There’s no longer a debate on whether social media is an effective way to remain relevant in today’s busy and modern online world. Social media has come a long way since the mid-2000s, where users simply used it to share photographs and “check-in.”
Today, smart sellers incorporate social media into their sales strategy as an additional way to connect with prospects. This allows you to:
Through likes, comments, shares, and posts, you provide your insights to both prospects and current customers and allow for more engagement. Social media is a valuable tool for driving sales, but first, you must identify the most-used platforms for your ideal customer.
Social media networking sites have evolved to the point that it’s impossible to create an active presence and connect with prospects on every single one. Some platforms connect people based on shared interested, comparable demographics, similar hobbies, and so much more. How do you know where your prospects are spending their time?
As a sales pro, you should know your target persona. For B2B organizations, this profile includes items like:
In addition to knowing your audience, you also need to use the top social media sites with the most monthly active users, which include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
LinkedIn, the leading B2B platform for networking is a great place to gain direct access to seasoned professionals. For a salesperson, this is the platform to learn more about the professional profiles of customers and prospects.
Like any other social channel, never miss opportunities to engage with those you want to connect and network with. For example, comment on a current connection’s birthday, job anniversary, promotion, or change of job. Share or comment on the content a prospect posted, especially if it’s their original content or thought leadership piece.
Twitter is the go-to platform for humanizing your content while networking. Twitter offers a slight advantage over other platforms in that it doubles as a way to quickly gain valuable insights into a possible pain or growth mode your prospect or customer is experiencing.
With over 2 billion monthly active users, Facebook reigns supreme among ages 25 to 54. While Facebook is often considered to be more personal than other social platforms, it’s easy to create a page dedicated to your professional brand and B2B thought leadership.
Facebook is good for lead generation, and its advertising platform can be highly customized to target very specific audiences. Through this platform, you can build lasting relationships and turn followers and prospects into loyal customers.
Instagram is another opportunity for prospects and customers to “see you” more visually than textual. Not always considered a B2B social platform, more and more businesses and professionals are using Instagram for their own marketing objectives. More than 25 million companies across the world are taking advantage of Instagram for business.
Social media is an indispensable tool for anyone who wants to connect with prospects and customers in a more modern way. Beyond that, social media is also an excellent tool for building brand awareness, finding new leads, generating more website traffic, getting to know more about your audience, and even improving your customer service.
Many times, you only get one chance to make a first impression. Make it count!
*Editor's Note: This blog has been updated since the original post date.