We know we’ve said in the past that social media is not an avenue for hard selling. It’s a platform for building relationships with your customer base. And we still believe that’s the way it should be. But this is business and at the end of the day, you have to make profit. In this article, we will share with you four insights on how social media can HELP you sell.
As you may have noticed, social media is not an exact science. There is no clear path which states the exact ways on how to convert a follower or a fan into a loyal customer. But there are overall guidelines which can help you navigate your way better to social media success.
1. Attraction. With social media, the main aspect that you need to think about and strategize for is content. Any reputable social media agency will tell you about Google Panda and its quest for quality content. Having a content strategy gives your audience more reasons to come back to you. This is where you find out where your target market hangs out (online, that is) and what they like to talk about. Of course, there are many things that your audience wants to talk about but you can zero in on the topics that are unique to you or to the nature of your business. Provide truly useful tips and make every experience a branded experience. Above all, be consistent.
2. Retention. E-mail marketing used to be the preferred way to “keep the communication lines open” but now, social media has taken over that role. You don’t just want them to go to your website, you want your audience to follow you on Twitter, like you on Facebook and subscribe to your YouTube channel. Wherever your audience goes, make sure you give them value. Don’t try to be active on all the social media platforms if you feel you cannot maintain quality of content.
3. Conversion. Conversion from a fan to buyer does not happen overnight. It is the result of being socially active. Conversion is the reward that you reap for being an expert and credible content provider through your social media platforms. Lead generation is another by product of social media engagement. While there is no exact science to it, many studies and reports show that socially active companies have more “consistent sales.”
4. Measurement. We have addressed this in some of our previous blog posts. Social media monitoring does exist. If you have a social media agency working with you, you will notice that they use different tools to give you insight on where your web traffic is coming from and if your Facebook or Twitter account has anything to do with it. There is quite a number of traffic reporting software available out there and it’s a good place to start. Best of all, most of them are free or inexpensive.
Do you have your own “social media selling” story to share? We want to hear it!