Selling on Social Media Without Driving People Away

5 Social Media Selling Tips & Warnings

Social media is one of the best marketing tools out there: you can grow and reach a large audience with content and ads, and people who like and/or follow you are your fans, so they're already your target group.

However, people can be resistant to selling on these platforms. They see sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as places to share content and interact with friends, families-and nowadays, brands.

You really have to approach this the right way or you could alienate your audience, causing them to unfollow or unlike you because they expect a two-way conversation and engaging content, not to be marketed to.

It's also important to clarify that social selling doesn't mean advertising your product or service online for people to buy.

Social selling means you're using social media to connect with sales prospects and nurture relationships to hopefully convert them into customers.

For example, I recently did a Tea Time Tip about things that you need to consider before you start building your website. People could comment and asking questions in real time, and the Facebook Live had a lot of information about hiring a professional web development company.

So, I wasn't simply talking at people to hire us for their website-building needs; I was sharing pertinent information and nurturing those leads who might be looking for a company to help them out.

Now that we've defined social selling, let's discuss what you can do to increase your odds of success:

1. Think relationships, not dollar signs.

Make sure you're posting relevant, non-sales content. You want to become an expert resource in your industry, so focus on adding value to your users' feeds.

According to a study performed by LinkedIn, buyers who are active on social media welcome input from industry experts. In addition, 76% of buyers are ready to have a conversation with potential providers.

Get to know your potential customers by asking them engaging questions, answering their questions in a timely manner and responding to comments. The more trust and loyalty you build, the better your odds of converting a follower into a paying customer.

Read: The Power of Social Media Storytelling

Once upon a time your strategy was probably largely focused on sharing links to third-party content with your audience. Well, those days are over, and if you want to stand out in the crowded and noisy online environment, you need to focus on content marketing storytelling.

2. Take the time to build out your accounts.

Make sure that your bio and profile are filled out on all the platforms you want to use for social selling. You should include your website URL, About Us, phone number and any other relevant contact info.

It can also help to pin relevant posts, make sure your branding stands out and have high-quality images to attract followers' attention. Again, this builds trust and loyalty, making people feel more comfortable and secure doing business with you.

See how one of our clients, A Family Law Firm, has taken the time to not only fill out their contact info, but also the "Our Story" section on Facebook.

3. Choose your messaging wisely.

What works on one platform may not work on another. Where do your potential clients hang out? Where do they talk business, or go for restaurant recommendations? Generally:

* LinkedIn is more business-focused, so people are more comfortable with marketing messaging there.

* Twitter has a great search function, so you can more easily connect with prospects, and find relevant topics.

* Facebook has many communities that you can join and network in (remember, don't be pushy!)

* Instagram and Pinterest is for visuals, not long content pieces.

By tailoring your messaging for each platform, you'll be more likely to attract the right kind of customer.

4. Let user-generated content sell for you.

You don't have to do all the work of social selling alone! There are so many ways to use user-generated content (UGC) to your advantage, including:

* Contests and giveaways that encourage followers to share your content, hashtags and/or messaging.

* Ratings or reviews for your product or service

* Testimonials

For example, J.Crew posts user ratings and reviews on their website, so when they post a dress or shirt on their social media account and someone clicks on through, they see other people's votes of confidence.

Not only does user-generated content help you, but it helps your customers. Almost 80 percent of people say that UGC drives their purchasing decisions. It's a win-win situation!

5. Try, test and try again.

Every business owner should be tracking and measuring their efforts, whether it's a digital Newsletter push or a Google AdWords campaign. Look at your data and stats to determine what's working and what isn't.

Maybe people are being referred to a page on your website from your Facebook post, but they're only spending a few seconds on it.

You need to look at why that is: is your messaging unclear? Boring? Is there a broken link? By tracking your visitors' paths, you can see where you need to take a closer look.

Google Analytics is a free tool you can use to measure your website statistics, and there are also paid tools out there that can help you break down and understand your data.

The more you test and tighten your social media selling attempts, the better your ROI will be (and the happier your followers will be).

While social selling is different than traditional methods, it's still about building relationships and credibility. Focus on the person behind the platform, not on converting them into a sale or guiding them down a marketing funnel. Take the time to build connections and you'll create a community of prospects who will welcome hearing from you.

Susan Friesen, founder of the award-winning web development and digital marketing firm eVision Media, is a Web Specialist, Business & Marketing Consultant, and Social Media Advisor. She works with entrepreneurs who struggle with having the lack of knowledge, skill and support needed to create their online business presence.

As a result of working with Susan and her team, clients feel confident and relieved knowing their online marketing is in trustworthy and caring hands so they can focus on building their business with peace of mind at having a perfect support system in place to guide them every step of the way.

Visit http://www.ultimatewebsiteguide.ca and download your FREE "Ultimate Guide to Improving Your Website's Profitability - 10 Critical Questions You Must Ask to Get Maximum Results"

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Susan_Friesen/260293

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How To Get More Traffic To A Shopify Store

Having operated a number of web stores over the past 10+ years, the one defining characteristic of each has been the source of "traffic" they received.

"Traffic" is the number of views/hits that an Internet site receives.

Everyone knows about the impact that having a "#1 spot in Google" can bring - it does so because of the traffic it brings to the business.

Thus, when you're looking at "Shopify" stores in 2018, the primary concern - beyond having a quality store, products and experience - is how you're actually going to get people to look at it.

This tutorial looks to discuss the overall process of cultivating an audience who loves what you're doing...

