Let’s start here…congratulations on a great Q4! Sales are soaring, morale is at an all-time high, and your internal PR efforts are driving inbound sales leads, noteworthy industry recognition, and a boat load of followers to your social channels.
But now what? Do you want them to ‘like, share, comment’ or to actually buy something from you? After all, most people can ‘talk the talk’, however not everyone can ‘walk the walk’… and in 2018, it’s time we focus on the latter to ensure our efforts contribute to the lifeblood of our company’s existence; the bottom line.
The question to answer is — how to go about it?
Instead of blasting marketing campaigns one after another just because everyone else is doing it, use your social media channels to generate conversions and learn how to truly make an impact.
The educated buyer
Today’s buyer does most of their research on their own and already knows what they want to buy long before they are contacted by a sales rep. Actually, according to a Consumer Executive Board (CEB) study conducted on 1,900 corporate decision makers, B2B buyers are already 57% away from making a purchasing decision before even talking to the sales rep. Where do they find this knowledge?
Where everyone else does — online. And social media marketing plays a big part in that. Now, since everyone else is using content marketing and social media marketing too, you have to be smart about it. Put your psychologist hat on! In this post, I will present some surefire tactics to use in 2018 to make the most out of your social media presence.
- The fear of missing out
Oh, the modern, omnipresent fear of missing out — social media has sure done its part in encouraging it. Seeing what others are doing, how much fun they are having, how much their businesses are booming… And this is exactly what you should use as a conversion magnet. Show people how successful your business is and how much your clients are profiting from using your product/working with you.
For example, maybe your CRM software has a great system in organizing leads, and thus minimizing the possibility of lost leads. Share it publicly, point out how many leads they are losing every day for not using your CRM. Create a sense of urgency: this problem of lost leads is there, it is big and needs to be solved asap. This will prompt your leads to act fast.
- Position yourself as the source of the latest news in the field
Studies have shown that B2B prospects turn to social media for keeping up-to-date with the latest news in the industry — be that social media channel to which they will turn. To position yourself as a leader and problem-solver, you need to be in touch with everything going on in your prospects’ field, i.e. the emerging trends and problems. New needs are created every minute and you should be able to pinpoint and intelligently discuss them on social media — and be among the first ones to do so. Your leads will recognize your value.
- Ask questions
The best way to know what your followers and soon-to-be leads and customers want to know is simply to ask! Engage with them on social media channels to see what they are interested in reading about and then give them this information on a regular and consistent basis. Make it their habit that the first place they visit when browsing the web over their morning coffee is your SM channels.
- Have a noticeable Call-to-Action
Or better yet — have several calls-to-action. In the online world overcrowded with information, attention spans are short and decision to sign up for an email list or not is made in a matter of seconds. Strike while the iron is hot. Guide your lead and make it a piece of cake for them to do whatever they need to do — sign up for your email list, fill out your survey etc. Moreover, when prompting your lead to a call to action, bear in mind that their actions are led by one motive: “what’s in it for me?”. Answer this question before they even know that they have asked it.
- The power of community
One great thing about the online world is that you can quickly find like-minded people who share common interests and goals. The charm is, you can not only find these communities, but also create them yourself. They are your opportunity to position yourself as a thought leader by answering questions and sharing the latest news in the industry. Most importantly, when creating your online image, be consistent across all channels. How you come across on Twitter is the same how you should be on Facebook. If you have created an image of an informal, cool, innovative marketing agency on your Twitter profile, you should project the same image on your Facebook account too. Infuse your followers with a feeling that if your company was a person, they would know exactly what kind of person it would be.
- Be the name they love to talk about
Use your podcasts, social media profiles and blogs to answer burning questions of your followers. They will love you for making it easy for them to find everything they need in one place. Everyone is tired of overabundance of choices on the web (and in life in general). Once they identify you as ‘the one’, they will rush to spread the good news over to their colleagues who are eager to find one, good source of reference that has it all. The more you are talked about, off and online, the greater your conversion rates become. Use master copywriting skills to attract the right crowd and be clear, concise and relevant while doing so. Respect your followers’ time and they will love you for it.
Since the dawn of time, people-oriented industries have hinged on the use of psychology to succeed — even the old baker had to use a psychological trick or two to show that his bread was better than the neighbor’s. Not much has changed for today’s B2B online marketer; the tricks are there for you to use them in 2018 and beyond.
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