At MINT in Gibraltar we are experienced at devising brand strategies and one strategy that we’ll be applying to our clients’ brands when possible in 2017 is social selling. We are aware that at times it is challenging for one brand to have its voice heard above all the others in the marketplace and although Gibraltar is a relatively small territory compared with some other geographical regions, we still want our clients to stand head and shoulder above their competitors. One way to do this is with social selling, which can greatly help build relationships, shorten lead-to-deal time, and drive ROI for your business.
What is social selling?
Social selling refers to finding and connecting with potential prospects on social media in order to build relationships and increase sales. It can be used with B2B brands just as easily as with B2C ones. In fact, statistics show that 74% of B2B buyers conduct at least half of their research online before contacting a sales person and 75% of B2B buyers rely on social media to interact with suppliers before making a decision. Essentially, this means that businesses need social media and must share valuable content on it if they want to win more customers.
Why is a social selling strategy important?
The short answer is that it fits with current customer behaviour. The strategies of years ago no longer work and social selling directly connects the buyer and seller without first going through a host of different channels. Yes, some older tools, such as cold calling, are still important, but it is advisable to complement this with social media selling that finds and engages prospects in a less invasive way.
What you need to know about the social consumer
Profiling your social consumer prospect is necessary. For example:
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89% approve of social media content sharing
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85% use social networks for business
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73% have engaged with a business on social media
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59% are influenced by at least one social media channel when buying.
What are the strategy steps?
Step 1 Establish a professional brand on social media.
MINT can help you set up a profile on the social media channels that are right for your brand. We need to make sure that you set up your profiles with the customer in mind. We assess whether or not you are easy to find on social, is your profile picture, company information, and user name consistent across all channels? Do you link out to your company’s website and/or to valuable content?
Step 2 Listen with social media
Now that you’ve optimized your social profiles, it’s time to start listening to the conversation and connecting with the right people. Once we have done the manual work in making connections and joining relevant groups, it’s time to choose a social listening tool like Hootsuite.
Step 3 Engage on social media
The final step is perhaps the most important of all in social selling: engaging with industry leaders, peers, and prospects on social. Always share content that counts and has real value. There’s a lot of meaningless noise in the social media world and your brand shouldn’t contribute to it.
Come and have a no obligations chat with us about how MINT can help your business and brand with social media marketing. Mail jade@mintontherock.com or call on +350 54040661
