Let’s break down the social selling process into manageable steps that can be easily implemented:
Step 1: Start with Relevant Social Channels
Begin your social selling journey by identifying and focusing on the social media platforms most frequented by your target audience.
It could be LinkedIn for B2B prospects or Instagram, Facebook & Twitter for a younger B2C audience.
Example: Because SBB falls into the B2B space, I focus almost all of my efforts on LinkedIn.
Step 2: Create a List of Prospects:
Based on your target demographic and psychographic profiles, identify potential prospects who show interest in your products or services or whose needs align with your offer.
Remember: We’re investing time into these leads, so focusing on quality over quantity is essential.
Create a spreadsheet or a Trello Board and write out a list of prospects or companies.
From there, find the decision-maker you’d like to connect with!
Step 3: Connect, Follow, & Engage With Content
After identifying your prospects, follow their social media profiles (or connect with them) and engage with their content.
Commenting on posts, sharing relevant content, and offering insights can help you build rapport and establish a relationship with your prospects.
Two quick tips on this step:
- When I connect with anyone on LinkedIn, I engage with their most recent post, follow them, and then send a targeted introductory message.
- There’s no “set” number on how much you should engage with their content, but ideally, you should be in a place where they start engaging with your content (the next step).
Step 4: Create Your Own Valuable Content
Establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry by producing and sharing high-quality content that educates, informs, or entertains your prospects.
This not only brings value to your audience but also encourages them to engage with your brand.
For example, I write 5-7 guides, observations, stories, and opinions weekly on LinkedIn.
Step 5: Nurture the Prospects Along
There are several ways to do this, but the goal is to provide helpful, actionable information to your prospects.
Did they pose a question? Respond to their post, and expand on it through a blog that you DM them.
Did they publish an article on their website? Share it, leave a thoughtful comment, and DM them your thoughts.
By nurturing your prospects, you show them that you genuinely care about their business and are invested in helping them succeed.
Step 6: Taking the Conversation Offline
The timing of this step cannot be overstated.
You must have properly nurtured them, or you will blow it.
Remember, the worst thing you can do is try and sell them too early.
It’s called “Social Selling” for a reason – the selling part comes after building trust and establishing a relationship.
In most cases, these conversations naturally arise.
However, don’t be afraid to try one of these strategies to push nudge them through the funnel.
- Build a newsletter and get them (and other prospects to sign up).
- Invite them to a webinar you think they may find helpful.
- Launch a podcast and have them on as a guest.
- Collaborate on a piece of content together.
- Conduct an audit and provide feedback on X, Y, Z.
