John Mahoney is a social media guru. He lives and breathes this stuff.
In fact, when he came to the studio recently for an interview, he used the Lyft app to find a ride from South Beach to Sweetwater.
He made the trip in style – riding in a smokin’ hot 2014 Dodge Ram. The driver even provide water, mints and snacks. Now how often do you get that kind of service from a cab company?
“Johnny Irish,” as I like to call him, runs SocialMedia305! He helps businesspeople like me develop major social media campaigns and keep ’em rolling.
Now, radio is my social media hub. I create my content on radio and then re-purpose it throughout the week. Radio is the original social media.
I’ve been dabbling in Google+, but I’m most active on Twitter, LinkedIn and, lately, Facebook.
Mahoney sees Google+ as a great platform with lots of longevity and real potential for SEO and web placement, but his personal platform is Twitter. It’s not permission-based, so you don’t need anyone’s approval to communicate.
Most importantly, he said, users can search words on Twitter and follow people based on common interests.
Most marketing companies look at social media for business from a marketing perspective, Mahoney said. Big mistake. He sees the value in lead generation.
“That’s where you meet the people. That’s where you build the relationship,” he said. “Everyone is looking for the quick score, but a lot of the money I make and a lot of the relationships I’ve built were started last year. Even two years ago.”
Mahoney said LinkedIn has been worth its weight in gold, primarily because he’s been exporting his contacts to his Constant Contact e-mail list – creating creating a better opportunity to connect with them.
For me, those contacts often equal new business. This happened just recently when a LinkedIn contact introduced herself at a conference and asked for a meeting to discuss her company’s programs, which are unique in the market.
How did Mahoney build his LinkedIn network? He used to work on Wall Street, so he began following more experienced colleagues to gain from their insights. They, in turn, began following him also.
“I was targeting guys who could teach me, and they were in Germany, London, New York and Singapore,” he said.
Mahoney said the best way to use social media, instead of posting content, is to create contacts. In other words, identify who you want to connect with, find their social media stream, and find a way for them to notice you.
Sooner or later, you’ll build a list of quality followers.
Click here to listen to the full interview with John Mahoney of SocialMedia305!