Perhaps one of the most overlooked revenue generating assets that your company isn’t leveraging to its fullest is its social media presence, especially within LinkedIn. While at a surface level, these platforms just look like a networking opportunity for Millennials and Generation Z to stay connected. The reality is though that the value of social media begins to reveal itself when you consider that Millennials and Generation Z combine to equal over 45% of people in the workplace today, and over 90% of these individuals are on social media. Numbers that are only going to continue to grow in the coming years as they become the dominant generations in the workplace.
This is a major wake-up call if you are not currently on social media and/or not converting your followers into customers. If this is you or your company, it’s not too late, but you are currently playing sales with one or both hands tied behind your back. Imagine getting access to the largest database of potential buyers on the planet and only using it to post a picture of your dog, or say Happy Memorial Day with a low res image of a flag. If you aren’t in a sales position, then you can totally keep using it to stay up to date on your friends and continue your once a month posting frequency. However, to all my Sales Reps and Leaders out there, keep reading this, below are three simple tricks to turn your followers into sales.
1. Post What They Want (Solve by serving)
When switching your account from a personal one to an account with purpose, you have to consider everything that is being posted. Sunset pictures of your vacation may get likes, but content that leaves an impact will change how your followers view you. No longer are you the guy who posts pictures of his car, but instead you are on your way to be a thought leader in your space. You do have to realize when you begin posting with purpose, there will be a number of your current followers who will not be fans of this new course of action. This may reduce your follower count temporarily, but this will ultimately help you identify your group of people who are ready for more. This allows your impact level to skyrocket!
2. Interact with them (the best way to build brand loyalty)
Once the transition has been made from posting just for the sake of posting, to a strategy of now posting content with value, psychologically the way you are viewed by your followers will slowly begin to adjust to that of a thought leader or trusted advisor. You are now someone providing insights and value that is important to them. So instead of skipping over your post, they are actively reading and taking notes. The best thing you can do at this point is to interact with them, because they are sure to be interacting with you!
Your pseudo-celebrity status online with your fan base will make them want to hear from you!
- Give them a shoutout
- Follow people back
- Respond to their comments.
This keeps your followers in front of you and not in front of your competition. Wendy’s social media brand voice has certainly done an exceptional job at this over the years to the point where their followers now will actively reach out to them asking to be roasted online.
I am not suggesting that you go out making fun of your followers, but what I am saying is that engaging with them will continue to build brand loyalty and trust.
3. Exclusive Access (build your following and keep them buying)
Going down the checklist: you have begun to post relevant content, and you are engaging with them (hopefully in a nice way). This last piece to the puzzle is what turns your now fulfilled followers into returning customers:
Exclusivity.
It is important to give your customers a reason to continue to be your followers. The lure of getting some discount or content that can’t be found elsewhere else shows to them that you value their presence. This can be a fine line to dance because you can’t just post offers and discounts, otherwise you take away from the value of your content. It is good to do in moderation because this is what they are looking for and the real reason why they followed you in the first place. A good ratio that has been proven to be successful is 75% value content, and 25% exclusive content.
When you begin to implement all three of these strategies into your social profiles, you will certainly see your followers getting converted into sales. Remember, sales is a happy side effect to social, and when you remember your mission is to serve by sharing content they want, the sales will follow.
