As my small business program through Momentum starts to wind down, we had a chance to chat as a group yesterday with questions that we had and other things that we wanted to share. I seriously can’t believe that next week is the last week that I am meeting with these amazing humans. 6 months flew by in the blink of an eye.

As we were chatting about goals and random questions that we all came up with, one of the participants that I have really connected with asked such a great question.

How do you authentically share your business with new people?

This is such a great question because there are ways that I see in Facebook groups that I just don’t like. They make me uncomfortable and it makes it feel as if you are just a number in their long email list.

So let’s talk about how to authentically share your business and your expertise on social media.

Selling In Facebook Groups and More

How often have you seen a post like this…

I have my magical guide on how to create the life of your dreams. Do you want a copy?

I absolutely HATE posts like this. They seem fake. They seem inauthentic. They seem like all they want is a name on their email list. Posts like this seem to be happening more and more. I have responded to a couple but then most of the time, I am just sent a link and a quick little thank you and am sent on my way.

There was no true connection made between myself and the person and business who sent me the link. They didn’t get to know me in any way. They didn’t ask me questions about myself or my business. A link and a quick thank you were all I got.

I get it, we all have to sell and selling isn’t the problem here. It is about how we go about doing the selling that is the problem. We are forgetting the biggest piece of all when it comes to being able to sell your product, human connection. So how can we go about actually sharing our business with those who don’t know who we are?

Tips To Authentically Share Your Business

1| Participate in groups. This one is HUGE. I am a part of many entrepreneur Facebook groups. Some are local and some are not. Some of these groups offer promotional days which is fantastic. I do love getting to know what others are selling and offering but the problem comes in when you only participate on those days.

When it comes to Facebook groups, you need to be part of other discussions. Answer questions when they come up, engage with others in the group. There are some local groups that I am in and I love that they aren’t about selling. It is about asking questions and getting to know the people behind the local businesses. There are no promotion days because they have seen how it can quickly take over a group and it leads to 0 discussions and even less business visibility.

2| Talk about who you are and why you do it. Leave out the what. Powerful right? When it comes to making an introduction in a group, you don’t need to share what it is that you sell. Talk about yourself. Let those in the group get to know you. Who are you and why you do what you do. There is no need to share what it is you sell, especially if it is a first introduction post.

It feels more authentic and real when you share those pieces of yourself instead of instantly trying to share what you sell. Connect with people. That is what it is all about. Talking about what you sell will happen in time. No need to rush it.

3| Show up consistently on your own social media. By being consistent on your own social media, you are showing your followers and customers that what you do is important to you. Now, I do want to clarify something. Consistency doesn’t mean that you need to show up every single day to every single platform. It means that you need to choose a plan that works for you and stick with it. Whether that is showing up 3 times a week on your social media or blogging 2 times a month. Find what works in your life and do it.

It may mean that it will take longer to grow but there is nothing wrong with that. Do not cause yourself to overwork because you are being told to post to Instagram 3 times a day. Show up on a schedule that works for you. This will be the most successful way for your life and your business.

4| Learn how to use your story in your content. No matter what business you are in, storytelling is a great way to bring authentic pieces into your business. You don’t have to share deep dark secrets to add storytelling into your content. It can be as simple as sharing a conversation that you had like I did in this post at the beginning.

It is a way to show your audience and your followers that you do know what you are talking about. That the experiences that you have are shaping not only who you are but how and even why you are doing business.

I love that I can have conversations with other small business owners and hear what they are struggling with. I can give them advice on what I would do. It doesn’t mean that they will take and use that advice but it does mean that I am sharing the pieces that have worked for me or even the pieces that didn’t work for me.

This is storytelling. This is how you connect and grow an audience that is dedicated to your success.

The biggest piece of advice that I want you to walk away from this post today is…

To be yourself. To authentically share your business means to be willing to create and maintain relationships with those around you. Whether those relationships are with clients, followers, or complete strangers on the internet. By opening up and being a part of discussions, people are going to begin noticing your name.

I know personally, that when I see someone that is making relevant and thoughtful comments on posts, I will click on their name to see what it is that they do. I want to learn more about them and maybe their business if they have one.

It is time that we made business more about connection and less about selling to people. Yes, I know that we need to sell because if we didn’t, we wouldn’t be a business BUT you can sell to people in a way that isn’t pushy or tacky. The tips above will help you do that. Let’s make businesses human again and build those relationships.

Hey, did you hear?!?!?!

I am officially a BEST SELLING AUTHOR!! Yesterday my book, Blogfluent: Laying the Foundation For Your Successful Blog hit #45 in the blogging and blog category on Amazon!!! Do you want to grab a copy for yourself or even give it to someone as a gift? You can purchase Blogfluent today. Thank you for all your support.