Download this article as a PDFYou may have heard of the term “Social Selling” (SS), but have you fallen victim to some of the common misconceptions of what selling online is really like?
You may be thinking “isn’t that just Social Media Marketing?” – Think again.
What Is Social Selling?
SS is a lead-generation technique utilised by business’ as a means of developing relationships with prospecting and existing customers using Social Media platforms. Although the end goal is a sale, building the network creates the bulk of the sales process.
Often people will place SS into the same category as Cold Calling, but this is far from reality. No one likes the idea of being “sold” something, feeling as though they are being forced into making a purchase or signing up to a platform. That’s why SS is not delivered as spam, it is a process in which businesses and organisations target the correct contacts and maintain meaningful interactions, thus building trust and loyalty with their network.
Did you know?...
- 78% of salespeople engaged in social selling are outselling their peers who aren’t.
- 31% of B2B professionals say that social selling has allowed them to build deeper relationships with clients.
- More than 10% of social sales representatives have closed 5 or more deals due to being active on social media.
(Source – Optinmonster 2022)
Getting Started
If your business has a Facebook page, Instagram account or LinkedIn profile, you are already in the best position to get started, and with the Covid-19 pandemic shifting most relationship-building online, it is the perfect time to prioritise Social Selling. The success of your Social Selling lies somewhat in the platforms you choose.
Instagram has great networking capabilities through its direct messaging and hashtags, as well as built in tools such as story ads with added links, making it an efficient platform for B2C communications. Similarly, Twitter is a great way to help online audiences get answers to their questions. When it comes to B2B, LinkedIn is the best platform to communicate with decision makers and build a professional relationship.
How to Social Sell
But how do I social sell, well?...
- Create Relationships, not sales. When selling online, don’t make the customer feel as though they are being pressured into it. It's best to first create relationships and trust with the prospects.
- Do your background research. By doing just a little bit of research into the target, you can personalise your sales pitch to suit their needs.
- Interact Regularly. Post regularly and build genuine, unforced conversations but never push for a sale. Gradually become a trusted resource in your industry.
- Maintain the conversations. Try not to lose touch with your existing customer. Nurture the relationships, and keep them engaged.
- Stay up to date. Your profile or company page must be a place where customers, both potential and current can visit and retrieve all relevant information. Present a clean and professional profile that shares current offers and news.
