One of the best ways to gain notice from a prospective trade partner is to follow them. But, while some trade partnership opportunities are obvious such as the ones you may have been pursuing for years, social media opens up the opportunity to identify and forge trade opportunities that would have taken months or years to identify and nurture in the past.
Before I forget, and if you read no further, here is the etiquette. Follow back! If a fan page/business follows you on facebook, follow them back. They are following you either because they like your business or they are interested in your business. As a courtesy, you should give them a nod as well by following their page. Now this begs the question - what if they're a competitor? What if a key competitor follows you? This depends on your personal style. Personally, as Robin, I perceive this as being in poor taste unless we have a business relationship or friendly rivalry outside of facebook. So because I see it as being in poor taste, I would not follow them back nor would I block them. Technically you can block them from your page but that only exacerbates the rivalry. We all know that there aren't many secrets with the Internet and even fewer can be kept with social media. Again, personally as Robin, they can follow what I've done but they can't lead where I'll go.
So how do you identify follows or businesses you should follow?
Some are obvious. If you're in the home services industry, following realtors makes a whole lot of sense. It takes some work and research. Go to the websites of the most upscale realtors and find their best agents. Look for those agents' facebook pages and follow them. If nothing else, you will see their updates on your news feed and might get some good tips or leads. Hopefully they will follow back!
Next, follow everyone in your business rolodex and everyone you're connected to on LinkedIn - provided that they are a past customer/partner of your business or if they could be a future customer/partner of your current business. Again, just personally, I would follow the businesses of everyone I'm connected to on LinkedIn. That's why we stay connected. People like to work with people they know and just about anybody could be a future customer/partner or could refer a future customer/partner.
The next finding follows step is a no brainer. Follow the local newspapers, radio stations, and tv stations. Again, if they're any good at social media they'll follow back and if nothing else, they realize that your business gave them a nod. Always follow as your business and not from your personal profile.
The final step of finding follows is the creative one. What is the realm of prospective trade partners? If you're in the lighting business, the obvious trade partners might include pool companies and landscapers. But what about interior decorators? They're in the same home you target, have a good relationship, and care about beauty and quality.
If you're in the outdoor building business, the obvious trade partners are the materials suppliers and building products stores. But what about companies that provide upscale home amenities such as custom door builders, custom garage doors, or interior sound system companies? Think about the lifestyle of your prospect. If they are likely to build a custom outdoor structure, what other custom indoor amenities or services might they use? Those companies make for great follows.
If you're in the outdoor bug control business, the obvious trade partners might be irrigation companies or landscapers. But what about wedding planners or equestrian centers or country clubs? Find the other places that provide upscale outdoor activities that are not at the home.
Good luck finding follows! Remember, like anything in social media, it's an iterative process. Keep finding follows in the back of your mind and take the time to follow them as you think of them.
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