How To Socialize For Profits

Making the Sale with Social Media

It's no secret that social media is the marketing wave of the future. Everyone from high schoolers right through to Fortune 500 executives uses social media to connect with friends, business partners, and – in some cases – potential clients.

Through my time of working with social media for businesses, I've noticed that a lot of people lack what I call "social media follow-through." I think of it like baseball: you don't stop the motion of the bat as you hit the ball, you let the follow-through momentum continue naturally, and it's that momentum which knocks the ball right out of the park. If you're not turning those connections into new clients, then you're not knocking your social media marketing out of the park. Let's take a look at what you can do to keep that momentum and not stop mid-swing.

How *Not* To Sell With Social Media

Imagine this: you log on to Facebook or Twitter, and are immediately bombarded with product messages from a company. These product messages are very general, very promotional, and have barely any informational value. Are you going to want to know more about them? Probably not. You're going to just scowl at them, call them spam, and delete them immediately. In fact, you'll probably un-follow whoever tweeted them, and remove the posts from Facebook too.

That's how *not* to use social media for businesses. You never, EVER want to push your content at people – you'll just make them turn away. Instead, you get them interested with tips, comments, and links relevant to your industry. Then, once you've already got followers who trust you and consider you an authority, you very carefully introduce your own product or service.

Social Media for Businesses Is Never a "Hard Sell"

Don't be a used car salesman with your social media. For businesses, an ounce of self-promotion goes a very, very long way. Always keep your social media efforts focused on being an informative, contributing member of your industry community. Lead with valuable content, tips, information that will be of assistance to your audience. I suggest following the 80/20 rule. 80% of what you share through social media channels should be valued added info and 20% can be business or promotion related.

Once you get bites about your product or service, make sure you follow through quickly and effectively.

• Always keep the tone of dialogue friendly when your lead comes from social media for businesses.
• Expect a lot of people to inquire out of curiosity at first.
  
• Trust yourself to talk up the good points of your product.
• Don't be too pushy!
• Always, ALWAYS ensure the person you're talking to feels comfortable and has a good experience.

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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