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Not All Traffic Was Created Equally

The key point with this is that "traffic" is not the only metric that matters in online business.

Whilst it's important, it's really just an indicator as to what's going on with your store.

For example, people who have bought before, and are looking to make a repurchase, are going to be far more valuable (to the business) than "window shoppers" with little-to-no prior experience with the business.

Thus, when considering what I'm about to write, you have to appreciate the quality of people looking at your stuff.

Getting big numbers is nice, but if it doesn't convert into actual business growth, you're not really making progress.

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1. Focus On Creating a "Brand" (Not Just a Store)

The most prolific way to (presently) attract visitors today is through social media.

Obviously, having a popular Instagram / Twitter / YouTube page is certainly going to give you access to an audience... but the key lies not in its breadth, but depth.

The depth of the audience determines who listens to what you say, and whilst people obsess over having 50,000+ subscribers/followers, they generally disregard the simple truth that if you don't have a deep connection with those people, they're not going to trust you enough to buy things.

The most important thing is to consider building a "brand" - rather than just a "store".

What might be a simple analogy, most people simply try and build a website and get people to buy from it; the best work beyond the store - actually digging deep with the various people who contact them through all channels.

To this end, when considering setting up a store, you need to be extremely personable as to why someone would consider you over one of the massive names:

• Perhaps instead of being a "natural cosmetics store", you use your own name: "Claire's Natural Cosmetics Boutique"
• Focus on an underlying reason why people would (or should) consider your store: "The ONLY store to stock Bourjois in the US"
• Work around "problems" / "solutions" rather than products: "The ULTIMATE Acne Clearing Products for Girls"
• NEVER "sell" anything - provide helpful information and recommend products... but never "sell"

The point is that you should not be trying to set up a store to get quick sales - give it a reason to exist and focus on providing a quality service through its provision.

The "social media" stuff will take care of itself if you put your effort into effective work.

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2. Most People Want Solutions Before Products

The biggest mistake people make with any sort of venture is focusing on the product.

The product is important, but it's only a small part of the overall offer. People really want to buy solutions.

Solutions come in all shapes and sizes - the most important thing is to absolutely understand where your solution fits in.

For example, most people don't care where products are from, or even why you're stocking them... they care about what they're able to do with them.

Thus, when considering the store you wish to build - you really need to focus on the way through which you're creating actual results.

For example:

• 3lbs Per Day Supplements Store - Get Rid Of Weight With Exercise & Supplements
• Business Computer Repair Store - Keep Your Business Running At PEAK Performance With Ultimate Products
• Suits 4 SALES - Complete SALES Orientated Suit Design & Tailoring For The Modern Man

The bottom line is that one of the more pertinent things I discovered several years back is that people don't buy the product, but what the product actually *does*.

This means that if you're looking at creating a "store", you need to be able to give it an underlying "reason" for people even consider looking at it.

This process takes time, and obviously requires a significant amount of experience. The benefit is that if people like what you've created, they'll generally stick around.

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3. Don't Be Afraid Of Cold Traffic... But Learn To Embrace The WARMTH

It used to be called "word of mouth" - the idea that someone would refer others to you (simply by virtue of the quality of your work).

People want to spend money. The fallacy that they'll not be willing to spend money in your store is basically a lie that you've made up -- people enjoy the exotic + interesting, and will definitely embrace whatever you've created IF you're sincere.

I used to have a massive hangup years back; never really connecting with people because I was always about trying to "make sales".

Whilst this is important, you need to realize that people talk - and there'll be a group of them who genuinely want you to succeed.

Thus, if you're looking at "warm" traffic (people from your social account etc), don't be afraid to embrace it. The more you embrace people's desires, the more open they'll be with you.

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4. NEVER "Sell" Your Store / Products - Always Provide Value

If you really want to promote your store properly, there are a number of important things you need to do.

The first is to ensure that you never sell the "store" itself.

People have this fascination with the idea that just because they made a store, everybody else will instantly be interested.

In a world of Amazon, social media + millions of others trying to "get rich", this is one of the worst things you can do.

A much better thing is to focus in on one thing that your store is there to do (see #2), and use that as the underlying promotional message.

Further to this, you need to ensure that conversing with buyers - not telling them about what you have.

This means that if you're buying advertising, rather than promoting your store/products, address their underlying problem and provide a solution.

You don't really need to mention the store at all - only the fact that you are able to provide the solution for a particular price (and free shipping?).

For example...

• Get a killer pout with ULTRA lipstick - available from $9.99 and free shipping (nxt 24 hrs only)
• I lost 5lbs 7 days ago - killer ab workouts that burn fat FAST $19.99
• Getting the right website MULTIPLIED my sales overnight - $450 seals the deal

Notice how people aren't buying you or your store? They're buying the result that you're promising.

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5. Don't Be Afraid To Test/Experiment

Finally, don't be afraid to experiment.

Experimentation is the process of life, and it's no different in the world of enterprise.

EVERYTHING has value. Obviously, some value is higher priced than others... the point is that even if you created a "really bad" store, someone will still want to buy from it.

The biggest enemy people has is themselves; uneager to risk their name/reputation (ego) on making progress - they stick to what they "know" and refuse to try new things.

This reluctance pushes them toward obscurity.

Put your face out there. Enjoy the process of creation and continue developing your underlying value no matter what.

This actually allows you to "attract" buyers, who value who you are + what you stand for. These people stick around, and are the most highly valued traffic going.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Richard_Peck/2344303

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Shopify Tutorial For Beginners 2019 - How To Create A Profitable Shopify...