Social selling and social media marketing are not the same. Social selling involves more than increasing brand awareness or placing ads on social media. The meaning of social selling is a fresh approach to selling that allows businesses to focus attention on potential customers using social media platforms and building rapport with a vast network of potential leads. One of the benefits of selling on social media is creating authentic connections in a non-invasive way.
As a brand, most businesses have a social media presence. Social selling involves using existing social media channels to connect with potential customers, develop relationships, and establish engagement with quality leads. In essence, it is a modern way to build relationships. Active connections on social media increase the likelihood of being the first brand potential customers think of when they are ready to make a purchase.
Is email social selling? What about cold calls? Social selling does not include blasting unsolicited communications to anyone and everyone via social media or email. Unsolicited email blasts are spam and not conducive to relationship building or establishing rapport with anyone. In addition, a social selling approach to sales is not about building a contact list.
Instead, social selling is about establishing meaningful interactions through online engagement. As a company, a social selling approach establishes rapport and actively engages with potential customers. Companies can use a social selling method to present themselves as a solution to a problem.
Learning about and implementing social selling techniques is essential to modern sales. Over half of the world's population uses social media. In the vast online market, establishing a brand presence and placing ads on social media may not be enough to stand out in a sea of competitors in the digital landscape.
Connecting with and building relationships through social media networks can boost credibility and increase quality leads to help sales teams reach sales goals. Social selling is similar to lead generation and involves forming and maintaining relationships with potential customers throughout every step of their customer journey. It takes time and intentional effort.
Conventional sales techniques, including cold calls and email blasts, can feel impersonal. Social selling is an online effort incorporating direct, personal engagement such as liking, sharing, and commenting on potential customers' posts. It is a way to form relationships and connections through digital platforms where people are already active but may not be engaged with your company or brand. Social selling draws people into engagement, potentially resulting in quality leads and sales.
What Is Social Selling?
Even before social media, buying and selling were social activities. Successful sales involve a human element and relational connection. Today, companies and consumers rely on digital connections, from marketing products to obtaining referrals. While social media marketing and ads are common, a new approach to sales is gaining popularity.
Social selling is a technique for lead generation that utilizes social media platforms to establish direct interaction with prospective customers. A social selling strategy helps salespeople interact with prospects using social media platforms. An aspect of social selling is social listening. Sales teams can learn what their target customers are talking about online and use those insights to establish authentic connections through social conversations and engagement.
Is social selling a form of online social media cold call? Is cold calling social selling? No, social selling does not involve sending cold messages with a pitch about a product or service. In contrast to a more traditional selling method, social selling aims to build authentic connections and establish trust through online social media interactions.
It may start with online engagement, such as liking, commenting, and sharing prospective customers’ posts. Understanding what is social selling in marketing in today's digital marketplace is critical for companies today.
Social selling is a vital component of a selling strategy. However, success relies on a multi-channel approach using direct dial phone numbers, email, and social media. Each part of a selling strategy, from cold calling to email marketing to social media, has its own level of success.
Sales teams must use many methods to generate leads and meet sales goals. Social selling is a technique that allows salespeople to build trusted relationships and boost credibility as part of a selling strategy. Implementing social selling techniques give businesses an advantage over their competitors because of the personalization offered through intentional social media interactions.
In addition, social selling works in B2B and B2C markets. One of the disadvantages of social selling involves the time it takes to establish authentic connections. Applying a social selling strategy is long-term and not effective for quick sales.
Social Selling LinkedIn
All social media platforms are effective for social selling. However, some platforms may be more suitable for certain business industries (e.g., LinkedIn). LinkedIn is still an effective platform for social selling and understanding your own social selling index despite not offering LinkedIn social selling statistics.
Social selling on LinkedIn involves establishing a professional brand, finding and connecting with the right people, establishing engagement, and building relationships. Social selling is a long game. It can involve a longer lead time because establishing engagement and rapport happens over time.
Potential customers are always looking for solutions to problems. Companies whose best practices for social selling on LinkedIn include sharing valuable content, free-of-charge, will begin to establish thought leadership and trust in their industry. This credibility can go a long way in establishing continued engagement and relationships.
Some examples of social selling on LinkedIn include profile optimization, sharing consistent content that offers value to your audience, interacting with prospects through commenting, liking, and sharing their content, and initiating conversations on the platform.
When social selling on LinkedIn, profile optimization highlights the solutions offered and the level of service your company provides, not your sales ability. Therefore, salespeople utilizing LinkedIn for social selling must approach their summary by highlighting their role and why they are passionate about helping others.
A key element of social media includes pictures. Using LinkedIn for social selling to attract customers and establish trust, includes starting with a quality profile picture. Showing your face can go a long way in building trust. In addition, LinkedIn has many features that equip sales teams to approach social selling in a well-informed manner. Viewing mutual connections and implementing other relevant filters can help salespeople find their target audience.
Social Selling Platform
Social media provides brands and businesses with a perfect social selling platform to engage with customers, establish connections and build rapport. In addition to establishing relationships, a social selling strategy involves converting connections into valuable leads. Social selling is a new approach to the well-known lead-generation system. Selling on social media happens through social networks where sales teams can employ social listening to learn what their target audience is discussing, what problems they face, and what they like and dislike.
What is a social selling company? It’s a company that utilizes social selling to emphasize relationships while approaching them through social platforms in a systemized, targeted manner. With social selling, companies also make a concerted effort to provide valuable content and establish themselves as trusted thought leaders in their industries. Social selling is a long-term effort that can yield impressive results.
Tips for selling on social media through social selling include making a great first impression. After a first impression, building credibility is critical. Social selling is not a strategy to find a quick "in" through direct messaging, similar to cold calling. Social selling is an effort to gain recognition while building connections with quality leads.
Another vital social selling tip includes participating in relevant online communities. Social networks are plentiful, and finding the right community can accelerate your social selling efforts. Finally, staying consistently active and providing value through social media content and engagement is crucial for gaining visibility, maintaining connections, and establishing new relationships. Social selling requires a consistent, intentional effort.
Social Selling Examples
In recent years, businesses have successfully used social media to sell their products. Brands and companies have used social media to build brand awareness, increase sales, and drive website traffic.
From landing pages to selling products directly from social media platforms, the power of social media in selling is evident. Social selling is another way businesses and sales teams can leverage their social media presence. Two social selling examples are establishing relationships and building rapport with potential customers. Consistently posting, engaging, and offering value in your interactions with potential leads are social selling best practices that pay off with stronger connections and relationships.
Implementing social selling techniques as part of a strategic sales strategy can yield excellent results over time. One of the many benefits of social selling is establishing lasting, authentic relationships that can lead to loyal customers. A social selling index is a tool used to measure a business's capability to sell using social channels. Social selling statistics show that sales professionals who engage in social selling outperform their peers who do not use a social selling technique in their sales strategy.
Some additional social selling examples include companies sharing valuable content and starting meaningful conversations. A social selling strategy focuses on creating quality content and consistently sharing new content over time. A social selling strategy involves a consistent valuable presence on social media designed to build trust and establish connections with a targeted audience. Successful social selling depends on being active in relevant social channels, engaging in social listening, sharing valuable content, and creating a list of prospects based on engagement and social media interactions.
