Social media has become an integral part of many people’s lives. It doesn’t matter if you are a teenager or a senior, the majority of people are using social media in some way. The younger generation has grown up with social media, making it a natural part of their lives. Others have jumped into social media because they found that it’s a great way to keep up with family and friends.
But the more people are enjoying social media for personal use, the more they are also using it to help make buying decisions. You’ve probably done it yourself; reached out to friends and family to get a referral for a particular product or service.
Or, you researched information on a product or service to see what others are saying about it.
There was a time in the early days of social media when many thought that it was just a fad or something that only teenagers would ever care about. You may even remember some social media networks that have failed such as Google+, Vine, Friendster, and others.
Today, however, we understand how important and prevalent social media is with LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, and several others that are dominating people’s time spent online.
Granted, there have been some changes made by the titans of technology. Google shut down Google+ due to significant data breaches and the low number of users. Facebook continues to struggle with federal regulators, recovering from being hacked, and is now in the process of changing its business model and its name.
So, while there have been failures and changes underway, consider this:
These are incredible statistics that cannot be ignored!
The big question is, are these social media platforms good for attracting buyers to your business?
I would answer that with a resounding yes.
And that is what we call Social Selling.
But, before we get into what social selling is, let’s review what social selling is not.
I remember getting into a debate in a LinkedIn Group about the difference between digital marketing strategy and social media marketing.
The so-called “social media marketing expert” claimed that digital marketing and social media marketing are the same thing and that there is no difference between digital marketing and social media marketing.
These terms are often used interchangeably, and it can be confusing to determine what is what.
So, let’s be clear.
Social Selling is the process of using social media platforms and tools to develop meaningful relationships with potential and existing customers.
Social Selling is shifting how business is getting done.
It is not like email blasting, which is a one-to-many approach. Instead, it is a one-to-one relationship-building approach and is becoming a very effective channel for business-to-business (B2B) companies.
If you are a B2B professional salesperson, you likely know that LinkedIn is the dominant social media network for B2B sales.
Let’s compare traditional selling methods to social selling.
Comparing Traditional Selling vs. Social Selling
With caller ID and call screening for senior-level buyers, a cold call is not going to get through to a senior-level executive. Your buyers are also very mobile and not always at their desks.
Keep in mind that buyer behavior has changed. As we’ve mentioned in past articles, you no longer control the sales process. Your buyer controls the sales process primarily because of the advances in technology and the abundance of educational content online that is accessible at any time.
Professional digital marketers are providing most of the educational content needed online for senior-level buyers. This content enables buyers to research and educate themselves to determine who they will call or reach out to for the product or service they need.
Therefore, content marketing is at the core of social selling.
But the bar is continually being raised on what is deemed as “quality” content.
The ugly truth is senior-level buyers can be on any of your top four (4) competitors’ websites within a matter of seconds. They will not talk to a salesperson in the early part of their buyer’s journey.
That’s why the content you published online must be educational and of great value in order to attract and interest senior-level buyers.
Buyers are increasingly influenced online through reviews, ratings, and industry influencers.
According to an IDC report, 75 percent of B2B buyers use social media to research vendors before any outreach occurs.
A B2B Buyers’ Survey revealed that buyers are using three (3) social tools to conduct their research:
There are several ways that buyers research and utilize the networks they know and trust as part of their buying process.
During their online research buyers will evaluate and determine the following:
As a result, buyers are now much further down the sales cycle, or buyer’s journey, before they reach out to contact a salesperson.
According to HubSpot, 58 percent of buyers want to discuss pricing on the first call. That’s because these buyers have covered a lot of ground before they ever reach out to you.
Studies have shown that social selling, when using the best practices, greatly enhances sales performance and results. For example, LinkedIn Research found that 78% of social sellers outsell those that don’t use social media in their sales role.
So, how do you become successful at social selling?
Establish trust and credibility. Build your relationship. If you have done the first 3 steps above effectively, your buyers will ask for help.
If you are a digital marketer or salesperson, your success and career will improve significantly if you learn and implement the most effective strategies and practices for digital and social selling.
Much has changed even in the last 12 -18 months on the most effective digital and social selling practices.
Xcellimark offers personalized social selling training in combination with HubSpot CRM technology training to help you learn not only how to do social selling, but also how to use the technology platform you need for the best results.