Social Selling: What It Is and How to Succeed in It

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Social media selling allows you to target customers, connect with potential customers, and drive sales.

Social selling uses social media to develop relationships. This can drive activity at all stages of the sales funnel.

What is social selling?
Social Media Selling - Using social media to connect samoa b2b leads with, understand and nurture potential customers.

The goal is to demonstrate value and expertise while building meaningful relationships with potential customers. This makes the brand a natural touchpoint when a prospect is ready to buy.

Traditional Social Selling
Social selling was originally a B2B practice. It involved finding ways for sales reps and teams to incorporate the exponential networking power of social tools into their existing sales process.

Sales has always been about building relationships. Establishing rapport and trust, then delivering the right solution to the right customer at the right time.

Social selling simply expands relationships and connections. For sales teams, this creates an expanded network of qualified prospects. Social media communication also allows sales teams to identify new customers. Reps can then offer personalized, relevant, and helpful solutions.

So it's no surprise that 78% of sales reps who implement social selling outsell their counterparts who are stuck in the world of cold calling and general customer service.

Social Selling for Inbound Customers
What is inbound social selling? It changes the process. The goal of inbound social selling is not to spread information, but to provide valuable social content. The goal is to position the brand as a market leader so that potential customers come.

49% of consumers use social media to conduct research related to purchases. And 48% usually discover brands on social media.



Recommendations for attracting potential customers and increasing sales
1. Listen strategically to customers to identify sales opportunities

Customers and potential customers share incredibly valuable information on social media—essentially, they’re telling you exactly what they want and need. All you have to do is pay attention.

Social listening allows you to identify pain points, questions, and requests for advice, which creates natural opportunities to find solutions.

Use your existing network when possible. Before you contact any of your identified prospects, check their lists to see if there are any common interests. If you have a good relationship with someone you know in common, consider asking them to introduce you.

2. Strengthen relationships

Pay special attention to social media interactions and remember that followers are real people you are nurturing as potential customers. 32% of people unfollow a brand account for leaving generic or automated comments or for not engaging with the community.

This is important: 70% of people who follow brands on social media have a clear plan to buy from them. Losing followers due to poor communication skills is an absolute no-no for social selling professionals.

At the brand level, focus on making the business recognizable and personable. Ensure there is a clear brand identity that will allow the social sales team to communicate quickly and consistently. Comment and share valuable content from others in the industry to build a business community.

At the individual sales professional level, look for personal connections when communicating with prospects on social media:

Please indicate if you have any common professional contacts.
Refer to materials you both shared or responded to.
Highlight common interests or something else that unites you.
Congratulate someone on moving to a new position or company.
Be interested in the content they share.
Be prepared to offer advice or assistance, even if it doesn't directly promote your product.
Be an active participant in relevant groups, share your experiences and be a good citizen.
3. Provide real value

When interacting with potential clients on social media, it’s important not to be too pushy. 34% of people unsubscribe from a social media account because of excessive self-promotion. You need to show potential clients that you’re not just looking to get something. You have something to offer, too.



Conclusion
Creating educational and inspiring content has the added benefit of positioning you as a thought leader in your industry. 56% of consumers believe a brand’s social media presence is most engaging when it presents a compelling point of view in their area of ​​expertise. Simply share what you know in a way that helps others.