Social networks entered the mainstream some time ago, but while consumers have gotten to grips with the likes of Facebook and Twitter, many businesses are still struggling to use these platforms to their advantage. Being able to connect directly with potential customers certainly offers huge benefits for sales teams, but only if they use the medium effectively. Facebook has more than a billion monthly active users, Twitter, more than 300 million and LinkedIn, almost 100 million – all of whom can be engaged with at the press of a button. Becoming successful at social selling, however, relies on businesses doing more than simply relying on their tried and tested sales methods.

Social media: A break from the past

The number one issue when it comes to social selling, is that some businesses think that just by having a presence on social networks, their sales figures will receive a boost. On the contrary, companies still require a detailed social media strategy in order to reap the benefits, but might be surprised to realise that their approach should not actually focus on sales at all.

Rather than being used to generate sales directly, social media platforms should instead help businesses to engage with customers, find new markets and inspire brand loyalty. Consumers are less likely to respond well to blatant sales attempts and businesses should instead focus on creating an open dialogue between the brand and their target audience. This is where social networks really come into their own – allowing companies to identify the individuals, or even entire online communities, that are likely to be interested in their product or service. Individuals freely use social networks to advertise their wants and likes, so businesses would do well to remember that the medium is more about the long sell than the hard sell.

In order to ensure that your social media strategy is more of a conversation than a cold call, here are some important tips to remember:

  • Open a dialogue - Respond to consumer posts, answer their questions and engage with them in a casual manner. Starting a two-way communication channel is a great way of building trust.

  • Reward your customers – Incentivise them to share their feedback and post their comments and use social networks to push promotions and offers.

  • Be inventive – Cater your content to the type of social network your using. Twitter is a snappy medium perfect for witty responses, for example, so don’t be afraid to post something humourous and show off your brand’s lighter side.

The tools of the trade

Fortunately for businesses that might not know where to begin formulating their social media strategy, there is help at hand. Firstly, a number of tools are available that can help to identify your target audience. Tweetdeck, Google Alerts, and social media-integrated CRM software can be used to monitor hashtags and keywords that are relevant to your business or industry. Getting to grips with these software packages is crucial in order to identify your target audience and ensure that your social selling strategy has some kind of focus.

Social networks are also great for keeping a close eye on your competition. Follow their activities and watch carefully to see what consumers are responding well to and what they are not. The pace at which social media allows companies to interact with consumers means that you can act swiftly to win over consumers if any of your rivals are providing an inadequate product or service.

When creating a social selling strategy, businesses should not only remember the opportunities afforded by social media, but also the challenges. If businesses are not making many sales as a result of their online activity, then social media could prove more of a distraction than an advantage. However, if companies engage with consumers in an open and honest dialogue then social media can provide the tools required to move into new and exciting markets.

 

By Amanda Dionisyou, Marketing Manager at Randstad Business Support.


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