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Are you tired of spending hours and hours sending out connection requests, responding to online groups, attending online events and liking social posts with little to no return?
It might be time to step back and take another look at exactly what you’re putting in—and what you’re getting out—of all of these efforts.
For example, review the following questions and think about how many of these you’re currently doing.
- Don’t post information about your company, products or services immediately after you join a group
When you initially join an online group, you should never start sharing about your products or services right away, unless you have been explicitly asked to do so in an intro post.Get to the know the members and ask questions about what they do or offer. In general, you want to spend a few weeks (or at least a few days at a minimum) asking about other people and providing content to them before you even think about mentioning your own business, products or services. And even then, you need to do it in a certain way…stay tuned for more info about that. - Show, don’t sell
You’ll win over a lot more people if you help first, instead of trying to sell, sell, sell.For example, you should take the time to monitor group posts daily and if other people are asking questions related to your area of expertise, jump in and provide the answers. Make sure your profile or bio is up-to-date and include a signature (with a link to your website if the group or forum allows).This way, you’re providing tons of value, establishing yourself as an expert and also raising brand awareness. You’ll soon come to be known as an expert within that group and people will learn to trust and rely on you for your expertise. And guess what? After they’ve seen your name a few times, they’ll also start to remember who you are and what you offer. The key is consistency. - Look for leads, but don’t use high-pressure tactics
That said, there are often people in online events, webinars, social channels and groups who are desperately in need of your solution. You just need to learn to look for the signs and red flags that signal buying intent.For example, if you sell accounting software and hear someone tell a webinar presenter that they’re confused about how to reconcile their books, this could be a sign that they’re a good fit for your product. Don’t be shy about sending that person a one-on-one message during the webinar to ask if they want to connect to learn about your easy-to-use software that includes lots of free training and tutorials.Again, remember that you’re connecting with them because you truly want to be helpful first and foremost. It’s often helpful to provide a few tips and tricks (i.e. free advice) during those early messages or calls, while you’re still gaining trust. By helping them with their immediate need, you’ll be seen as an expert and they’ll begin to trust you.Likewise, if you’re a healthcare professional and you hear someone complaining about a sore back in an online group, feel free to reach out to them via direct message to see if they want to do a quick phone call.The most important thing is to take the first step and help people. After you gain their trust, then move the conversation toward the next step—usually something like a phone call, demo or consultation. Always leave the ball in their court and don’t pressure. If they’re not ready to buy, check in with them again at a later date or continue to interact online if that makes sense.
How many of these tactics are you employing? Take a close look at your current approach and see if you can make a few tweaks in your processes to get better results.
Want recommendations for a more effective social networking strategy? Contact us today to learn more.
