It’s that time of year again–the time to put up the lights, buy tacky sweaters, and spend more time with your extended family than you really want. (That is why they call them extended, right?!)

Although you’re busy during the end of November and thru December, you can’t forget about your customers who are still turning to you. This is the busiest time of the year for shopping so if you haven’t used social media at all for your business this year, you may want to start. You can capture A LOT of cliente and customers by simply engaging with them and marketing your awesome products. Even if you have a more robust or labor-intensive product, such as roofing repairs or carpentry, you can still gain exposure because customers are looking to spend that lovely green stuff they’ve earned through holiday bonuses and great grandma Marge.

Here are 25 ways to engage with your customers and clients this holiday season:

Ask…

1. What your customers are planning to do for the holidays
2. Who has or has not done their shopping or who is definitely waiting until the last minute
3. Who has considered donating a gift to an orphanage this holiday season
4. What songs your customers love to listen to around the holidays
5. What traditions your customers engage in
6. What movies your customers love to watch during the holiday season
7. How you can make your customer’s holiday season brighter and better
8. What your customers do when they are snowed in

Post…

1. Images or videos of your office decorated
2. Images of yourself dressed as different holiday characters
3. Holiday specials that your company is offering
4. Your favorite holiday tunes
5. Videos of lights, holiday feasts, or mounds and mounds of gifts
6. Holiday images that your customers have to guess or write captions for
7. Clips from classic holiday movies or TV specials
8. Holiday trivia information or questions
9. Memorable quotes from holiday movies or TV specials

Share…

1. Your favorite holiday memories (and then ask for their favorite memories)
2. Your holiday plans (and then ask your customers what they’ll be doing)
3. What you do with all of the gifts you don’t like or want (and ask your customers what they do)
4. Your favorite holiday dish (and ask your customers what they love to eat)
5. How you get through the holiday season and all of the stress that comes along with it (and ask your customers how they manage)
6. A holiday special offer or a contest for everyone who joins your email list
7. How what your company will be doing for the holidays (donating money to charity, holding a dinner, etc.)
8. Tasty holiday recipes that your customers will enjoy

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

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This post was written by guest author Tracy Terry. Find out more information about Tracy below.

I find it interesting that there are so many similarities between Facebook marketing and unlearning everything you were ever taught growing up as a child.  To be a successful Facebook marketer, you must forget everything your mother taught you.  You will then be ready to successfully market your business on Facebook.

Here are few examples of some childhood lessons you will need to unlearn:

1. Don’t Talk to Strangers.  Drop this lesson instantly!  You definitely want to unlearn this one.  You will want to converse and share with as many strangers as possible.
2. Don’t Write on the Wall.  Throw this one right out the window.  When it comes to Facebook, you will need to write on many walls.  You won’t just be writing on your own wall, either.  You will also be writing on other people’s walls as well!  This is starting to sound fun and rebellious, right?
3. Be Seen and Not Heard.  In Facebook marketing, you will not just want to be seen, but you will also want to be heard as well.  You will need to find valuable, interesting information to engage your Facebook audience.   Another lesson here we can learn as an adult is to listen.  Often we are telling our own children to be seen and not heard.  Then, we proceed to speak while they listen.  In Facebook marketing it will be the other way around.  You will be listening more than you will be speaking.
4. Don’t Leave the Door Open.  You certainly will want to keep your door open on Facebook.  This will allow you to gain new contacts, clients, and business partnerships.  Accept all friends through your door and learn from your peers and clientele.
5. Don’t Talk Back.  Bet you couldn’t wait for that one!  During your Facebook marketing you will want to respond to writings on your wall.  You should try to create conversations with your Facebook friends as much as possible.  It is a “social” network, you know.   Create content that sparks engagement on your own wall and respond when necessary.  Be sure to respond to any positive and negative comments toward your business when appropriate.   Feel free to also partake in conversations on the walls of your friends.  Allow your community to get to know the personal side of your company.

These are just a few of the life lessons you need to unlearn to be a successful Facebook marketer.  I feel that number one, don’t talk to strangers, is a major step for some people when beginning their marketing campaign on Facebook.  Don’t be afraid to reach out and introduce your business to prospective clients and partners.  You will soon find your winning combination.  Start talking to strangers and writing on walls and you will begin enjoying an increase in leads, business partnerships, and sales!

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Tracy Terry is the President of Trust eMedia, an inbound marketing agency located in Lake Geneva, WI. Tracy is a inbound marketer helping businesses grow their leads and sales. She enthusiastically engages in blogging, social media community management, speaking, and training. Tracy has been certified in Inbound Marketing, SEO and SEM. She won Hubspot’s Inbound Marketer of the Month Award for June 2010 and is an Inbound Marketing Educator. She brings a passion for excellence into her marketing endeavors. Find out more about Tracy on Facebook and Twitter.

