Here are six easy steps you can take today to find your fans and say "thank you":
- Listen for mentions of your brand online by monitoring all forms of social media including blogs, Twitter, forums, video sharing sites like YouTube, and Flickr. You can assign a dedicated "listener", or empower your team to do it on an ongoing basis. Don't forget to pay attention to related words too, like abbreviations of your brand or even common misspellings. Listen regularly, because a timely "thanks" is always well received.
- If you're getting kudos on a blog, stop by, say thank you for the compliments, and comment on the topic at hand if you've got something valuable to contribute. Return the favor by sharing the post on Twitter, or even mentioning it in your own blog (see number 6). And don't' forget to bookmark the post in your Delicio.us account; the media, your customers and your prospects might enjoy hearing about what someone else has to say about you.
- Compliments on Twitter can go by in a flash. Make it a point to tweet back to your new friends to say thanks for the kind words (your friends will hear it too). If you're not already following them, consider doing so. After all, they've just told everyone how much they already like something about you. You may want to favorite the tweet, too. You can point customers or prospects directly to your Twitter favorites page and let them hear testimonials of your fans, in their own words.
- Learn about your fans. Google their LinkedIn profile or Facebook page, and visit their blog. If it looks like they like connecting with others then reach out and link up on these networks as well. They're a good connection to have - especially since they already said they were a fan.
- Make sure you have your FriendFeed account set up to repost your Tweets and your new Delicious links. This will help spread the word about the positive feedback you've received to your Friendfeed subscribers.
- Spread some "link love" in your blog posts. Pointing your readers to a brand fan's blog is a great way to thank them for the kind things they've said about you, and it lets your own readers know where to find other people who love what you do. If you keep a blogroll, perhaps there's a spot for your fan's blog on the list as well.
You've found an advocate and you've connected with a fan of your brand. Social media is all about building and forging relationships with your community, and saying "Thank You" can be a powerful way to start to a friendship, indeed.