Social Media Marketing Is NOT the Same As Social Selling
Here’s my view…
I see social selling as the ability to integrate social technology into the front end of your sales process. Salespeople are always looking for ways to get in front of opportunities before their competitor can and using tools like LinkedIn, Twitter, and other platforms can give them the opportunity that they need to make that happen.
And…
It requires learning new skills. Not only do salespeople need training on how to use the platforms, but also they need to understand how the various platforms fit, and they also need to know how to adapt their communication approach and behaviour when engaging a prospect.
This is about selling. Not marketing.
I’m all for marketing and sales alignment. In fact, I happen to believe that with social media in the mix, we need that alignment more than ever. But come on…marketers taking the stage to discuss social selling? I worry that this is an example of using new terminology, but simply using it to mask old processes. As I have written before…social media marketing is NOT the same as social selling.
via Social Media Marketing Is NOT the Same As Social Selling | Social Selling University.
The State of B2B Social Media in 2013
8 Social Selling Do’s and Don’ts For Your Sales Team
Guest Post by Julio Viskovich
Social selling involves using social media to stay relevant with your buyer, to listen for buying trigger events and to target the right message, at the right time, to the right person. For a more robust definition of social selling check out the post What is Social Selling and How Will it Increase Sales? Once teams and individuals understand the concept of social selling, and understand the benefits, the next step is to master the best practices. Let’s have a look at the Dos and Don’ts of social selling which will help to move your team from social selling laggards to leaders.
Thanks Anthony Iannarino and Eloqua for the above graphic.
DO…
…Be a Trusted Advisor. In today’s modern era, helping is selling. Try to add value and build trust within your buying community. They’ll turn to you when the time is right.
…Do Research. When I take sales calls and the person on the other end hasn’t done their research, I start looking at my watch. You have the data. Use it. With a combination of social monitoring and intelligence, find out what interests buyers before engaging.
…Be Authentic. Don’t be fake or sneaky. Social media has no governing body. Instead the users rule social and they’ll do everything to create a “safe” place to engage. Authenticity is a big deal in social. Violators of this rule are unwelcome.
…Nurture Prospects and Clients. Social allows you to stay in the hearts and minds of your buying community without having to do the dreaded “check in” call or send a thousand emails. Buyers will follow people that add value.
DON’T…
…Talk About Yourself All the Time. Bragging on yourself or your company all the time is a turn off. Talk about, and share, other’s content – not just yours.
…Over Push Product. You can’t be a trusted advisor if you can’t hold a conversation without pitching. Social communities don’t want people pitching their products unless asked to. Being pitchy is unwelcome.
…Bombard Leads. You want to be where your leads are, but don’t immediately message them on every platform begging to give a demo or to visit your site. Build a relationship first.
…Be Nasty. Social media is not the place to bad mouth competitors. It’s not about ragging on the competition, but sharing how you can help followers succeed. Stay classy.
For more Do and Don’ts, visit Eloqua’s Grande Guide to Social Selling or follow my Twitter list of sales thought leaders that make up my personal learning network.
What other tips would you add? Drop by and say hello below.
Recruiting With Social Media — 35 Tips for LinkedIn, Twitter & Facebook
The thing I love about other people’s tips is that you invariably uncover ideas you’re not already implementing yourself. That’s why I wanted to share this new infographic with you. Whilst not agreeing with every single tip, the vast majority resonate as things I’ve seen successful social media recruiters incorporating into their social media strategies.
I was certainly intrigued to see that tweets with links front-loaded in the tweet outperform others. One to experiment with in the recruiting space perhaps? Whilst the suggestion to seed your blog posts in LinkedIn groups is one I would suggest should be done sparingly. Certainly this can drive relevant candidate traffic for recruiters, but it’s a fine line between being helpful and spammy in a LinkedIn group (and definitely avoid placing job advert links in the main discussion area of LinkedIn groups – that’s what the “jobs” tab is there for in each group, but often I see desperate recruiters cluttering up the discussion boards with misplaced adverts).
Apart from social media, recruitment specialists like EmploySee may be very helpful in your search for the right job candidates.
How about you? Which of these tips resonate as things that have worked for you? What other ideas would you add to the mix? Please feel free to comment below…
A CEO’s Guide to Pinterest
Your Brain on Social Media
Perspectives from tomorrow’s leaders in a digital world
Almost everyday I get the opportunity to discuss the digital landscape, present and future, with some bright minds. The latest study from IBM the 2012 Global Student Study, collected the results from over 3,300 students from around the world and it forms a fantastic read. You can get a copy from me here: Download
Here are some excerpts I found interesting.
Growing up with social and mobile technology at their finger tips, students have already integrated technology into their world view. When thinking about major forces, students are much more preoccupied with the impact of the economy on the job market, versus CEO’s who are are focused on technology integration.
Digital, social and mobile spheres are quickly converging – connecting customers, employees and partners to organisations and to each other. As a result, employees are beginning to be empowered as part of open, less rigidly controlled organisations. Customers are increasingly engaged as individuals rather than market segments – anywhere and at any time.
Although business leaders are acutely aware of the pervasive influence of new digital channels, students view them as even more important. Only 56 percent of CEOs use Web sites and social media for customer relationships today, compared to 70 percent of students who believe organisations should do so. Today, CEOs believe face-to-face interaction is the most important tool in building customer relationships, while students cite social media and Web sites. Both students and CEOs do agree, however, that traditional media falls behind both face-to-face interaction and social media/Web sites
Five out of ten students said they interact online with people they don’t already know – in other words, they use social media to reconfigure and expand their social networks into totally new areas. In fact, even before finishing college, students are joining professional social networks such as LinkedIn to establish and benefit from professional relationships.
Students are moving past the “personally social” and seeing the connection between social media and global citizenship. The majority of them, 61 percent, said that social media has helped increase their awareness of the world. They believe that, compared to older generations, social media has made them more aware of global issues and how they can make a difference in the world. Nearly half of students said social media has given them a more powerful voice in society.
Top-five questions from the 2012 IBM Student Study with greatest regional variation.
What did you think of those answers? Is the older generation ready to take steps towards transparency? Drop your comments below and say hello.
Social Media Video 2013
I like this video, I liked the previous one too. Whilst this contains some -seen before- elements, there are new bits and still makes you think “wow”. Are you ready to begin your journey, perhaps you fall under my top ten objections?
Thank you Erik Qualman for the video
What element stood out for you?
The Top Nine Social Networks for Business [Infographic]
Businesses simply can’t afford to ignore social media these days. Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ are all capable of driving a ton of traffic to your website. Of course, you need the right strategy for each network to get the most out of your efforts. As a business owner, you can’t be involved on every single social site. Here are 9 social networks that you should not miss (infographic by SDLSM2):
Source: SDLSM2
Which platform is most valuable to you and why? Say hello and add to the conversation below