What is Success? What does it look and feel like? How do we measure Success?

Since 2010 (extended from 2009 when I did the leg work for the business by building a strong local community online) I’ve ran a Social Media Company called Altrincham HQ.

Whilst Altrincham HQ are not the largest Social Media business in Manchester – it is essentially just myself and there are huge digital agencies with 300 apprentices who charge clients 10-15 times what we would – I consider it to be a successful growing business that has been built on what we actually deliver – Social Media Marketing!

Recently I was asked – what is the Secret To Your Success? What do you believe it is that makes you successful?

The answer I gave is below

BEING PRESENT & OFFERING VALUE
Being Present alone is not enough. You have to turn up and offer value to your audience online

If you are to truly be successful with Social Media you have to ADD VALUE / NOT NOISE

And you have to do this daily – not just as an afterthought – Social Media is not a newsletter, a business card or flyer

1. Before we post we listen and engage with others – we actually care about what others talk about
2. Before we post we consider whether this informative, helpful or entertaining
3. If we post an article or information more than once – we do so because each time people get value from it (and because on Twitter not all of your followers are online at the same time)
4. We post different content to different Social Networks because each network has a different mindset and interests
5. We use analytics and intuition equally to gauge what our audience is truly interested in

Our audience have a clear understanding about the types of content we will post and that tends to be 50% Altrincham and 50% Social Media

And through doing all of the above we have over 7000 local targeted quality engaged followers and have 250,000+ tweet impressions per month

BLOGGING EVERY WEEK
Since we launched Altrincham HQ we have written over 200 blogs averaging 600+ words per blog

If you spend XXX amount on a website, then it’s your duty to maximise your website’s potential by adding new content to it on a regular basis. Otherwise it’s just a brochure website for your services and little else to capture the imagination

Like the short form Social Media content, adding value is at the heart of our blogging strategy and our experiences we witness here in our hometown fuel many of our most read blogs.

Our blogs are rarely theoretical, but firmly placed in reality and the practicalities of how to use Social Media to truly develop your business – people relate to them

1. Blogging has been central to our marketing strategy
2. It’s why we believe that many find us on google for Social Media Training and Social Media Management from outside Altrincham, Manchester and the Northwest.
3. It’s why many local businesses choose us because the blogs resonate with their own experiences / problems on Social Media
4. There are currently over 1000 different search terms driving people to our website
5. Since LinkedIn opened their publisher program to everybody – we have even started posting exclusive blogs on LinkedIn

If you’re not blogging on a weekly basis you’re missing out – look here for 5 Reasons Your Business Should Be Blogging

NETWORKING
A great business will have a strong network of supporting businesses around them

When I first started Altrincham HQ one of the 1st things I did was to join a Breakfast Networking Group to meet up with local businesses around the area

1. Networking gives you 4 things when you 1st start a business
2. A huge support network to call on for help when you need to reach out to other areas of expertise
3. An opportunity to sell to the room – if you offer value, help and support to others (Help 1st / Sell Later)
4. An opportunity to sell through the room – once people know and trust you, they will recommend you to others
5. An opportunity to present and show your expertise to a room full of local businesses

Recently I went over to a Networking Group in Wigan (25 miles away) where around 50% of the room already knew of Altrincham HQ through networking events locally or they followed me on twitter

A strong network allows you to reach out to this wider audience

But remember it’s the quality of your network that counts – not just the size.

Check out the various networking options in Altrincham here – our one stop shop to Networking in Altrincham

WHY NOT TRY ALL THE ABOVE?
All of the above has opened so many doors for me (including doors with Canadian, Irish, Scottish and Welsh Companies as well as across England) and I’d love to see other business grow through Strategic Social Media Marketing, Blogging and Networking

Any questions just ask alex@altrinchamhq.co.uk or call 07806774279

Altrincham Hq

“With over 12 years experience of Social Media and 17 years experience of online marketing in other companies, clients come to myself when they want a veteran rather than a rookie” Alex McCann