Social selling is the trend of the 21st century. As its name suggests, this strategy consists of advertising your products or services on social media across all its different platforms.
Although social selling might sound simple to those of you who are active on social media and are used to these platforms, it is important to note that most of our clients belong to the construction industry or trades and services. And, at the risk of over-generalizing, we can admit that middle-aged men are not the strongest on social media platforms. This might explain why the task is often left to the office millennial or administrative assistant.
Today, we believe it is time for our clients to start gaining ground and taking over the virtual world. For this reason, we have compiled 7 simple steps you can follow to deepen your knowledge and ensure your company social media strategy stays on task.
1. Pick a platform
Choose 1 (3 at the most) and perform strongly on that platform. It is far better to choose the one you are comfortable with and create a community rather than four to five average performances. Let's break it down for you.
Facebook - with over 2.2 billion users worldwide, Facebook is still the big cheese when it comes to social media. The majority of My DMA clients are urban-based and focused and with 75% of urban adults using Facebook, it is no surprise that we strongly recommend Facebook as the go-to for social selling. With these types of numbers, you are almost guaranteed to find a community on Facebook.
Instagram - this probably comes as no surprise, but Instagram is a favourite for people aged 18-29 with 64% of users in this age bracket have an Instagram account (source social sprout). It is a very visual platform and is excellent if you want to display products or to show photos of recent projects.
Twitter - subscribers to this platform are generally very engaged. While the number of people on this platform is not as high as Facebook or Instagram, it is still hugely popular for younger members in their 20s. It is also a great platform to talk about a live event or current situation.
LinkedIn - is still number one for businesses and professionals, especially professionals working in a B2B environment. We hear many our clients say that Linkedin is not a great platform for trades and services, but 50% of LinkedIn users have a university education and 45% of individuals who earn over $115k per year use Linkedin. (source social sprout). Who would want a slice of that pie?
With only 29% and 27% of adults using Pinterest and Snapchat, if you are going to focus on one platform and do it well, then these are probably not worth focusing. The one exception is the large number of females who use Pinterest, so if this is your target market, then it may be well worth investigating.
2.Spruce up your profile
Checking your profile is among the first steps potential customers make to evaluate your brand. They want to get to know the real person behind the brand. This is your chance to impress them, so take it!
An easy first step would be to use the right image size on each platform. Avoid blurry low-quality pictures, no one likes them!
Once that’s checked off the list, the next wisest action to take is untagging yourself from any embarrassing pictures shared online. Then, make sure to provide as much information about yourself as possible, from your educational background to your professional experiences. Fill in every field using clear sentences so that you won’t be perceived as lazy or a newbie.
Another thing before you move on to the third step, please don’t forget to link your website and profiles. It’s proof you have an active social presence.
3.Join Groups and Become a Valued Resource
Networking is an essential skill that will allow you to open doors you didn’t even know existed. Don’t hesitate to unleash your social skills online by joining groups and let the world know about your valuable ideas to gain more popularity. Gone are the days when social media is used only to socialize. It’s now time to expand your business across these groups.
4. Create or Curate Content
Content is your royal road to customers. But fear not, you don’t have to be a professional writer or a published author to win customers through it. All you need is transparency and value when sharing your ideas. These two assets help you go a long way in a time where the internet is filled with false information.
5. Share your Content
When it comes to content, remember this: The content you share is what can make or break your customer engagement. Therefore, always make sure the blog posts or descriptions you share on your website or professional profiles provide value to the reader about your brand. Automatically, as you increase your brand awareness, people will be curious to learn more about it by visiting your website. Killing two birds with one stone, huh?
6. Drive Engagement with Your Audience
If you are trying to apply each step as you read through (and we honestly prefer you do!), then engagement with your audience will be the result.
Additionally, building engagement with your potential customers requires caring about their interests, offering solutions to their problems and defending the same causes and values they stand for. When presented cleverly, this will help you build more trust and engagement in the long term.
7. Watch for Trigger Events
Mastering social selling demands staying updated on any trigger events you can get involved in and using them effectively. By acting fast and adopting healthy practices, this priceless sales technique will enable you to boost your prospecting results like never before.
So these 7 steps should give you something to work on. Most people have selected a platform – just make sure you have some sort of basis as to which one will work best for your organisation.
Your profile will set the tone for your Social Media, so put some effort into getting your image right. Networking in your industry and community will pay off in numerous ways, creating content, keeping you up to date with industry trends, overall business strategy development and leadership, also building mutually beneficial relationships where you can support each over.
If you stay away from the hard sell and instead provide interesting and relevant content and engage with customers you will also be rewarded with opportunities for growth and loyalty – and that’s worthwhile giving your social media strategy a bit of a nudge in the right direction.