Social media is one of the biggest and best tools out there when it comes to prospecting and generating new leads for your business, but so many companies waste their time using the likes of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn because they simply don’t use social media networks in the right way.
So How Do You Prospect Via Social Media?
Well, the first thing to take note of is the fact that prospecting via social media is not just about getting people to follow you on Twitter, friend you on Facebook, or link with you on LinkedIn so you can pitch to them over and over again.
The way you should prospect via social media is by building a relationship with people and showing them exactly why they should be interested in you and your business. Give your followers real value with what you share and Tweet and they will be much more likely to interact with you.
You need to position yourself as an expert in you field by demonstrating all that you have to offer them in terms of advice, information and support – so when people are ready to buy a product/service like yours, they will think of you first.
It’s also very important that you take the time to write back to your followers, and engage and interact with them when they do make an effort to connect with you via one of your social media platforms.
Prospecting Via Facebook
When you consider that there are over 800 million people on Facebook, who spend over 500 billion minutes on the site each month and share 30 billion pieces of content with each other during this time, it’s not hard to see what incredible potential Facebook has for lead generation.
Start by creating a free Facebook Fan Page, which will provide your company with a consistent platform through which you can create a conversation about your products and services, and have an on-going interaction with your subscribers.
Remember, however, that Facebook is far less corporate than any of the other social media sites, so you do need to remember to keep things “human”. Posting pictures of new products, keeping them updated with interesting goings on and which encouraging feedback and comment are the best ways to engage with your fans on Facebook – they chose to become your “friend” and they expect a more chatty tone to your input than on other social media sites.
The main value you will gain from prospecting via Facebook is the ability for you to build solid relationships with your Facebook “friends” and generate a loyal fan base for your business – which, overtime, you can start to turn into potential prospects and new leads for the company.
Prospecting Via Twitter
With well over 200 million users on Twitter it would be reasonable to assume that most of you sales professionals are already on the site – but are you using Twitter as the powerful business tool it can be?
You should use Twitter to provide a solid “fan base” for your company by creating a buzz around your products or services and continuously building a recognisable brand for your business. Not everyone who is interested in what you do or sell will make a purchase upfront but they may in the future and they’re likely to recommend you to their friends.
Remember that Twitter is a micro-blogging platform, and that you need to keep things short and sweet. Be active but don’t drown your followers in updates. The more active you are online, the more followers you will get, and if people can see that you offer value to discussions on subject matters in which they are interested then they are much more likely to engage with you than if you are simply spamming them with content.
Surveys have shown that many Twitter users follow a brand online because they are looking for special deals or discounts. You can use the fan base you’ve created to offer loyalty discounts not found elsewhere – thus increasing your sales while keeping your fans happy.
Prospecting Via LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the biggest and best decision maker search engine out there, and you can use this platform to network and connect with thousands of other sales professionals, businesses owners and potential clients.
Start by creating a polished and professional looking profile for both yourself and the other key figures in your company, and then link these all together using a Company Page. Not only will this give you a great presence on LinkedIn but it will also help you been found when prospects are searching for the products and services you provide.
Many people don’t realise it but LinkedIn is now considered an authority site by most search engines, and when your potential clients go looking for you and your company, they’re as likely to find your LinkedIn profile as they are to find your company website – so do yourself and the business justice.
Use LinkedIn to prospect and connect with key decision makers from your target markets. The best way to do this is by joining LinkedIn groups that your prospects are members of and sparking up genuine and helpful discussion with them through this platform. LinkedIn gives you the chance to make real contact with your desired clients, and by engaging with them online you can start to build good social relationships which can later be turned into valuable leads.
LinkedIn is a great platform for sharing your content, as you can post it to your own profile, share it in your groups and send direct InMail to selected connections. This helps you distribute your blog posts, white papers and free reports on a grand scale, as anyone who likes what you’ve produced can leave comments and share your content with all of their connections as well.
Move With The Times
The modern day sales process has changed, and sales professionals across all sectors and industries are having to change the way that they sell in order to engage and interact with the modern day buyer.
The days of the mighty cold-call are over and you need to move with the times in terms of the new – and more social – way to prospect and generate leads for your business.
By using the right social media and internet-based resources, you can start to network online, build up a reputation as an industry expert, build up your personal brand and find the people who are already interested in your products and services. Once you have established this first point of contact with them you’ll find it so much easier to contact your prospects and convert them into qualified leads.
(Image by Kexino)
