One of the biggest challenges in social media marketing is that social and selling don’t seem to go together. If anything, they’re opposites.
Yet social media is slowly becoming a mainstream marketing medium. So clearly it is possible to sell and still build relationship.
The bigger issue may be whether it’s possible to sell without being salesy. And the answer is yes, if you’re willing to create an integrated approach.
People prefer to do business with people they know, like and trust
Trust is a big issue for consumers. (See Nielsen’s latest global trust in advertising report.) They don’t want to buy something, then find that the product doesn’t work, won’t do what it was supposed to do, or that the company won’t support it after the sale.
That’s why people prefer doing business with reputable brands — and why they want to know as much about you as possible before buying.
Enter social media.
Through social media, it’s easy to connect with people both before and after the sale.
Be present, engage, share information. That proves you want to provide long-term value, not make a one-time sale. (Click to Tweet)
Making it into the “friend zone”
The sweet spot for businesses is the “friend zone.”
That’s where people feel you’re there for them… that you’ll answer their questions and concerns… that you’re available even before the sale… and that you care about whether they find the right solutions for them.
Think about that for a minute. As a business, you can be your customers’ friend. You can be one of the go-to people who they turn to for recommendations — if you’re willing to relate to them as people, not your source of wealth.
Sound like bad business? Nothing could be further from the truth.
You can run a profitable business and still nurture relationships. In the same way that you wine and dine a high-value prospect, you can relate to your followers and then gently lead them to the sale.
When you focus on building relationship, you find yourself giving as much as you take. When you do that, the Law of Reciprocity kicks in. Then a unique transformation happens.
You’re no longer a business, but a trusted advisor. As soon as your “friends” are ready to buy, they come to you. And when you make an offer, they trust that you have their best interest in mind.
Sell yourself, not your products
It’s a subtle shift in mindset, and at first, it may feel like you’re not marketing at all. But selling on social media is about attracting your ideal customers, not pushing a marketing message at them.
Once people explore you’re other marketing channels, they’ll see the rest of your marketing mix — and because they know you, they’ll be more inclined to respond.
On social media, sell the value of working with you more than you promote your products. Think public “relations,” not pure marketing.
So how do you do that?
Use soft-sale tactics only. Reserve hard-sell tactics for your website, landing pages and other channels.
Promotions should sound more like useful tips than sales messages. “Looking for a better way to ___?” would be better than “Product X is on sale now!”
Post a teaser or promise something valuable, then link to a landing page or piece of content that actually makes the sale.
Just remember to keep sales and promotions to a minimum compared to relationship-building posts. Comment, interact, share ideas or things that make you laugh. Engage people and build their trust. In doing so, you earn the right to post a promotion.
Have you been successful getting into your customers’ friend zone? What works for you? Share your comments below.
