What is Social Selling and Why it Matters for Business Owners?

What is social selling?

This is a question that business owners are asking more and more as they look to social media platforms as potential sources for leads and customers.

Contrary to popular belief, social selling is not simply using social media to blast your products and services to the world.

Instead social selling is a strategic process that uses social media channels to build relationships with potential and current customers in order to influence their purchasing decisions.

In this blog post, we discuss what social selling is, what it isn’t, and why it matters for business owners. We also provide tips on how you can begin using this genius marketing strategy to increase your sales impact!

Social selling and how it differs from traditional sales methods

Social selling is different from traditional sales methods in that it uses social media channels to directly connect with potential customers.

Instead of sending emails or cold-calling potential leads, social sellers interact with prospects online and use content marketing tactics such as blog posts, social media posts, webinars, and video tutorials to nurture relationships.

The benefits of social selling

By leveraging social media channels such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram, social sellers are able to establish meaningful connections with potential customers by engaging in conversations and providing helpful content tailored to the needs of the buyer.

As a result, social sellers are able to build relationships that often result in increased sales and long-term customer loyalty.

What’s more, social selling can help businesses reach new audiences and attract potential customers who may not have been aware of your brand before.

By providing helpful social selling tips and advice, social sellers can demonstrate their knowledge and authority in the field, which helps attract potential customers who are looking for reliable products or services.

But social selling is not just about sales; it’s also about building relationships with potential and existing customers. By taking a more personal approach to social selling, businesses can foster long-term relationships with their customers and turn them into loyal advocates for their brand.

The type of business that can benefit from using social selling

Social selling can be an effective marketing strategy for any type of business. Companies that sell products, services, or content directly to consumers can benefit from social selling as it allows them to reach more potential customers with their message and build relationships with people who have a genuine interest in what they are offering.

Businesses that serve other businesses (B2B) may also find social selling a useful tool to build relationships with their customers and increase sales. Take a look at how companies like Chili Piper have cultivated a social-first culture at Chipi Piper to drive demand.

How to use social selling to increase your sales impact 

Here are some top tips for getting the most from social selling:

First impressions matter

While your profile image might be the first thing prospective clients see in the digital world, it’s just as important to make a good impression online as it is in person. If you want to come across as trustworthy and approachable, go for a professional photo that looks both authentic and friendly.

Build your credibility

Social media is a key player in developing your reputation and leaving a digital footprint of who you are as a professional. Therefore, with every post or comment, you have the opportunity to show off not only what you know but also how well versed you are within your industry and to those that could become clients down the road.

Do your research

To find people who may need your product or service, take note of where they go to get information about similar problems. This could be a LinkedIn group, Twitter chat, Facebook group, etc. Basic research like this will help you understand what kind of language and messaging resonates with potential customers so that you can better market to them later on.

Keep an eye on conversations to discover prospects

The most effective way to determine what your prospects want or need is by using social listening for social listening. These tools allow you to keep an ear out for conversations related to your brand, identifying issues that customers may be experiencing. For example, they might express frustration with your service on social media or rave about you while also mentioning a few areas of improvement. Either way, these insights can help shape your selling strategy moving forward.

Get involved in online communities that matter

You don’t need to be everywhere on social media to sell successfully. In fact, all you really need to do is join the right online community for your given industry and focus on helping others without always expecting something in return. From there, try to understand what kind of questions prospects are asking not only about your product but also about the various problems they face in their roles daily.

Stay active and provide value value on a consistent basis

Once you start following the correct people on social media, it’s important to post valuable content consistently. Posting frequent fluff will only waste your time and turn away potential followers. Instead, be intentional with which networks you join, so that you can provide quality contributions without spreading yourself too thin.

Nurture relationships

It’s not necessary to always create new content or post tips that would appeal to everyone. Rather, focus on and respond to what others are sharing and saying—it’s good social etiquette, and especially important for social selling.

Build social proof – share success stories

If you want potential customers to believe that your company provides excellent service or that your product has features they need, don’t just rely on empty claims. Instead, use social media platforms to post proof in the form of reviews, testimonials, case studies, or even user-generated content. Customers are much more likely to trust these third-party sources over anything your company says about itself.

Measure and monitor data from your existing social selling efforts

By examining your current social selling methods, you can learn what works and doesn’t work for you specifically. Find out which metrics are most relevant to you and use that information to guide your future social selling strategy.

Take the conversation offline

Use social media to connect with people and turn these digital friends into true connections you can see in real life.

Go one step further by converting your social media followers into email conversations- this way you can keep the connection going even when you’re not online

Use social selling to sell more

As a business owner, it is essential that you are always looking for ways to improve your sales strategy and social selling is a great way to do just that!

By utilizing social media platforms to connect with potential customers and build relationships, you can open up a whole new world of possibilities for your business.

November 21, 2022