You go to all of the network meetings you can and you meet face to face with as many referral partners as you can, but let's face it, there are only 24 hours in a day. You and your referral partners both have to sleep, right. Building relationships takes time and just when you developed a good relationship with a referral source, they take another job! It happens a lot. Now if you are lucky, their new job is in your territory also and you can keep that relationship going and the referrals coming in. It doesn't always happen though. So you start again with the new person who took over that job. It's a process. You also want to keep that relationship you nurtured and developed. Let's face it, you could be working together again one day. What if I told you there was an easy way to continue to keep in contact with partners who have changed jobs and with potential referral partners you would like to nurture?

You guessed it, it's social media. Let's talk about the two main social media channels and how you can use them to nurture connections. #1-Linked In

Hopefully if you are reading this you already have a Linked In account. Linked In is known as the professional social media channel. This is not where you post a picture of your kids, husband, vacation or other life events. Linked In is a place to shine as the professional you are. Writing educational or thought provoking articles to post to Linked In helps other professionals to see your expertise and your passion. If writing is not your thing, it's okay. You can post other peoples articles in a Linked In group and start a discussion. The key is to connect with your potential referral partners immediately after meeting them. Ask for a connection, reminding them how you met. Take a good look at their profile. You will learn a little more about their background that you may have not known. Look to see if they belong to any of the same groups that you do or if there is one they belong to that you can join. If you notice a post in your feed from someone you would like to have a better connection with, the best way is to comment on their post. Get that conversation going. It really isn't any different online than it is in person. #2 Facebook I know, a lot of you are saying "Facebook-Really? I don't do Facebook." Well it's time you start. Your clients and many of your referral partners are there every day. People hangout on Facebook over a hour a day. This is a great place to really get to know the staff at that new assisted living you want to do business with, the social workers at the hospital you have been trying to develop a better relationship with, elder law attorneys and so many more contacts. What is so great about Facebook is that people tend to let their hair down a bit. They post about their personal lives and share posts of things they are interested in. It can really help you to get to know them better. Liking and commenting are great ways to show when you are interested in the same things they are. If they have a business page, make sure you like it and drop by the page every couple of days to comment on a post. Marketing has changed.

There is so much more competition for everyone. Staying connected is even more important in this fast paced world. Believe it or not, 30 minutes to a hour a day surfing on Facebook can improve your bottom line.

Author- Kathryn Watson- Founder of Find Houston Senior Care and Marketing Senior Care. Author of Marketing From The Inside Out (1999) , Help! My Parents Are Aging and Help! I Can't Do This Alone- Call for a complimentary Consultation of your Social Media Marketing Needs.281-827-7090