*Photo by PinkMoose

After you establish a presence on various social media sites – your next step is to engage with people.

Engagement is the obvious next step

Engagement seems like it would be obvious but it’s not. A lot of small businesses set up Facebook pages and Twitter accounts but never interact with people through these platforms. It’s like showing up at a party then sitting in the corner not talking to anyone all night. By engaging people you will build up your credibility and attract prospects and customers.

Engagement is more than talking

Engagement is more than just talking about what YOU are doing in your business. You’re goal is to develop a tribe of people who know, like and trust you. You’ll need to spend the time getting to know people.

First, shift your mindset from PROSPECT to FRIENDSHIP. The worst thing you can do is see every single person online as a potential customer.

I can remember being involved with a network marketing company over a decade ago. I wasn’t very successful at it because my mindset was all wrong. I viewed every person I met as a potential sales recruit for my company. I was only looking at what I could GET from people.

Fast forward to today. I now look at people and ask “what can I GIVE this person to add value to them?”

Don’t get me wrong. I’m running a business and I’d love for you to buy our products and services.

BUT – my personal goal is to engage with people no matter who they are. I’d encourage you to do the same.

Practical steps to engagement

Here are a few simple tips to get you started:

• Ask people to comment on your blog posts
• Comment on other people’s blog posts
• reply to Twitter messages with advice or questions
• Post polls, surveys and questions on your Facebook page
• Ask questions via Twitter and other networks

Today’s 10 minute action step: make a blog comment

Take 10 minutes right now and find a blog to comment on. Read a post, formulate a clear thought that adds value to the conversation and comment. That’s it.

Now go take action.

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Joel Mark Witt is the Publisher of Folk Media and author of 21 Days To Twitter Leadership. He is a producer, author, and speaker who consults with businesses and nonprofits on how to use social media in marketing and communications. Get more from Joel on Twitter or Google Buzz.

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*Photo By Zeno

Social media is a two-sided coin.

On one side of the coin are the hype peddlers who tell you that this stuff is hard and they have the secrets to guide you every step of the way. They obviously don’t want you to learn how to do this on your own.

The backside of the coin is worse. These people tell you to “jump in” … “try stuff” … “figure it out.”

That may work for you if you like to wander aimlessly in the dark. But it’s usually better to have some guidance.

I understand that 99% of professionals don’t have time to waste “figuring it out” by trial and error. But I also know that 99% of small businesses and nonprofits can’t afford to hire a social media consultant for thousands of dollars a month.

So here’s my five-part strategy for using social media.

PRESENCE => ENGAGEMENT => RELATIONSHIP => INFLUENCE => MAINTENANCE

1) Presence

Without presence you have nothing. This is the stage that you set up accounts and announce to the world that you are online. Most businesses have gotten to this stage already. If you’re business hasn’t developed an online social media presence, now is the time.

2) Engagement

Having a presence is good, but the next step is to begin engaging people online. You do this through listening and helping others. Your goal at this stage is to spend time developing a dialogue.

There are two ways to really make this work for you. First, target people geographically. There are people who live in your town or region already using social media tools like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr. Reach out to them since they are in your backyard.

Second, engage with people in your industry or area of interest. These folks may live half way around the world, but they share a common bond with you.

3) Relationship

As you begin to engage people natural relationships will form. Author Seth Godin calls it Permission Marketing. But I’ll caution you…

If you use social media for the SOLE purpose of marketing and only engage with people to ultimately market to them, you will  be seen as a smarmy dishonest person.

Instead, look to truly connect with folks for the sake of connecting. It’s okay to market and share products and services, but do it in a genuine way.

4) Influence

When you spend time building relationships with people by engaging them online, you will naturally build influence.

Influence is how businesses ultimately grow. But you only achieve influence when you spend time with a relationship.

5) Maintenance

Ask any divorce lawyer about this stage. Obviously all married people were in a relationship with influence at some point during their married lives. But they failed to maintain a relationship over time.

Don’t let this happen to your social media relationships. Continue to be helpful. Offer value. Be passionate and keep the lines of communication open.

People are not levers to pull. Social media is PEOPLE media. Be aware that each person you interact with could one day be your customer, advocate, investor, donor or friend.

Treating people like actual humans is, by far, the best strategy for social media.

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Joel Mark Witt is the Publisher of Folk Media and author of 21 Days To Twitter Leadership and How To Use Social Media To Find A Better Job. He is a producer, author, and speaker who consults with businesses and nonprofits on how to use social media in marketing and communications. Get more from Joel on Twitter or Google Buzz.

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*Photo by pshutterbug