We all know that the social media is the latest hot trend in sales and marketing. Look at how many companies have created a Facebook presence that seeks to interact with consumers. Personally, I follow Tabasco and Disney.
Randall Craig, social media and web strategist, believes social media marketing is based on engagement, conversation and developing the relationship. Only when the relationship is strong enough, when there is trust, will there be a possibility of a sale.
"An organization does not need to have a large social media presence in order to have an engaged brand. A social media presence should include listening to your customers discuss the brand and more, and engaging in the conversation to connect."
This means, he continued, taking a "fan-centric" approach rather than a "sales-centric" one. Fans are the ones who "share" your company on Facebook, which translates into third-party endorsements, and free advertising. In other words, this is the online version of word-of-mouth advertising.
Craig offers several tactics an organization could use in social media to pull that sale closer to the close:
1. Take your time to get to know the customer. As they are getting to know you, they will identify your capabilities. Contrast this with traditional marketing, where expertise leads, and then relationship follows.
2. Allow the customer to take the lead. It's more likely that they will initiate the sales process when they are ready; after all, they know their needs better than you ever will.
3. The customer is not a single voice. Engage with the fans and followers. Focus on the customer experience and their engagement with your social media voice.
4. Ask for the sale if it feels right. Asking for the sale prematurely may do more harm than good. But exposing your expertise over time within the context of a two-way, non-broadcast relationship, is a far more powerful implicit 'ask'.
He said marketers should make an effort to improve credibility and grow the relationships. Shouting 'buy me' is the quickest way to lose 'friends'.
How long does it take to make a sale? It depends how quickly you earn it—trust takes time, Craig concluded.
