

• You need to be everywhere every day.
• You need to jump on the latest trends.
• You need to focus on what you offer.

Being everywhere will spread you thinner than an invisible layer of mayonnaise. And it will have less flavor.Trying to keep up with the latest trends will exhaust you and probably cause you to lose everything you gain. Remember Blab, anyone? How about Periscope?

Nobody cares about what you offer. They only care about their problems, their dreams, and their goals.

What you’re about to learn will be like having all the mayonnaise you could ever want for your sandwich. You won’t waste time spreading yourself so thin that people don’t taste the best you have to offer. You’ll paint a picture as lavish as the best Van Gogh, heaped with lots of paint and freestyle brushstrokes. And your impact will make your efforts so magnetic people will flock to your blog!

Turn Your Social Media Efforts Around

One of the main principles of advertising is repeated exposure. Studies say it takes about 7 exposures to your message to get people to remember you. Years ago, salesmen made their living going door to door. The more knocks they made, the more chances they had to hear someone say yes.

That’s doing things the hard way. Why not open a door instead? I’m reminded of the mantra of Big Weld, one of the main characters in the animated film Robots.

See a Need, Fill a Need

As I was at Walmart today, I saw a magazine honoring the late Tom Petty.

 His career lasted 40 years. It wasn’t always easy. In fact, it started out more like the door to door salesman. He knocked on some doors by putting out music. By the time he released his third album, he had truly honed his voice.

 When you create something that people crave, you won’t have to beat on doors. People will come to you.

 Last May, I saw a need that existed in the writing groups I’m in. Every Friday was a share day. The idea was that we would post something of ours, and then like and share some of the others that were posted.

 Over time, people forgot the second part.

 I posted in one of the groups and asked, “Who wants to have a sharing party this Friday?”

 I explained the rules of the party. “If you’re in, you promise to like, share, and comment on at least five other blogs in this thread. That way you create activity on that person’s blog. When that happens, people will notice and want to join in.”

 The experiment was a great success. Then it hit me like a cold waterfall.

 “What if we could do this every day of the week? Would you be interested?”

 I got over 40 yeses the first week – and the Tribe Builder’s Network was born.

Facebook Groups Give People a Place to Gather

You go to see your favorite band perform because you know you’ll have a great time.  When you’re having fun with a crowd, you forget you’re an introvert. When you connect with a purpose, you pull out the best that’s inside you and accomplish some awesome things.

 If you can join with other like-minded people, you’ll be far more effective because iron sharpens iron.

 Everybody wants to be part of something bigger than themselves. Create a movement with your Facebook group. Don’t waste people’s time by giving them another group to join and ignore. If you want to multiply your effectiveness on social media, magnify it with a cause people care about.

Give Your Tribe Something to Do

This is where many groups fail.If you’ve ever been to a dance party where there is no DJ, you’ll see the walls lined with people waiting for someone else to go first.

When a DJ is spinning the tunes, he spices it up with his personality. He does this by not just naming the tunes, but calling people to do something based on what the song is about.

People need a leader.

My group was created for activity. So every day, we give members something to do:

• Share links on Facebook or Twitter
• Write and share their latest post on Medium
• Tell the group about their biggest goals and wins for the week
• Share what they’re reading or writing
• A chance to lend a helping hand

As the leader, I post something inspirational each day. My goal is to challenge people to think differently about what they’re doing so they can be more effective.

Use these ideas to suit your own message. It will take time, but trust me, it will be well worth it.  Then whenever you do something, you’ll have a dedicated fan base to help you move it forward!

Go Start Your Own Movement

You’ve just learned a powerful way to attract people to you instead of having to chase them down. Use it well, and you can multiply your growth exponentially. You can sell more products, do more coaching, and grow beyond your wildest dreams.

 Ready to get started? Drop your questions in the comments. Know someone who can benefit from this? Share it with them. In fact, why not be generous and share this with everyone you care about? Do this and as Zig Ziglar said, “I’ll see you at the top!”

Frank McKinley

Published Author with over 26,000 books sold. Writing Coach. Founder of the Tribe Builder’s Network. The host of the Thriving Writers Show. Over 26,000 books sold.