SOCIAL SELLING
1. What exactly is social selling and what is it not?
WHAT IS SOCIAL SELLING?
Social selling is an online marketing strategy based on the relationship-oriented use of social media and is used primarily in the B2B sector. The goal of social selling is to build trusting relationships with customers via social networks and thereby close more sales in the long term.
Social selling is not about constantly attracting new customers with the help of content, but rather about specifically identifying interested people and building a relationship with a network of potential customers. The company uses the business profile to contact interested parties and develop the leads until they are ready to close the deal. Any information about the interested parties that is available on social media is helpful here. This information is used to create meaningful and helpful interactions. One of the most important means of social selling is one-on-one communication, in which individual interested parties are contacted specifically.
2. The reasons for and meaning behind social selling
WHY IS SOCIAL SELLING IMPORTANT?
Social selling addresses an important factor that can significantly influence the purchasing decisions of potential customers: the social component. Recommendations from familiar circles, for example from a valued colleague, are generally well received and are often the deciding factor in which product the prospective customer ultimately chooses. We are much more inclined to follow the advice of a friend or confidant because, unlike a professional salesperson, they do not profit from a commission when a sale is successfully concluded. Accordingly, we assume that the confidant has our advantage in mind when making the recommendation, and not their own.
What role does this play for online marketing? In today's digital age, social life takes place partly online on social platforms and messaging services. Your target group is also very likely to be active on social media. Potential customers exchange information there about their wishes, worries and their lives in general. All of this is valuable information that companies can use for their marketing purposes. In addition, social networks offer the ideal framework for making personal contact with customers and building a trusting relationship. To achieve this, the company does not act as an advertiser, but rather as an advisory expert for customers and prospective customers. The focus here is not on sales. Rather, it is about getting to know the target group better and establishing yourself as a trustworthy partner.
IMPLEMENTING SOCIAL SELLING
We support you in the conception and implementation of social selling in your company.
3. What distinguishes social selling from similar methods in marketing?
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SOCIAL SELLING AND SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
Social selling and social media marketing are two different strategies with similar approaches. Both involve using social media to learn more about and connect with your target audience.
The biggest difference between social selling and social media marketing lies in the type of communication. Social media marketers primarily use one-to-many communication. This means that information and content is distributed via fan pages and other official company accounts. This allows a larger target group to be reached.
Representatives of social selling, on the other hand, make use of one-to-one communication. In this case, a company representative conducts a dialogue with a single interested party from the target group. Direct contact creates a trusting relationship. The importance of social selling is growing particularly in the B2B sector, as personal and direct contact plays an important role here.
4. What characterizes social selling?
SOCIAL SELLING MEASURES
Social selling is a marketing strategy that uses different methods. These methods include:
- Positioning as an expert on the relevant platform
- provision of target group-relevant content
- Direct interaction in social networks, for example by commenting, discussing or answering questions
- Active exchange of information
Sales is by no means the only department working on implementing social selling. Rather, it relies on input from marketing (ideas, trends, etc.), particularly when creating content. But other departments such as research and development can also support social selling activities with their knowledge.
5. What are the advantages of social selling?
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF SOCIAL SELLING?
Today's digital world offers many opportunities to connect with prospects and learn more about their needs. Social selling takes advantage of these opportunities and builds on them to offer the following benefits for your company:
1. EASIER FIND QUALIFIED PROSPECTS
By using social media tools, you can track industry-relevant conversations, which in turn helps you find people who have already expressed an interest in your industry, a similar product, or even your company. Since these interested parties usually share further information about their needs and wishes on social networks, the first contact can be tailored to them. This means that the interested party is more likely to consider the contact to be helpful and relevant.
2. BUILDING REAL RELATIONSHIPS
Networking and relationship building with potential and existing customers are integral parts of B2B business. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, both networking and relationship building have increasingly shifted to the digital realm. Today, the best way to reach your potential customers is through social networks, where they are already actively participating in conversations. This is where you get in touch with your prospects and get to know their needs, wants and concerns.
3. INCREASE AWARENESS
It's not just traditional search engines like Google that are used for research. Social media platforms also serve as a source of information for many potential customers. By having your company represented on the relevant platforms with a meaningful profile, you can increase awareness of your brand within the target group and also build trust.
6. Social Networks for Social Selling
WHICH SOCIAL NETWORKS ARE SUITABLE FOR SOCIAL SELLING?
Basically, the simple rule is that the best social network is the one where your target group is easiest to reach. Many B2B companies therefore use "professional networks" such as LinkedIn, as many people interested in business can be found there. Another network of this type is XING, for example.
Depending on the industry, it may be useful to use other social networks to establish yourself as an expert in a particular field and reach your target group using content. For example, Twitter is seen as an important platform on which companies can position themselves as experts, especially in an international context.
Since a target group is typically active on more than one platform, social selling does not only take place on a single social network. Different social media services are usually used to build lasting relationships with customers. Which ones exactly depend on the industry, the customers, the activities of competitors and the company's own products and services.
7. How does social selling work?
SOCIAL SELLING IN PRACTICE
Successful social selling involves a combination of different approaches. Content marketing is just as important a component as personal branding, B2B influencer marketing (corporate influencers) and social listening. In order for the strategy to reach its full potential, it is advisable to follow the following steps:
1. ACTIVE LISTENING
The first step is all about social listening. This term means active listening. What problems does your target group have? What wishes do they express? Instead of aimlessly spreading advertising messages, the needs of potential customers made clear on social media are analyzed. All further marketing measures are then based on the results of this analysis.
2. BUILDING A REPUTATION
Social selling is based on a trusting relationship between customers and companies. To create trust, you need a solid foundation. You build this foundation together with your reputation. This is where the term personal branding comes into play. You are not only marketing your product or service, but also yourself to a certain extent. In many cases, potential customers make their purchase decision based on their trust in the seller. Such trust can only be created if you can impressively convey what you stand for. In other words: If you are perceived as an expert in your field. To achieve this, you need to use high-quality content that is circulated in a targeted manner. It is also important to sharpen your own profile so that interested parties know exactly who they are dealing with. Regularly publishing and sharing content also plays an important role in this.
3. BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
You now know the concerns, wishes and needs of your target group. By positioning yourself as an expert, you have also drawn the attention of your potential customers to your brand. Now it is all about building a lasting relationship with your prospects. The right type of interaction is the key to whether this step succeeds or fails. Liking, sharing and commenting on other people's content alone is not enough. Provide helpful information, tell authentic stories related to your company and create content on interesting topics. This will make it easier to have opportunities for a constructive dialogue with potential customers. These opportunities can be created, for example, by
- questions
- criticism of products or services
- Reviews
- a general mention of a product, brand or company
- positive reactions (likes, comments)
result.
4. MONITORING AND ANALYSIS
Which customer group generates the majority of social selling revenue? Who are your most valuable customers? This can be determined by evaluating activities and individual channels. The results of the evaluations are an important guide for future strategies. For example, the importance of demographic or geographical factors can be determined. Monitoring is particularly important for acquiring new customers.
CONCLUSION: THIS IS WHAT MATTERS IN SOCIAL SELLING
Successful social selling is characterized, among other things, by the quality of the relationships that the company establishes with its potential and existing customers. By collecting information about the wishes, problems and needs of the target group, sales and marketing can take targeted measures and thus build trust. The core element of social selling is dialogue on an equal footing. It is not about building the largest possible fan base, but rather about using content to specifically address interested parties and get in touch with them.