Are you considering using social media to sell your product or service? You should, because social media sites are where you will find most people handing out online. Reach them in the right way, and you have a captive audience who is receptive to your message. You've got to go about it the right way, though. While using social media as a sales platform can be extremely powerful, you can turn off potentially millions of prospects if you approach them in the wrong way. Here are three essential strategies you must use when implementing any social sales campaign to ensure your incredible success.

1. Use Sales Intelligence Tools Before Beginning Your Campaign

The proliferation of sales intelligence tools has changed the whole face of the sales industry. These automated tools can do in a few key strokes and mouse clicks what used to take days or weeks of cold calling, in-person prospecting, and advertising of all kinds to accomplish.

Today's sales intelligence tools are software programs and websites that gather information on your prospects before you even begin your campaign. According to DestinationCRM.com, you can use these tools to mine data online that will show you who is more likely to be interested in your product or service and what type of sales campaign they will best respond to.

Use at least one sales intelligence tool before beginning your social selling campaign, so you know who your audience is and how to approach them. The more sales intelligence tools you use, the more targeted your campaign can be, as you can cross-reference the information each tool pulls to put together a laser-focused campaign that is sure to be a winner. For more information, visit a website like http://www.rainkingonline.com.

2. Be A Helpful Expert

Once you know who you will be selling to and how to approach them, don't jump right in to the sales pitch. In order for you to gain credibility on social media, you must build up trust. So, put all of that wonderful data from your sales intelligence tools aside for the moment and start engaging with your audience.

You want to focus on your intended audience on various social media platforms. Find out what questions they have that pertain to your industry. Then, become the trusted expert who answers those questions and offers advice. Spend a few weeks to a few months doing this before you start selling. You will build up a reputation as a trustworthy person or company, and people are more likely to buy from those they trust.

3. Mix Up Selling With Valuable Content

Once you start pitching your product or service, do so gently. Start out by naturally integrating your pitches into other posts where you are offering advice or answering questions. Start making posts that are independent of responding to anyone's inquiry. Make sure these posts contain valuable industry information that you are freely sharing with your audience. This will keep them engaged with you and more receptive to your sales message.

The most effective social media sales campaigns mix up freely given valuable content with sales pitches. Your audience will be more interested in your pitch and more likely to listen to it if you are already giving them a lot of good information that is relevant to them for free. Talking about your product or service in every post will only annoy your audience, so be sure to make plenty of posts talking about other things to do with your industry.

Conclusion

Once you have these three pieces in place, your social sales campaign can't help but be a success. Use the tools available to you, be sure to engage with your audience, and give them valuable information mixed in with your sales pitches.

You will become a trusted expert and favorite company for many in your target audience, and your sales will soar. Start implementing your social sales campaign today and take your business to the next level of success.

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