How to fail at social selling in five steps and how to SUCCEED in three #WESOE

How to fail at social selling in five steps

1 Produce content
2 Promote to social media platforms
3 Pray (Pay!) for comments and RT’s
4 Promote some more
5 Be disappointed. Give up.

What if there was a better way. A way that actually gets results.
A way that builds engagement
A way that generates SALES

There is:

Three steps to success using Social Media to sell.
Creating the Social Wrap with three ways to “serve”

1: (OB) SERVE
Before joining the conversation, listen
FIND: your audience, prospects, segment or whatever you call it
LISTEN: to their conversation, their questions and what they talk about.
DISCOVER: what they care about, focus on and want to get done first.

This should be a huge part of what you do first. Simply listen to the conversations that are happening around you. Sign up for LinkedIn groups, check leading blog posts, send out surveys. Do what ever it takes to develop a deep understanding of what motivates your prospects. What do they care about, struggle with and desire. Ask follow up questions to gain clarification and develop an intimate knowledge of what their world looks like.

2: (DE) SERVE
Now and only now, join in the conversation.
DEVELOP: intelligent perspectives, insights and resources
CONTRIBUTE: to the conversation by offering highly valuable insights, data and facts
ENGAGE: in meaningful dialogue with those who care and matter

When you have developed a deep understanding of your prospect you can then join in the conversation. But only then. Do not take to spam messages and ensure you tailor your messages. For example The biggest mistake you can do is use a template LinkedIn message. Personalise.

Produce quality content, that demonstrates value, meets the prospects needs, offers tangible practical actionable advice that meets the prospects needs. Deliver instant value of what it would be like to work with you.

3: (RE) SERVE
Focus on the few, not the many.
FOCUS: on your tribe of peers and followers, connectors and leaders.
FIND: those that deserve your time, follow up and start the journey forward.
FAVOUR: the few who are worth your time, effort and dedication

It is very easy to get hung on on the “how many RT’s did I get today” buzz. Focusing on this craze will help flatter your ego and of course make you feel like you have accomplished something.

But it does not produce results.

So be selective spend your time with those that engage with your content and are likely to be decision makers. Ask questions, promote their content, and above all thank them.

Create the “social wrap” equation:

Observe – Deserve – Reserve

Category: Sales, Social Media | No Comments »

Busy Executive? Become A Social Executive in 1 Hour A Day

 Guest post by: 

 

 

Okay, so now that you cannot go a minute without hearing the words Facebook or Twitter, you have given in to the reality that Social Media is not going away.

You are now “Social” to correctly apply the term (as if you weren’t before?). You share on Twitter, you post on Facebook, of course you are on LinkedIn and perhaps you even blog to share your ideas with others in your business and social circles. Like everything else, you recognize that it takes commitment to become good at something, and Social Media is no different. You are committed in principle to growing your social presence and utilizing these powerful networks.

But you are busy, your job is leading a business, not to be hanging out on Facebook. Therefore you don’t have hours to spend every day keeping the conversations flowing and in the Social world if you are absent for a day people think you have gone missing.

The good news is that missing a day really isn’t going to hurt you too badly. The bad news is you really can’t generate much success in Social Media if you aren’t consistently present. This takes some work, however, it can be managed. Depending on how much time you have, here are the ways to go from “Social” to “Social Executive” in 20, 40, or at most 60 minutes a day.

If you have just 20 minutes…follow the AM/PM Plan, 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening.

  • Update Status daily on all platforms.
  • Share 1-2 great quotes or articles you have read.
  • Respond to anyone who reached out to you or shared your content. Even if by just saying thanks.

Following this plan will allow you to be present even if for a few moments each day and your friends and followers can see this. Being busy may make it hard to be social, but your success is attractive and even just a simple hello from you will be really meaningful.

If you have 40 minutes, do all of the things you did above and add the following to your routine.

  • Search Friends , Colleagues, and Interesting Professionals across Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn and Friend, Follow, Connect.
  • Create a list of people who inspire you and a list of those that curate the best content.
  • Use these lists to look for 3-5 great thoughts, blogs, and/or ideas to reshare and/or retweet.

