By Allen Kopelman
Nationwide Payment Systems Inc.
For years, merchant level salespeople (MLSs) have been telling merchants to meet customers where they are; now it's time for us to return the favor. MLSs need to meet merchants on every channel, and that includes social media. But there's a delicate balance between sharing as a person and a business owner on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and other platforms. Business owners want to be playful and engaging without getting too goofy or oversharing. In the old days, when people needed to find a business, they would pick up a phonebook. This was considered a major step forward from walking or driving around looking for a store. We called it, "let your fingers do the walking." Those big, heavy books were replaced by the internet, the go-to place for finding products and services and reading online reviews.
Having a presence on every social media platform improves credibility and discoverability. You don't have to be an expert to leverage these platforms. Just use free tools to schedule two to three posts a week, using the same content each time on every platform.
Today, having a website is just as important as having a listing in yesterday's Yellow Pages. You can claim your listing online with a "Google my business page." If you work out of your home, it might be worth investing $40 to $100 a month to have a virtual office address, a more professional appearance than having a post office box. Explore affordable options, including workplaces with common areas and conference rooms where you can host on-site meetings.
Today, your LinkedIn profile is your resume. It's important to have an up-to-date profile with a headshot and company page. Don't settle for a job title; come up with a catchy headline to attract attention and make sure that your contact information is current. Create a link to make it easy for people to set up an appointment with you. When it comes to growing your professional network, I do not suggest using an invite tool. These tools come across as spammy. Try instead to be genuine and approach industry colleagues in a respectful way, and avoid trying to sell people the minute that you are connected. I've grown my LinkedIn network organically over the years through referrals, social media and by individual invitations, like this:
"Hi, my name is Allen and we are both business owners in XYZ city. Would you mind if I stopped by and introduced myself?" Then, depending on whether this was an onsite or online visit, I suggest a meeting place or 15-minute Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet call. It's important to project a professional image. Make sure your headshot is recent and looks professional, use sharp pictures and a professional header and hire a graphic designer or consider using Canva or similar service to create compelling graphics. There are plenty of tools available that do not require much experience to use.
Consider creating a short video of one to two minutes in length, just by using your cell phone, to show that you are approachable and knowledgeable. When people connect with you, invite them to your company page, to further engage and share topics of interest.
To scale your social networks, plan to spend 30 minutes to an hour, three days a week on the top platforms and follow best practices. Maintain professionalism at all times and avoid triggering topics, especially politics. Also, try not to send out too many invitations in a single day, which could get you flagged as inappropriate on any of these platforms. If you are not a writer, you can share articles of interest with your network and comment on other people's posts. Consider sharing articles that you see in the news and say something about each one, rather than just repost or report. Make a point of following others who have large followings.
Most importantly, avoid rookie mistakes of oversharing or being overly promotional. For example, if someone in the payments business makes a post, do not post your information and ask them to contact or DM you. This will mark you as insincere and "salesy."
Once you get the hang of things on LinkedIn and X, you may want to explore various paid subscription service offerings. You will get more engagement if your profile is paid and verified. Even the lowest paid subscription will enable you to see who has viewed your profile. As you grow your network, you will have access to additional products and services, such as hosting a LinkedIn Live event or attaining content creator status. As you progress, pay attention to posts that get the highest level of engagement and identify the characteristics that made them popular. Choose a subject that people are passionate about, like the minimum wage, Durbin Amendment or mandatory tipping. My recent post about tipping got 100 comments, 1,000 likes and was seen by over 23,000 people.
Groups are another area to explore on LinkedIn and Facebook, where you can connect and interact with likeminded people. For example, it might make sense to join a restaurant group if you're looking for restaurant owners. Consumers have had a sweet ride with social media for years, and the business world is finally catching up. There's a revolution happening that I call the consumerization of B2B payments, as business owners explore and leverage digital technologies. B2B commerce is going digital; B2B advertising is expanding from magazines and TV into social media platforms.
Businesses are also experimenting with real-time payments, mobile apps, social media and other cool technology. Let's be everywhere they look when searching for knowledgeable payment professionals, because I guarantee they won't be picking up a phonebook. Want to know more? Keep reading The Green Sheet and follow me on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/allenkopelman/, where we can share ideas and help each other. 
Allen Kopelman, a serial entrepreneur, is co-founder and CEO of Nationwide Payment Systems Inc. and host of B2B Vault: The Payment Technology podcast. Email him at allen@npsbank.com and connect on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/allenkopelman/ and Twitter @AllenKopelman.
The Green Sheet Inc. is now a proud affiliate of Bankcard Life, a premier community that provides industry-leading training and resources for payment professionals. Click here for more information.
Notice to readers: These are archived articles. Contact names or information may be out of date. We regret any inconvenience.
Prev Next
