What You Need To Know About Selling On Social Media
Most business owners know that having a social media presence is needed to build awareness for your brand. It expands your reach and enhances your bottom line.
The Social Media Selling Process
Let us start by identifying the various steps in the social media selling process. Social media selling involves:
Identifying your consumer’s need
Demonstrating how you can fill that need
Capturing the consumers’ attention
Building positive and lasting relationships
Generating new leads
Evoking a positive response (that is, sales)
Rewarding your customers’ loyalty
With the right method, social media can be used not only for strategic online marketing but also for selling. According to a consumer survey, 71% of social media participants say that they’re more likely to buy from a brand that they follow on social media. This means that people are purchasing based on trust or based on trends/popularity.
1. Focus on Creating Relationships not Sales
Customers hate the idea of being “sold” something. They feel like they’ve been taken advantage of. Even with an innovative product, a seller, needs to build a relationship with a prospect first before making a sale. This is especially true with social selling where people are inundated with numerous offers regularly.
2. Create a Content Schedule
Following a content schedule is a must! Dedicate certain days for specific topics or you can mix things up throughout the week, just make sure that you execute it and you’re consistent with branding and timing. This allows your prospects to know your business more and feel comfortable with what is being sold or promoted.
3. Serve First, Sell Later
You need to provide value first before someone will trust you and purchase what you’re selling. They may have opted in but it doesn’t mean that they are saying “please sell me something.” Serving before selling means providing valuable information for free. You have to offer a solution to a problem without expecting something in return. So instead of thinking “what can I sell you?” Think instead, “how can I help you?”
4. Invest Time in Building the Foundation
It’s important to build a strong foundation for social media sites. Many sellers seem to just create their Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram accounts without a clear goal or direction. Treat each one as a mini-website of its own and showcase relevant information in profiles, bios, and pinned posts so that potential customers understand your business and its offerings.
Remember that sharing ideas is what social media is all about, and it’s imperative to give more than you receive to be successful. The majority of your posts should be value-driven, with useful information designed to help your audience. Once you have established trust, then it will be very easy to entice your audience to buy your products or services.
