Author name: Alexis Chamberlain

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Digital commerce is here to stay, and social media selling is a crucial part of e-commerce business (or any business for that matter) that maintains an online selling presence. 76% of consumers state that they have purchased products initially viewed on social media platforms. Considering that billions of consumers use social media platforms daily, there is an enormous potential customer base; hence, selling tailored for social media has become strategic to success. Photo by Alexander Shatov on Unsplash What Is Social Media Selling? Brands that use social media channels to sell their products practice social media selling. Social media platforms offer the possibility for companies to connect and engage with followers and potential customers. Social media selling is a powerful commercial tool for incrementing sales, regardless of the size of the business. To fully benefit from social media selling, it’s essential to engage potential clients and not just bombard them with unsolicited advertising ploys that may be deleted. Quality posts that bring added value are more critical than the quantity of content posted. Traditional brick-and-mortar neighborhood stores established a genuine rapport with customers based on trust and loyalty; social media platforms are the digital age’s tool for doing the same, but this time, on a global level. LinkedIn SSI – the Social Selling Index The LinkedIn platform has created a metric for tracking social selling results to aid businesses, and the higher the SSI rating, the better the performance. The platform updates it daily. It analyzes four critical types of business performance, such as: Defining and establishing a business brand – involves creating a meaningful profile that reflects the brand’s values and detailed information regarding the products offered Identifying a target audience and collaborating with industry influencers – it’s essential that a target audience of potential customers is identified through research. Then, the brand must engage these potential clients, and industry influencers can aid in this. Messages, comments, questions and answers, and all types of outreach are optimal for developing customer engagement Regular, valuable content postings – posting quality content that brings value to a customer base will resonate. Researching the target audience, including their preferences, should guide content creation Connecting and engaging customers to increase sales – whether researching opinions or offering solutions to potential problems, sellers must engage their audience to maintain a connection and build a long-term relationship to establish a loyal customer base Social Media Selling Benefits Social media selling can undoubtedly supplement and increase traditional sales, but that’s not all; social media selling can also improve customer relations and retention. Advertising and alerting clients about new products and furnishing updates can be much less invasive than direct calls and promotions; salespeople will still need to be available to answer inquiries, of course. The time necessary to complete a sale can also be reduced, as it’s much easier to research products with just a click. You may find new business opportunities or meet new potential customers by joining relevant online groups; social media selling can also aid in building long-term business relationships and friendships. Finally, social media selling allows businesses to maintain a consistent selling presence and brand message. Essential Social Media Selling Steps and Tips Determine Who Your Target Audience Is If you wish to create a loyal customer base that returns regularly to purchase your brand, you must determine your target audience. To build and maintain such relationships, you must know who you wish to engage with, and set out to learn everything you can about them. Simply creating a social media presence and posting will not suffice when attracting potential customers; to create an effective selling campaign, brands must analyze their target group’s behavior, interests, and demographics. For relationships to be formed and sales to be increased, content and messaging should be genuine, trustworthy, and relevant to the needs and likes of potential clients. When creating your target audience, make it a point to develop fictional customers that represent the gender, age, educational level, income range, interests, and hobbies; the more detailed your target audience research is, the better the possibility of connecting for sales. When attempting to succeed in social media selling, it’s crucial to analyze the behavior of your target audience on social media platforms. Identify what content inspires them to engage, what kind of accounts they follow, who their favorite influencers are, and their favorite hashtags; behavior analysis will also aid in creating attractive content and in reaching your target group on their preferred social platforms. When engaging potential customers, it’s vital to remember that they are real people with needs, interests, and preferences; truly connecting and creating a lasting relationship with customers depends on providing value and engagement. When offering new content, include educational information that teaches something or resolves a dilemma. Integrate videos or infographics or create blog posts, and take time to respond to customer questions or comments and initiate discussions. If you demonstrate your concern for your customers, you’ll have more opportunities to build trust and loyalty, eventually transforming these sentiments into sales. Identify and Assess a Potential Customer’s Needs Photo by Alexis Fauvet on Unsplash Ask the right questions to get the best answers and the most information. Suppose prospects need clarification or are facing obstacles – in that case, they may reach out to you because you ask questions of your target audience and are interested in their needs, plus you are already communicating with them. Know Your Social Media Platforms Not every social media platform caters to every demographic group, so understanding which social media platform resonates with your target audience can help you reach your ideal audience, and do so most effectively. Each platform will have a specific demographic base, although some overlap may exist. Consider these platforms in terms of age demographics: Facebook This is, arguably, the most versatile social media platform around, as it caters to an incredibly diverse audience in terms of demographics – most, if not all, businesses should consider including FB in their marketing strategies. Instagram