We talk to a number of people and they say "we tried social media and it didn't work".
What they did was did a few tactical posts or posted a few job adds and nothing happened. Of course.
One company said to us "we sent 250 inamils and got nothing" Of course they didn't they looked like spammers.
(NB: Some people mix up advertising and social, for example Facebook Ads or LinkedIn Ads. Note Advertising is not social, it's advertising.)
I was also talking to a sales leader recently in the US that had hired somebody to do their social and of course nothing happened. They hired somebody in the US and when that didn't work, they hired somebody in the Ukraine. That didn't work. Social Media isn't posting.
I'm aware of a company that has hired "kids" to do Instagram for them. Technically the posts are great, but why? It's clear this is a tactic and there is no strategy. (Oh and the pro-fur post is still up there, I checked ..... yikes!)
I know people that hire companies that do the social selling for them. The feedback has been the same. Usually that they end up being banned by LinkedIn never to see their Linkedin profile again. They literally have to start from scratch.
You can get a return from social, BUT you need a clear methodology and strategy.
1. First you need to make sure that your active and passive social presences are "buyer centric". What do we mean by that? Buyers are looking for experts that can help them, not salespeople that will try and manipulate them.
2. You need a strong network. Not a list of connections but a network you can nurture. They will help move your message out over social, they will also enable you to build relationships so that people will buy from you.
3. You need content. This is a great example of content. I hope it's insightful and educational.
It does not sell, it helps and supports.
Content is the way that people will find you.
All of this is then the basis for you to start managing your territory in a social way and at scale .... just as you have managed territories in the past.
Remember, social selling isn't selling on social, it isn't about spray and pray as you used to do. This is about you using social as a way to meet people, build a relationship and then suggest a meeting.
If you have all of those items in place, there is no reason why you cannot get hold of CEOs, build a relationship and meet them. Don't forget there are no gatekeepers on social and you are not restricted by prime selling time. You can prospect any time of the day or night and at weekends.
Good luck!
Or better still, maybe don't trust to luck, get some help. :)
With over 3.2 billion social media users globally, it's not surprising that B2B marketers are increasingly focusing on social media marketing. It's quite likely your customers are on social media, so not only is it important to engage with them on these social platforms, you must do it right. To help you refine your social media approach we got with the marketing experts and asked them to share the main ways they see B2B brands fail at social media, and how they can improve.
