Right now, you’re a social caterpillar.
But don’t worry.
I will help you break out of your cocoon and become a social (selling) butterfly.
If you’re interested in building your brand, mingling with elite prospects, and closing bigger/better deals, this strategy is for you.
Let’s nerd out and dive in!
Key Takeaways
Social selling isn’t pitching, it’s more about building trust with prospects.
When done correctly, social selling can build your sales funnel AND your brand.
Social selling statistically works better for small businesses.
You’ll get my step-by-step social selling process.
So, what the hell is social selling?
Social selling is a “modern” approach to selling that involves leveraging social media platforms to locate, connect with, understand, and nurture sales prospects.
Instead of traditional sales methods, like cold calling (which I’m still a fan of), social selling allows salespeople to laser-target their audience and establish relationships with them.
It’s all about listening to your prospects, engaging in meaningful interactions, and building trust.
In other words, it’s pretty much like being at a massive digital party where you get to mingle, chat, and connect with potential customers.
The catch is that you’ve got to be genuinely helpful, charming, and, most importantly, not too pushy.
If you follow me on LinkedIn, you’ll know I have a bone to pick with these people.
This is an example of WHAT NOT to do when social selling.
This was the first message I got from this person.
Don’t be this person.
Social selling has many benefits; here are some of the top ones!
Social Selling Works: Businesses using social selling create 45% more opportunities than brands that aren’t utilizing social selling. Social Selling Establishes Your Sales Team as Thought Leaders: By regularly engaging in industry-related conversations and sharing valuable content, your sales team will establish themselves as knowledgeable experts. Social Selling Can Be Used in Tandem With Traditional Sales: You don’t have to throw out your current sales process with the bath water, but you can start incorporating social selling strategies into it. Social Selling is Cost Effective: Unlike traditional advertising, social media platforms offer cost-effective and targeted options for reaching potential customers. Social Selling is Highly Targeted: With social media, you have the ability to target specific demographics, interests, and behaviors. This allows for a more personalized and relevant approach to selling.
Let’s break down the social selling process into manageable steps that can be easily implemented:
Begin your social selling journey by identifying and focusing on the social media platforms most frequented by your target audience.
It could be LinkedIn for B2B prospects or Instagram, Facebook & Twitter for a younger B2C audience.
Example: Because SBB falls into the B2B space, I focus almost all of my efforts on LinkedIn.
Based on your target demographic and psychographic profiles, identify potential prospects who show interest in your products or services or whose needs align with your offer.
Remember: We’re investing time into these leads, so focusing on quality over quantity is essential.
Create a spreadsheet or a Trello Board and write out a list of prospects or companies.
From there, find the decision-maker you’d like to connect with!
After identifying your prospects, follow their social media profiles (or connect with them) and engage with their content.
Commenting on posts, sharing relevant content, and offering insights can help you build rapport and establish a relationship with your prospects.
Two quick tips on this step:
When I connect with anyone on LinkedIn, I engage with their most recent post, follow them, and then send a targeted introductory message. There’s no “set” number on how much you should engage with their content, but ideally, you should be in a place where they start engaging with your content (the next step).
Establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry by producing and sharing high-quality content that educates, informs, or entertains your prospects.
This not only brings value to your audience but also encourages them to engage with your brand.
For example, I write 5-7 guides, observations, stories, and opinions weekly on LinkedIn.
There are several ways to do this, but the goal is to provide helpful, actionable information to your prospects.
Did they pose a question? Respond to their post, and expand on it through a blog that you DM them.
Did they publish an article on their website? Share it, leave a thoughtful comment, and DM them your thoughts.
By nurturing your prospects, you show them that you genuinely care about their business and are invested in helping them succeed.
The timing of this step cannot be overstated.
You must have properly nurtured them, or you will blow it.
Remember, the worst thing you can do is try and sell them too early.
It’s called “Social Selling” for a reason – the selling part comes after building trust and establishing a relationship.
In most cases, these conversations naturally arise.
However, don’t be afraid to try one of these strategies to push nudge them through the funnel.
Build a newsletter and get them (and other prospects to sign up). Invite them to a webinar you think they may find helpful. Launch a podcast and have them on as a guest. Collaborate on a piece of content together. Conduct an audit and provide feedback on X, Y, Z.
Social selling is more than just a buzzword; it’s a strategic approach that can dramatically improve your sales outcomes.
Building meaningful relationships and providing genuine value can boost your sales and establish your brand as a trusted authority in your industry.
Remember, the key to successful social selling is patience, persistence, and a genuine desire to connect with and help your prospects.
I hope that helps!
The post Social Selling Guide for 2024 appeared first on Small Business Bonfire.
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