How marketing can support their organization with social selling
In the realm of social selling and marketing, the shared objective is to captivate a broad audience with compelling narratives. However, there has been a noteworthy transformation in recent times. Approximately 40% of businesses have migrated their marketing strategies to the online sphere, which comes as no surprise considering that networking and cultivating relationships thrive in this digital landscape.
In the present-day digital era, sales and marketing have seamlessly converged, forging a formidable alliance that empowers effective social selling endeavors. This potent amalgamation holds immense potential for any company seeking to amplify its sales prowess on various social media platforms.
What is the role of social selling in today's digital marketing?
Businesses selling and building customers have been around for a while, but social selling is relatively new and still evolving. However, being new to the scene doesn't make it any less valuable – social selling is the tool that marketing and sales pros use to increase visibility, create more trust, and build relationships with new and existing customers.
By having social media profiles for your brand, you're already doing the basics with social selling. The next step is to take it up a notch with content and connection. As B2B sellers, we get technical, so remember that you need to do the job of storytelling to come across as a relatable human.
People buy from people, not a brand or a company, so it's up to you to pack all the info they need into just a few seconds of content. With the amount of information available daily, we are overloaded as consumers and viewers, so your content needs to stand out. One way to do that is to get them interested in the people offering services that solve their problems. Use engaging storytelling and images to draw your audience in and offer up a solution within that content. Talk to your people as humans and decision-makers. That authentic voice will make a difference.
Social media marketing vs. social selling: What is the difference?
When we talk about social media marketing, we're talking about having a goal of reaching as many people as possible in order to generate leads. The ultimate aim is to maximize outreach and generate leads on a large scale. It is, essentially, a one-to-many communication where the focus is broad and not concentrated on one specific customer.
Social selling is the tool that you use to build the focus. It involves communicating with interested parties, and it's not primarily about trying to sell but about building and maintaining customer relationships to meet their specific needs. Unlike traditional marketing, social selling is characterized by interactive and individualized interactions, allowing for a more tailored and customer-centric approach. Through social selling, businesses can communicate and foster relationships with customers individually, fostering a sense of connection and trust.
How can marketing support their sales team?
The role of marketing in supporting their sales team can be summed up in four functions: content, training, individual support, and tools.
Social media is vastly time-consuming and not a feat for just one person. The amount of content needed alone would overwhelm the sales department, which needs to be focused on selling. One of the most valuable things the marketing department can provide for the sales team is their time in creating content. Marketing takes the bulk of the workload on this, managing content calendars, researching topics, and providing imagery – and then sales steps in and adds their personal touch. Because everything posted for social selling must be authentic, it's the sales team's job to give the content a personal touch so that it sounds like them and is relevant to their audience.
Training is also a fundamental need that marketing can deliver to sales teams. Because social media is an ever-changing landscape with quick changes in trends, the marketing team needs to relay this information. Providing training on using social media platforms effectively helps salespeople who may need more guidance in the digital world.
Along with training, marketing can also provide individual support to salespeople. This approach means handling the day-to-day Q&A, teaching them how to optimize their profiles, and any other individualized needs that may come up. Individual support is essential but often neglected, so ensure your marketing department has an open-door policy for questions from the sales team.
What's the role of tools in digital sales enablement & social selling?
As mentioned, running a social media account is no small feat – it takes ample time. A digital marketer's saving grace comes in the form of social media tools that save time and effort for professionals. These tools give the marketing and sales team the best support to supercharge their social selling efforts.
Some advantages of using these tools include:
Having pre-approved content on hand: Building a library of pre-approved content makes social selling easier for everyone and lays the foundation for your success. It's also helpful to have relevant content mirroring your brand values in one location, easily accessible to your sales and marketing teams.
Simplifying the posting and sharing process: Shared tools make accessing, editing, and personalizing content easier for all employees.
Enabling the easy creation of a content calendar: Social media tools allow you to schedule the posts ahead of time to build a content calendar and stay on track.
Focusing on your target audience: Tools like the LinkedIn Sales Navigator help you to find customers by targeting the right prospects. They also enable you to understand your content's performance. Additionally, these tools can link with your company's CRM for seamless integration and automation.
Make a difference in sales with social selling today!
Now that you understand the wisdom behind social selling efforts, it's time for you, your marketing, and your sales teams to implement it into your daily work life. Remember to humanize each step to make the ultimate connections, and don't overthink it! Simply stick to your brand's values and the truth behind your messaging. After all, authenticity is critical in building trust and credibility with your audience. Share genuine stories, provide transparent insights, and showcase your brand's unique personality.
Keep a focus on tailoring your approach to each customer. Take the time to understand their needs, preferences, and pain points. Use this knowledge to deliver personalized experiences and recommendations. And remember to listen! Monitor conversations, track mentions, and observe discussions relevant to your industry. Actively listen to what your audience is saying and join the conversation when appropriate.
You will quickly see: People will start reacting to your content, your networks will grow, and engaging with new prospects will get easier. And trust us: Using the right social selling tool makes this journey truly enjoyable.
Do you have a favorite digital marketing tool that you use? How has it helped your social selling to soar? We are looking forward to your comments and feedback!
Photos by Dominika Roseclay from Pexels, Canva Studio from Pexels, and Pixabay from Pexels