Social media has become a critical part of the modern marketing experience. Today's customers use social media as part of their everyday lives. Around 72% of the American public has and uses some type of social media account. Many of those users follow the brands they are invested in and want to connect with.  

Social selling takes advantage of those connections to reach out to interested buyers. Social sellers don't just post about the products they're selling, they take the time to form relationships with buyers so that they can form a deeper connection with them.  

Are your sellers looking for strategies that can help them master social selling and connect more deeply with customers? Let’s take a look at these key tips: 

1. Build a Strong Personal Brand

Having a personal brand is a critical part of the social selling process. Sellers need to establish their expertise in the industry, including why buyers should connect with and trust them. Their personal brand also helps create a deeper sense of connection between buyer and seller.  

Sellers should start by establishing how they want their audience to view them (what they want to be remembered for and what type of personality they want to portray.) After that, they should regularly share content that reflects their expertise and interests.  

Not only should sellers share that content across their own platforms, but they may also want to join the discussion and share content on other platforms so they can better connect with their target audience. 

2. Use Social Media to Research Prospects

Social media platforms are a great way to bring in new prospects. Social media, as a rule, has a broad reach and offers the opportunity to connect with a wide number of people from different backgrounds and with different interests. It is not, however, just a platform for outreach. It also offers a great opportunity for sellers to get to know their target audience better. By listening to what their audience has to say, sellers can get a feel for what type of content buyers really need and what they are really looking for. 

3. Share Valuable Content

Sellers who want to genuinely connect with their target audience should make sure that they share valuable, relevant content that is genuinely interesting or beneficial to the members of their target audience.  

It's important to share content regularly to continue connecting with followers, but it's equally important to ensure that the content is relevant and useful. It doesn't take long for users to stop following a seller who routinely posts things that are not interesting to them.

4. Engage with Prospects

Buyers are more likely to make purchases from sellers with whom they have a relationship with. Furthermore, they are more likely to come back to those sellers for their future needs in the industry. Examples of ways to engage with prospects are 

• Commenting on prospects' posts, especially those shared within the group. 
• Sharing content created by prospects or current customers. 
• Starting conversations and engaging in them. Prospects are more likely to feel a strong sense of connection to sellers when their opinions are heard and valued.  

Higher levels of engagement can lead to greater overall connection and, ultimately, better sales.

5. Measure and Analyze Results

As with any marketing or selling strategy, social sellers need to measure and analyze their efforts and successes over time. As a result, they can better track their social selling efforts and determine what is working and what needs improvement.  

Provide clear key performance indicators and metrics that sellers need to track in order to see how their social selling efforts are working. Then, sellers can focus their efforts on the areas that are working best for their needs. 

6. Provide Ongoing Training and Support

Social sellers need to stay up to date with the latest social media trends and best practices. Those trends can change rapidly as buyers change the platforms they use, the content they're looking for, the way they find content, and more.  

If you want your sellers to master the social selling process, it's critical to continue to provide them with training and support. Help them determine what works for them, including how they can further extend their brand voices, and offer access to tools that can help them take their social selling to the next level. 

Use Social Selling to Your Advantage

Social selling can have immense advantages for many sellers when they use these tips effectively. From learning how to build their brand voice to sharing the right content, connecting and engaging with prospects, and tracking their results over time, sellers can learn how to make the most of their efforts.  

Are you ready to help your sellers master social media? Check out the Navaquest Social Media Marketing Mastery course or contact us today to learn more!