Building a brand is something that has evolved dramatically over the years. If you want your business to stand out, then you’ve got to be prepared to let people in and use your own personal brand to sell what you do. Thankfully there are loads of tools out there today that make it easy to do just that. And the best part? They’re FREE! I know that I’m forever preaching about the benefits of using social media, but social selling is extremely powerful, and if you use it correctly it really can take your business and brand to the next level.
Think of your social media pages as an extension of yourself. Essentially they are the gateway to you, who you are, and how others perceive you. I’ve met so many interesting people, developed business relationships, and sold more stuff than you can imagine, all by using social media.
In today’s world, it’s imperative to have a social media strategy in place and to produce consistent content. Contrary to what some people believe, social media is much more than just a way to get noticed online. It allows you the opportunity to grow your brand, connect with your current customers, and generate real leads for your business. And what’s even better is that social media lead generation is actually very cost-effective. There probably isn’t a more powerful sales tool on the internet than social media. Social selling is what happens when clients start reaching out to you instead of the other way around. And how do you get them to do this? By building your brand online and becoming a voice of authority or an influencer.
Sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram can become effective and profitable sales tools. If you want to create a successful social media strategy, you should familiarise yourself with how each social network operates, the kinds of audiences you can reach on that platform, and how your business can best use each social network.
You could lose many sales and prospects if your social media pages are full of irrelevant posts and outdated information. Have a clear description of who you are, what you offer, and how people can reach you. And then make sure that the content you post is both engaging and informative. These days anyone can create content, and if you want to be seen as an expert in your field, then you should be uploading videos, using the Facebook Live tool, and sharing your knowledge every single day. No ifs. No buts. No maybes.
Think about what you have to say, and how you’re going to say it. A lot of people employ other companies to do their social media, but if you’re going to develop your brand, then you need to make sure that the brand is you. This means being very hands on and involved in everything that is posted.
Need some tips on how to get started? Here are my top 3 tips!
- Ask questions: Ask your audience questions that are relevant to the product or service that you sell. This will work as research for you, and your audience will also be more interested in engaging with your content.
- Do your homework: Spend time learning about social media and how it can help your business. It’s more effective than cold calling and door knocking. There are so many different platforms and options for what you can do, so spend some time exploring and discovering everything available to you.
- Know your audience: Make sure that you are very familiar with your target market, and that you tailor your content to suit what they are interested in.
