Almost everyone uses some form of social media these days. If you look on your phone right now I’m sure somewhere you have at least one social media app on there. My nan is over 80 and my cousin is under 10 and yet they both have forms of social media. The last time I got a new phone it already had the Facebook app installed, it appears you are now expected to use social media. So, with everyone online all the time, it makes sense that social media selling became a thing, and with it being social you don’t need to have pushy sales tactics and garishly obvious advertising. Things can be a little more, well, social.
But how do you really optimise this and really put it to use? You use a social media selling strategy of course. And here, is how…
Who uses what?
It is pretty important to know what platforms your customers are using. If you only practice social selling on Facebook and only 10% of your customer base is on Facebook, then you are going to run into a problem.
If you are a more B2B focused company then you will most likely want to use a platform such as LinkedIn which is all but entirely focused on business. You will also be looking to target multiple people within a business rather than an individual, as the decision process for purchase within a company can be a large-scale operation.
If you are B2C focused then you want to attract the consumer, the one person who will be making the purchase for themselves or as a gift. As such, you want to look more towards the age of your clientele and work from there. Apparently, all the cool kids are using Tik Tok these days, so if you are looking for a younger generation that is a good place to start.
Proof, Proof, Proof
I have said it before and I am sure I will say it again many more times, word of mouth is important. It can make or break a company, so don’t annoy your customers. When you do get good feedback though, be sure to let the world know about it.
If someone leaves you a stellar review then incorporate that into some of your content, make it look all nice and shiny, and get everyone to see it. Build trust by showing how great you are, you know that your company is awesome, so why shouldn’t everyone else know?
Reviews aren’t the only way to spread the message through. If someone writes a post or shares a story about how great their experience was with you, why not share it. Whether that be simply sharing the post on Facebook, or adding it to your story on Instagram. There is a great little cafe up the road from me, I don’t go there too often, especially at the moment, but whenever I do I make sure to put a picture up on Instagram. I hate to be that guy, but I know that they will share it in their story. People love recognition from a place they like, so by sharing a customer experience you are making them happier and sending out the right word to others. So, thank you Early Bird.
Let’s get personal
So you have your company page and you are posting, sharing adding to your story, etc etc. It isn’t always easy to get much traction and footfall via a company page alone, however. This is where your personal accounts come in. Now you don’t need to be avidly posting about how amazing your company is and how everyone should check it out right now, it may come across a little pushy. But even simply sharing a few of the company page posts can help you reach newer audiences. If you have 700 friends on Facebook they won’t all be your target audience and so they wouldn’t usually see anything to do with your company page.
See how sharing once again can make a big difference?
Social Media Selling is All About Statistics
Track how many leads you get from various social media platforms. Then work out how many of those convert into sales. When you know what percentage of sales are coming from where you can begin to adapt accordingly, decide where you want to put more time and effort into, and perhaps where to withdraw from for the time being.
Also, take note of which posts do particularly well and which ones do particularly poorly. By noting this you can begin to replicate what does well and create more traction. Remember though, different posts will perform differently on different platforms. It’s never easy, is it?
And there you have it, a few simple ways to create or improve your social media selling strategy. Remember word of mouth spreads like wildfire.
