5 BIG Social Selling Ideas for Small Businesses

Are you looking for some practical social selling ideas that will let you leverage the ah-MAZing audience you’ve built on social media?

Because let’s be real: while using social media for your business can be fun, the end goal is ultimately to make money!

Updated: March 29, 2021

In case you’re new to the phrase, “social selling”, it’s simply using social media as a lead generation strategy.

As you share content, build relationships, and earn the trust of your audience on social media, sales will follow.

BUT…many business owners also want to know: what strategies can you use that will actually lead to sales?

That’s exactly what this post is about. Following are 5 social selling ideas you can start implementing today!

5 Social Selling Ideas For Businesses

You don’t need to be “salesy” to sell on social media. These social selling ideas will help you build trust and generate leads and sales without the hard sell.

1. Sell Via Images.

It’s pretty clear that visual content is the most popular type of content on social media, hands down.

Captivating images are great for “stopping the scroll”, and are one of the most important types of content for marketers. In fact, according to a recent survey, marketers said images and videos are the #1 most important element when creating a piece of content.

So…why not use visual content to increase sales?

There are a bunch of ways you can do this, including via:

• Promo codes: Create eye-catching graphics announcing discounts or coupon codes
• Product features: Show off the features of your product in a graphic rather than just listing them off
• Image-based contests: Use an image to promote a contest, or ask your fans or followers to submit their own photos
• Product pins: Using product pins on Pinterest allows you to include a price on your product images. Bonus: Pinterest even notifies your customers of changes in price or availability!

2. Do Weekly LIVE Trainings.

Teaching is a great way to earn trust that will lead to sales…often much sooner than you think.

According to one recent survey, 80% of people would rather watch a live video from a brand than read a blog post.

Fortunately, almost all major social media platforms are now set up for livestreaming.

Schedule weekly live trainings for your audience that will not only provide them with super-practical ideas and tips, but that will help them get to know you.

This will boost your “know, like, trust” factor in no time at all, leading to a steady stream of leads and sales…all without sounding salesy!

3. Schedule Your Content.

We all know the benefits of scheduling your social media content ahead of time.

But what does this have to do with social selling?

Well, as with relationships, being consistent on social media is one of the best ways to build trust.

When you post helpful, valuable content day in and day out, your audience comes to not only trust you, but to rely on you as a source of help.

Posting regularly also means you’re always top of mind – so that when it does come time for your followers to buy, YOU are the one they think of first.

To ensure you’re posting on a regular basis, I highly recommend scheduling your posts ahead of time using a tool like Agorapulse. We all know “life happens”, and scheduling your posts will ensure life never gets in the way of a regular posting schedule!

4. Share Testimonials and Reviews.

Image via Oberlo

It’s getting harder and harder to trust ANYONE online…amiright?

One way to stand out and earn trust on social media is to share testimonials and reviews from past customers and clients.

According to Trustpilot, nearly 9 out of 10 consumers read reviews before making a purchase.

So, if you’re not collecting and sharing reviews and testimonials, you’re probably missing out…big time!

Some ways to share them with your social media followers include:

• Create short video testimonials from past clients
• Turn a positive review or testimonial into a graphic you can share
• Encourage happy customers to leave a 5-star review on your Facebook page or local “Google My Business” page
• Use testimonials in your social media ads

5. Engage in One-on-One Conversations.

According to research done by LinkedIn, 76% of buyers are ready to have sales conversations on social media.

And one of the best ways to have really productive, effective conversations is to move from one-to-many conversations (which is what social media posts are), to one-on-one conversations.

This could be simply addressing people by their first name when responding to comments, or it could mean inviting people to have more in-depth discussions with you via a DM or email.

If possible, I also recommend moving important one-on-one conversations offline.

For instance, when I connect with potential clients on LinkedIn, I reach out and ask for a phone or in-person meeting as soon as possible. This allows me to really connect with them, and to show them exactly how I can help them.

It also helps me stand out as a REAL PERSON!

Final Thoughts

Need more social selling ideas?

My mini-training, 4 Simple Steps to Crafting Social Media Posts That Will SELL Your Product/Service, will walk you through exactly what you need to know to start selling on social media.

I’ll show you how to get more people to look at and click on your posts, the secret to creating social media headlines that can’t get ignored, and more.

Get started with social selling today!

What are your best social selling ideas? I’d love to hear your thoughts…Share with us below!

About Author

Kim Garst

Kim Garst is a renowned marketing strategist and speaker who is trailblazing the use of artificial intelligence in digital marketing. With over 30 years of experience as an online entrepreneur, Kim helps entrepreneurs grow their business and authority online by using AI technology. She is leading the way with proven AI frameworks that help entrepreneurs build authority in their space.

She is keynote speaker and an international best-selling author of Will The Real You Please Stand Up, Show Up, Be Authentic and Prosper in Social Media.

Named by Forbes as a Top 10 Social Media Power Influencer, Kim is well-known for her skill to simplify complex technology and make the use of AI understandable for business growth. Her relatable, actionable advice helps guide new entrepreneurs to harness the power of AI to succeed in digital marketing. Kim is leading the way in combining human and technological skills to create a new model for AI-powered marketing.

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