Getting “Social Selling” Right?

What is Social selling?

Social selling is the process of using social media platforms to build and maintain relationships with potential customers and ultimately, to sell products or services. It involves using social media platforms, such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook,  and Instagram, to connect with potential customers, share content, and engage with them in a way that helps to build trust and rapport. It is an effective way for businesses to build their brand and establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry.

With more and more customers turning to social media to research products and services before making a purchase, businesses too started incorporating social selling in their overall sales strategy. Businesses that can effectively engage with their customers on social media can gain a competitive advantage.

Social selling in B2B and B2C –

While social selling is often associated with B2B businesses, it can be an effective sales strategy for both B2B and B2C businesses.

For B2C businesses, social selling can involve engaging with customers on social media platforms to build brand awareness, drive engagement, and ultimately, increase sales. This can include sharing valuable content, running social media ads, and engaging with customers through comments and messages.

For example, a car maker company can use social selling to showcase their products on Instagram and engage with customers through comments and messages, answering their questions and providing personalised recommendations. A food delivery service can use social selling to promote special offers on Facebook and run targeted ads to reach potential customers in specific geographic areas.

For B2B businesses, social selling can involve using social media platforms to connect with potential customers, share valuable content, and build relationships that can ultimately lead to sales. This can include engaging with potential customers on LinkedIn, sharing thought leadership content on Twitter, and running targeted social media ads to reach specific audiences.

How to be successful  in social selling?

Successful social selling requires a strategic approach that involves identifying potential customers, researching their needs and interests, and engaging with them in a way that is relevant and valuable to them. This can include sharing helpful content, participating in discussions, and providing personalized recommendations.

Some Tips:

1. Develop a deep understanding of your target audience like their needs and preferences and engage with them with content or conversation that resonates with them.
2. Create /Share high-quality, valuable content: To stand out in social selling, you need to create content that is informative, engaging, and valuable to your target audience. This can include your company blog posts, infographics, videos, and social media posts.
3. Leverage video and live streaming: Video and live streaming are powerful tools for social selling, as they allow brands to connect with their audience in a more personal and authentic way. Brands could use platforms like YouTube, Instagram Live, and Facebook Live to engage with their audience.
4. Build strong relationships: Social selling is all about building relationships with your target audience. Take the time to engage with your followers, respond to their comments and messages, and build trust and rapport with them.
5. Keep yourself updated on trends in social selling: Social media platforms are constantly evolving, so it’s important to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices. Continuously test and optimise your social selling strategies to ensure that you are staying ahead of the competition.

Word of Caution –

Social selling is just one aspect of a comprehensive sales strategy.

While social selling can be an effective sales strategy, it is unlikely that  Sales People can meet all of their targets through social selling alone. Social selling is just one aspect of a comprehensive sales strategy, it is not a standalone solution for meeting sales targets. It works best when used in conjunction with other sales techniques, such as phone calls, email outreach, and in-person meetings, referral sales, network selling, etc.

Social selling is a long-term strategy that requires consistent effort and engagement. It is not a quick fix for meeting short-term sales targets. Sales people need to be able to engage with potential customers in a way that is authentic and personal and be patient, as social selling can take time to produce results

Summary –

• Social selling helps you be available when your potential customers are searching social media platforms for products or services you sell.
• Helps you build strong relationships directly with your customers and engage in conversations that lead to sales.
• Helps you build brand awareness, trust and credibility, .
• Social selling alone can’t help you meet your sales targets but when used in conjunction with other sales techniques it gives success.
• Irrespective of social selling, to succeed in sales your business needs unique and compelling value proposition that sets you apart from your competitors.

Happy Selling!