But today there are other variables that influence the purchasing process. And although we continue to look for recommendations, we now do so in a digital environment , where we can find out about any product or service before setting foot in a point of sale or contacting a salesperson.
This changes the landscape for sales teams. If your audience is researching online and checking social media before making a purchasing decision, that’s where you need to be – anticipating your prospects’ needs before they even know they have them.
Which brings us to the topic of this article…
What is social selling?
Social selling is an inbound marketing technique in which you as an advisor can use social media to identify potential clients, connect with them, listen to them, establish relationships of trust and position yourself as an expert in your field. This will allow you to be present in their minds and become the natural choice once they have the need to buy.
Even today, telemarketing techniques exist, in which an advisor calls a potential client directly to offer them something (usually insurance or a credit card). These techniques are not only intrusive (and incredibly annoying), but also ineffective compared to social selling. In fact, only 1% of these calls convert into sales opportunities, compared to 69% of social media leads that do.
Source: blog.hootsuite.com
How to do social selling?
1. Define your personal brand
Brands are abstract, but you are real. People like to connect with other people, so use your first and last name and a good photo. Share your professional experience and don’t be afraid to talk about your skills and how you’ve helped other people solve their needs.
2. Choose your platforms
Research which social platforms are most relevant to your target audience and the type of content they consume on them. Identify the most relevant ones and focus on them. Remember that more is not necessarily better.
Source: www.mediaclick.es
3. Identify your keywords
Use keyword tools to find the terms your target audience uses when searching for information related to your business. Use them to optimize your content and place them in titles, descriptions, excerpts, URLs, and hashtags.
4. Create your content strategy
Define what type of content you are going to share on the platforms you have chosen. Keep in mind that these are the cornerstone of a good social selling strategy, so they should focus on providing valuable information that helps your audience make better decisions; which in the long run will favor your image and increase your credibility.
Create your own content, but don’t be afraid to share content from other trusted sources. When you do, always accompany your post with a personal appreciation.
5. Get in touch
Social selling is not just about presenting yourself cyprus mobile database as an expert, but also about starting conversations. Pay attention to what your contacts post, like, comment and engage with them. Always answer any questions they have for you.
6. Listen
Pay attention to what your contacts are saying and identify their needs and interests. On the other hand, you can use social listening tools as simple as Google Alerts, which allow you to monitor what is being said about your industry, company or competitors on the Internet. This will also allow you to find potential contacts.
7.
Do this periodically based on your objectives. To do this, you must establish some indicators that allow you to make the measurement. These will vary depending on whether you want to measure sales, number of referrals, conversions, etc.
Tips for social selling on Facebook and Instagram
- Open a fan page instead of a profile. Most users of this social network do not accept friend requests from strangers, especially if you do not have mutual friends.
- Upload photos of yourself that project professionalism and closeness.
- Comment and share content from other companies and experts. Add your own point of view with intelligent comments.
- Boost engagement by asking questions. These posts get a lot more comments.
- Always respond to your followers’ questions and comments.
- Be consistent. Create an editorial calendar to define what type of content you will share each week.
- Avoid becoming a source of spam at all costs. such direct advertising this campaign generates expectation Share a maximum of two pieces of content per day.
- Share visual content such as infographics, photos and videos.
- Use Facebook’s search engine to learn more about your customers.
- You can also use the search engine to find prospects, but it is not recommended to contact them through this network, as you may scare them away. For this, it is recommended to use other networks such as Linkedin.
- Create a business profile .
- Express your brand’s personality in a relatable way, upload photos taken with your camera or cell phone and never use stock photos. Don’t forget to upload videos too!
- “Like” your contacts’ content.
- Harness the power of influencers.
- Instagram’s search engine allows you to monitor content related to specific topics. This way, you can do social listening and identify prospects.
- Consistency is also vital here. According to a study, three-quarters of Facebook and Instagram users visit these sites daily:
Source: www.sproutsocial.com
In conclusion
Social selling isn’t about bombarding your eu phone number contacts with private messages they never asked for, and that will only end up in the spam folder. It’s about building relationships with customers and providing them with the right solutions at the right time. It’s a process that takes time, but with patience and perseverance, it will give you the expected results.
