Friday, September 20, 2019
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Selling on Social Media Without Driving People Away
5 Social Media Selling Tips & Warnings
Social media is one of the best marketing tools out there: you can grow and reach a large audience with content and ads, and people who like and/or follow you are your fans, so they're already your target group.
However, people can be resistant to selling on these platforms. They see sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as places to share content and interact with friends, families-and nowadays, brands.
You really have to approach this the right way or you could alienate your audience, causing them to unfollow or unlike you because they expect a two-way conversation and engaging content, not to be marketed to.
It's also important to clarify that social selling doesn't mean advertising your product or service online for people to buy.
Social selling means you're using social media to connect with sales prospects and nurture relationships to hopefully convert them into customers.
For example, I recently did a Tea Time Tip about things that you need to consider before you start building your website. People could comment and asking questions in real time, and the Facebook Live had a lot of information about hiring a professional web development company.
So, I wasn't simply talking at people to hire us for their website-building needs; I was sharing pertinent information and nurturing those leads who might be looking for a company to help them out.
Now that we've defined social selling, let's discuss what you can do to increase your odds of success:
1. Think relationships, not dollar signs.
Make sure you're posting relevant, non-sales content. You want to become an expert resource in your industry, so focus on adding value to your users' feeds.
According to a study performed by LinkedIn, buyers who are active on social media welcome input from industry experts. In addition, 76% of buyers are ready to have a conversation with potential providers.
Get to know your potential customers by asking them engaging questions, answering their questions in a timely manner and responding to comments. The more trust and loyalty you build, the better your odds of converting a follower into a paying customer.
Read: The Power of Social Media Storytelling
Once upon a time your strategy was probably largely focused on sharing links to third-party content with your audience. Well, those days are over, and if you want to stand out in the crowded and noisy online environment, you need to focus on content marketing storytelling.
2. Take the time to build out your accounts.
Make sure that your bio and profile are filled out on all the platforms you want to use for social selling. You should include your website URL, About Us, phone number and any other relevant contact info.
It can also help to pin relevant posts, make sure your branding stands out and have high-quality images to attract followers' attention. Again, this builds trust and loyalty, making people feel more comfortable and secure doing business with you.
See how one of our clients, A Family Law Firm, has taken the time to not only fill out their contact info, but also the "Our Story" section on Facebook.
3. Choose your messaging wisely.
What works on one platform may not work on another. Where do your potential clients hang out? Where do they talk business, or go for restaurant recommendations? Generally:
* LinkedIn is more business-focused, so people are more comfortable with marketing messaging there.
* Twitter has a great search function, so you can more easily connect with prospects, and find relevant topics.
* Facebook has many communities that you can join and network in (remember, don't be pushy!)
* Instagram and Pinterest is for visuals, not long content pieces.
By tailoring your messaging for each platform, you'll be more likely to attract the right kind of customer.
4. Let user-generated content sell for you.
You don't have to do all the work of social selling alone! There are so many ways to use user-generated content (UGC) to your advantage, including:
* Contests and giveaways that encourage followers to share your content, hashtags and/or messaging.
* Ratings or reviews for your product or service
* Testimonials
For example, J.Crew posts user ratings and reviews on their website, so when they post a dress or shirt on their social media account and someone clicks on through, they see other people's votes of confidence.
Not only does user-generated content help you, but it helps your customers. Almost 80 percent of people say that UGC drives their purchasing decisions. It's a win-win situation!
5. Try, test and try again.
Every business owner should be tracking and measuring their efforts, whether it's a digital Newsletter push or a Google AdWords campaign. Look at your data and stats to determine what's working and what isn't.
Maybe people are being referred to a page on your website from your Facebook post, but they're only spending a few seconds on it.
You need to look at why that is: is your messaging unclear? Boring? Is there a broken link? By tracking your visitors' paths, you can see where you need to take a closer look.
Google Analytics is a free tool you can use to measure your website statistics, and there are also paid tools out there that can help you break down and understand your data.
The more you test and tighten your social media selling attempts, the better your ROI will be (and the happier your followers will be).
While social selling is different than traditional methods, it's still about building relationships and credibility. Focus on the person behind the platform, not on converting them into a sale or guiding them down a marketing funnel. Take the time to build connections and you'll create a community of prospects who will welcome hearing from you.
Susan Friesen, founder of the award-winning web development and digital marketing firm eVision Media, is a Web Specialist, Business & Marketing Consultant, and Social Media Advisor. She works with entrepreneurs who struggle with having the lack of knowledge, skill and support needed to create their online business presence.
As a result of working with Susan and her team, clients feel confident and relieved knowing their online marketing is in trustworthy and caring hands so they can focus on building their business with peace of mind at having a perfect support system in place to guide them every step of the way.
Visit http://www.ultimatewebsiteguide.ca and download your FREE "Ultimate Guide to Improving Your Website's Profitability - 10 Critical Questions You Must Ask to Get Maximum Results"
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Susan_Friesen/260293
I'm Starting My Own Internet Business And I Need Answers
If you're starting your own internet business it can seem a bit overwhelming. As with any business, an internet business does require time, resources and determination to get started and maintain. But you can get bogged down with all the jargon and flood of information that you see online.
Here are some commonly asked questions that get asked when budding entrepreneurs start their own internet business.
What Does 'The Money Is In The List' Mean?
It won't be long after you've started an internet business before you come across the phrase 'The money is in the list'. This simply means the people that you have on your database, or email list, are the people who are most likely to buy from you. They are willing to receive emails from you because they are interested in your products and services. Email marketing is still considered the most effective online marketing method. Make sure that you're building an email list of prospects from day one.
What Is Affiliate marketing?
Affiliate marketing is a popular internet business model. It's like being a commission-paid sales person. You're called an affiliate because you're associated with the product but you're not part of the business that actually produced the product. When you promote the product and make a sale, the product owner will pay you a commission. It's a great way for starting your own internet business because you don't have to buy any stock, sort out any payment systems or arrange the product delivery. The product owner does all of that. Your job is to the find the customers and encourage them to visit the product's sales page.
Am I Too Old To Do Business On The Internet?
Getting results has nothing to do with age. It's about your determination to succeed. Every online entrepreneur has target audience who will connect to the way that they do business. Keep in mind that people by from people they know, like and trust. Believe in yourself and your audience will believe in you too.
How Do I Learn To Do New Stuff?
Go online and search for courses that will teach you what you want to know.When you buy a course, put into practice everything you learn before you think that it hasn't worked. And even then, go to the product creator and show them your efforts and see if they can help you get on the right track. Don't buy every course, tool and one time offer presented to you. You can get started with free or low cost choices before you re-invest in your business for a few upgrades.
An internet business provides the opportunity for many of us to fulfill our entrepreneurial ambitions. Ambitions that perhaps would not be possible in the traditional business world. But that's not to say that you can ignore all the regular rules of business. Regardless of your niche or industry, if you master the following 4 skills, success will certainly follow
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jon_Allo/1079948
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