The effort to connect daily will expand your reach exponentially through degrees of connectivity. Even just a few new connections a day leads to a thousand new connections each year. The focus of this content that you are sharing should be in your field of expertise. The curating of great content in your field will immediately lend credibility to you as a (dare I say) “Thought Leader” in your industry and will attract others in your field to connect with you on social media platforms.

And if you can actually commit to an hour… This one is simple. Just do more of everything above!

Social Media may not be your job, but you know it is becoming a bigger and bigger part of the business landscape. Being too busy isn’t an excuse, and if you work just a little bit each day you can fully leverage the opportunities it provides.

Don’t let time be an excuse, become a Social Executive today.

Follow Daniel Newman on Twitter

Category: Social Media | No Comments »

17 New Social Media Statistics

1) 27% of total U.S. internet time is spent on social networking sites. (Source: Experian) Tweet this stat!

2) 15% of total U.S. mobile internet time is spent on social networking sites. (Source: Experian) Tweet this stat!

3) Social media produces almost double the marketing leads of trade shows, telemarketing, direct mail, or PPC. (Source: HubSpot) Tweet this stat!

4) Social media lead conversion rates are 13% higher than the average lead conversion rate. (Source: HubSpot) Tweet this stat!

5) 21% of marketers say that social media has become more important to their company over the past six months. (Source: HubSpot) Tweet this stat!

6) 74% of all marketers say Facebook is important to their lead generation strategies. (Source: HubSpot) Tweet this stat!

7) Companies that generate more than 1,000 Facebook Likes also receive nearly 1,400 website visits a day. (Source: HubSpot) Tweet this stat!

8) 52% of all marketers have found a customer via Facebook in 2013. (Source: HubSpot) Tweet this stat!

9) On Facebook, brand posts get half of their reach within 30 minutes of being posted. (Source: Socialbakers) Tweet this stat!

10) 85% of fans of brands on Facebook recommend brands to others, compared to 60% of average users. (Source: Syncapse) Tweet this stat!

11) 43% of all marketers have found a customer via LinkedIn in 2013. (Source: HubSpot) Tweet this stat!

12) 36% of all marketers have found a customer via Twitter in 2013. (Source: HubSpot) Tweet this stat!

13) 59% of Twitter users have visited B2B tech brand sites, compared to 40% for the average internet population. (Source: Compete and Twitter) Tweet this stat!

14) 25% of consumers who complain about products on Facebook or Twitter expect a response within 1 hour. (Source: American Express) Tweet this stat!

15) Women are more likely than men to regularly check out a brand’s social page (48% vs. 43%). (Source: Ipsos) Tweet this stat!

16) 23% of marketers are investing in blogging and social media this year, a 9% increase from 2012. (Source: HubSpot) Tweet this stat!

17) Approximately 46% of online users count on social media when making a purchase decision. (Source: Nielsen) Tweet this stat!

Source: Hubspot

Category: LinkedIn, Marketing, Social Media, Twitter | No Comments »

Simple & Brilliant Outdoor Ad Campaign

IBM Ben Martin Smarter

Advertising for innovative products and services are everywhere, but it’s rare to find any that will actually help you out in that very moment. IBM does just that with its new outdoor advertising campaign from Ogilvy & Mather France, Adweek reports.

A simple curve in three different outdoor ads help them turn into structures that are actually useful to passersby: benches, shelters, and a smooth runway along a stairwell for bikes or luggage. The simple bit of innovation showcases the way IBM approaches the world while also hoping to inspire others to share their ideas on making cities more efficient and effective for its residents.

Each ad encourages consumers to visit People4smartcities.com. “If cities were smarter, then life in cities would be better,” IBM points out in its video of the ads while also noting that the hope is that the ads will “spark positive change” and “unite city leaders and forward-thinking citizens.”

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Orignal post from BrandChannel by Mark J. Miller

Category: IBM, Marketing, Smarter Planet | No Comments »