Some people love it, some people hate it and some people just can’t wrap their minds around it. Social media is a tricky business, but no matter what your opinion on it, there’s no denying that it can be a powerful tool. It may be a game for some people, but social media can be a game changer for your company in its “ability to make companies more likeable.” That’s according to best selling author, Dave Kerpen’s book Likeable Social Media: How to Delight Your Customers, Create an Irresistible Brand, and Be Generally Amazing on Facebook (& Other Social Networks). Social networks can connect people all over the world, spread communications faster than ever before and yes, even help you increase sales, but only if you use them the right way. On the other hand, misusing social media can alienate you business and leave potential customers despising your methods. To help you out here are N5R’s Top 3 Errors With Social Selling.
- Putting Selling First
If you think you can jump into social media and start hitting users with a sales pitch, you need to think again. Social consumers don’t sign up for these networks so they can be bombarded with messages and advertisements telling them what products to buy and which services to use. That’s the last thing they want. The average North American is exposed to several hundred advertisements and marketing messages each day. Social networks should be an escape from all that. This might seem a bit counter-intuitive to your goal of increasing sales, but this is an error you really don’t want to make. When talking about social media David Kerpen uses the analogy of a cocktail party—you wouldn’t just walk up to somebody and ask the “do you want to buy a house from me?” Don’t think of social media as a place to sell, think of it as a place to start a conversation. Give users messages that provide value and they’ll want to hear more of what you have to say.
- Having An Inconsistent Voice
Now that we understand the basic principle that social networks are about connecting and having conversations we can look more at how to do that effectively. One major mistake a lot of brands make is not having a consistent voice. The way you communicate on social media needs to reflect your brand’s image. Are you an expert in your field? Are you serious about everything? Are you witty and playful? Whatever you decide is the right tone for your brand, stick to it. If your brand’s voice is changing all the time it will be harder for social networkers to relate and make them less likely to continue to connect with you. Keeping a consistent voice will give your brand a sense of authenticity that’s hard to come by with other forms of communication.
- Measuring ROI The Wrong Way
Here at N5R we believe strongly in measuring returns and using analytics, but when you’re measuring the success of your social media campaigns there is an easy mistake to make. Social networks can bring in a lot of business, but it’s not going to increase your sales overnight. Social selling is a long-term strategy and focusing too much on the short-term gain will completely misrepresent the success your campaign might be having. The number of likes or followers your brand has is an extremely important metric to look at, but neither of them will generate immediate sales. However, if your brand keeps providing social networkers with consistently strong content you’ll stay top of mind. Listen to your audience; understand them and you’ll naturally drive sales over time.
Always remember that when you engage in social media and social selling, being social is more important to success than the actual selling. If you want to learn more about how to leverage the power of social media to increase your sales apply to our exclusive one-day Condo Mastery seminar.
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