The Technophobe's Guide to Selling with Social Media
Social Media. It might seem frustrating, ephemeral and ludicrously inefficient, but underneath all the suffering, there’s definite sales potential. Like other sales tactics, the problems people have with social media are often more perceptual than realistic (“I hate it because it takes work,” “Why is everything on Twitter either about Ayn Rand or Justin Bieber if he was also a cat?” etc.). Social media can be mastered same as anything else—all it takes is some work, patience and focus.
Social media is more medium than method. It’s not particularly different than any offline sales process in terms of goals; the variations are all in the “how” and not the “why.” Think of it like being a painter who is going to hang up his brushes and try charcoal drawing for a while. You might be using different tools, but the goal is still the same—to create a beautiful picture. Social media is no different. It’s a tool for achieving the same sales goals you’ve been accomplishing for years. To makes the websites work for you, simply isolate the same tasks you want to accomplish, familiarize yourself with the site’s tools and then get to “painting,” so to speak. Still not sold? Here are three easy, Bob-Ross-worthy, paint-by-numbers ways to start selling with social media, based on things you’re already doing offline.
1. CULTIVATE RELATIONSHIPS
If you’re having trouble figuring out what to post or say online, think of it this way: Social media is meant for socializing, so use it exactly for that. How would you talk to a client over a business lunch? A networking event? Running into them at the grocery store? Take that conversational mentality and move it online.
Discuss your kids, pets, baseball, craft beers, whatever you normally would with a client to get to know them better, and listen to what they’re saying as well. Do they love cats? Music? A specific author? Do you have a common interest? Are they vocalizing a problem you have the ability to solve? Think about the messages your clients are putting out online and see how they can deepen your relationship.
Every day, not only are thousands of potential clients posting useful information minute-by-minute, they’re also looking to take some in. This exchange of information is the core power of social media (hence, its spot at #1 here), and also is something not that different than what you or your sales staff are doing offline day-to-day. It’s building relationships, learning about the people you’re selling to and teaching them about yourself as well. Some of the social mechanics are a little different (social media has an understood undercurrent of voyeurism, for example), but others are pretty much the same (be polite, interesting, etc.). Ultimately, social media can help you sell the same way a cold-call or networking event can: You’re making contact with a prospect, getting to know them and their needs as they learn about you and your services.
WHAT’S DIFFERENT ONLINE: Engagement
A term you see constantly in social-media columns, online “engagement” is a quirky concept and doesn’t really correlate with its offline counterpart. Being engaging in an offline sense basically means “to be interesting and captivating,” but online, it also means to be intractable. Rather than just being interesting, online you have to be interesting in a way that drives interactions with whatever you’ve posted, be it likes, retweets or anything else. These interactions are key for spreading your content virally, but they also increase a follower’s connection to your brand (both literally in the sense that Facebook will show them more of your posts the more they like them, and figuratively in the broader sense of general emotional connection). So, to make your online content as engaging as possible, it not only needs to be interesting, but also highly visible and open to interaction.
2. BUILD YOUR BRANDING
The old adage of “appearance is everything” is becoming more and more true of the digital world. Where people used to judge a business by its storefront or the dress of its sales reps, they’re now looking at numbers of Facebook fans or the company’s Klout score. Digital reputation is quickly becoming synonymous with regular reputation, which is why you need to seize the initiative to take control of the perception of your company online.
There are lots of ways to go about image-management through social media, and again, most of it isn’t that different from what you’re doing in the offline world. It all comes down to what you want people to see and think of when they’re seeking your business. Find out what the image you want is, then start crafting that narrative online.
Have positive customer testimonials? Share them online. Want to be known for your killer art department? Post some pictures of their best work. Have roughly a bazillion Facebook fans? Install a Facebook widget where everyone can see the stunning number of people testifying to your greatness right on your homepage. Social media is an excellent and efficient branding tool, letting you showcase project pictures, videos and testimonials in a way that tells the story you want to tell, with almost no filter or boundary between you and your customers.
WHAT’S DIFFERENT ONLINE: Hearing all sides of the conversation
Between Google, Facebook and Twitter, there is almost no corner of the online Earth where someone’s opinion on something can’t be found. The advantage to this open availability is that you can find and monitor mentions of your company’s name fairly easily, which lets you respond to complaints and collect accolades. The disadvantage? Everyone else can see the conversation as well. Complaints will be forever visible, failings forever recorded and potentially findable with a quick Google search. To properly brand your business online, you need to be monitoring what is said about your company, and responding to it accordingly.
3. YOUR BUSINESS IN THE ONLINE SPACE
Some of the sales benefits of social media are reasonably tangible. There are plenty of real, day-to-day business functions that can be carried out online. Some can help you sell, other will help you hold onto the sales you already have.
• Customer service is one practical task greatly aided by social media. Having an active social space like Facebook or Twitter is an easy way for customers to contact you, and it’s also highly visible, meaning the whole world will be able to see the true value of your service.
• Social networks also can be helpful in generating leads and honing in on niche markets. An online PTA forum, a human resources LinkedIn group, a local bank’s Facebook page—all could be places where you find your next customer. Figure out where your potential customers are online and make an effort to connect there.
• Finally, there are a bunch of digital-only deliverables easily shared via social media. Consider video demos of products or customer testimonials, pictures of products that are either new or came out particularly well, or online-only discount codes, delivered to the social network of your choice (Facebook even has a built-in feature for this, though it does cost money).
WHAT’S DIFFERENT ONLINE: Keeping the personal touch
With so much technological communication, it can be easy for your business to come off a bit automated. Strive to keep a little humanity in your online interactions, whether it’s through a sense of humor, adding human faces and personas to your social media (be it a CEO or customer service rep), or just general politeness and friendly cadence.