Understanding Social Selling the Inbound Way

Introduction To Social Selling The Inbound Way

You've tirelessly built your startup, poured your heart into a product you believe in.

You connect on social media, but your outreach feels...off?

What if there was a way to attract interested buyers instead of chasing them down?

Welcome to Social Selling the Inbound Way!

Doing the modern age business requires more than just the hustle. Cold outreach is outdated; generic posts get lost. Here’s the truth that you should not be avoiding: people buy from people they know, like, and trust.

Social selling is the art of using social media to find, connect, and nurture sales prospects. It's about building genuine connections with your audience instead of resorting to cold calls or spammy messages. You share valuable content, engage in conversations, and provide solutions that your potential customers are looking for.

So, what is social selling the inbound way?

Imagine attracting qualified buyers already interested instead of scrambling for attention. Sounds too good to be true? It's not. 

Social selling the inbound way taps into the power of social media to build genuine connections, establish you as an industry expert, and nurture leads who are ready to buy when the time comes. 

Traditional Sales Methods Vs. Social Selling

Understanding how social selling varies from conventional sales techniques is crucial to fully know what social selling the inbound way implies.

Traditional sales rely on interruption and hard-sell, pressuring customers. In contrast, social selling the inbound way is about attracting customers organically.

According to statistics, it takes around 18 cold calls to bring in a new prospect, and fewer than 25% of outbound emails are seen by the person for whom they were sent. Social selling works better because it is more organic, subtle, and genuine. 

Here's a table breaking down main differences between traditional sales methods and Social Selling the Inbound Way:

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Imagine having access to seasoned sales professionals who can personalize interactions and build trust through valuable content. Activated Scale's fractional sales talent can make this a reality.

Integration Of Social Selling With Inbound Marketing Tactics

You need to integrate social selling with inbound marketing tactics to fully harness the power of social selling in all manners. This combination creates a seamless strategy that attracts and engages potential customers effectively. Here's how to make them work together seamlessly:

• Content Creation: Share blog posts, videos, ebooks, webinars, and infographics that address your audience's pain points. Answer questions and spark discussions around industry topics.
• Engagement: Don't just broadcast content. Engage with your audience, answer their questions, and offer helpful advice. Convert those interested followers into qualified leads by offering gated content like white papers or demos in exchange for their contact information.
• Lead Nurturing: Use email campaigns to provide valuable insights and keep your leads updated to nurture them.
• Social Proof: People trust recommendations from others. Encourage customer testimonials and social shares. Showcase success stories and case studies on your social media profiles. This social proof adds credibility and attracts new leads who see the value you offer.
• Track and Analyze: Resort to social media analytics tools to track what content resonates with your audience. See which kind of posts generate the most engagement and leads. This data helps you refine your strategy and tailor your content for maximum impact with social selling the inbound way.
• Targeted Ads: Social media ads help reach specific audience segments with tailored messages. Personalization increases the relevance and effectiveness of your ads. Use the advanced targeting features provided by social media platforms. These include lookalike audiences, custom audiences, and interest-based targeting

Also read, What is Social Selling And Its Importance In 2024

Convert those interested followers into qualified leads by offering gated content like white papers or demos. Activated Scale can provide the experienced sales talent to manage these leads effectively

The Evolution Of Sales To Social Selling The Inbound Way

The evolution of sales has seen a significant shift from outbound to inbound strategies. Outbound sales relied on cold calls, direct emails, and interruptive tactics that often left prospects frustrated.

Today, the focus has moved to inbound social selling, where you attract customers by providing valuable content and engaging with them on their terms. This approach respects the buyer's journey, drawing them in with helpful insights. Providing value through content is at the heart of what is social selling the inbound way.

Building long-term relationships is another key aspect of social selling the inbound way. Instead of focusing on one-time transactions, you aim to nurture ongoing connections with your prospects and customers. This means listening to their needs, engaging in meaningful conversations, and being present on the platforms they use.

Over time, these relationships lead to higher customer loyalty, repeat business, and valuable word-of-mouth referrals, making your sales process more sustainable and effective.

Building long-term relationships and nurturing leads might seem overwhelming, but partnering with Activated Scale can provide you with the expertise to manage this transition smoothly.

The Role Of Social Media In Social Selling

Each social media platform brings its own strength to social selling the inbound way.  LinkedIn is a professional platform that connects industry leaders and shares thought leadership content. Twitter lets you engage in real-time conversations with bite-sized insights and trending hashtags. Facebook and Instagram are the apt platforms for creating brand awareness with visuals, customer stories, and a glimpse into your company culture.

Understanding what is social selling the inbound way means using these platforms to share valuable content, interact authentically, and attract potential customers without the hard sell. Activated Scale offers vetted sales  professionals who understand how to use these platforms for maximum impact

Key Platforms For Social Selling The Inbound Way

Social Selling the Inbound Way thrives on creating high-quality content tailored to specific platforms.

High-performing salespeople are 12% more likely to use social media in their plans, demonstrating the critical role social selling plays in improving overall sales performance.

Here's your guide to dominating the social media landscape and attracting leads on the biggest platforms:

1. LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the go-to platform for B2B connections packed with industry professionals, decision-makers, and potential leads.

Share thought leadership articles, engage in industry discussions, and demonstrate your knowledge and expertise by participating in relevant groups.

Publish insightful blog posts, curate industry news, and share company updates with a professional touch.  Join relevant LinkedIn groups to spark conversations and amplify your reach.

2. Twitter

Twitter thrives on real-time conversations and breaking news. It's a great platform for connecting with a broader audience and building brand awareness.

Use relevant hashtags to join industry conversations, answer customer questions quickly, and share bite-sized insights.

Craft concise tweets with valuable information and visuals.  Use Twitter polls and live chats to spark engagement and amplify your reach by retweeting industry influencers.

3. Facebook & Instagram

Facebook and Instagram are ideal for building brand awareness and showcasing your company culture with a more casual touch.

Share company stories and behind-the-scenes glimpses with engaging visuals. If you aim to reach a wider audience within your niche, try running targeted ad campaigns

Create visually appealing content like infographics, short videos, and product demos. To create a sense of buzz and excitement, run contests and giveaways and encourage user-generated content (UGC).

Building Your Social Selling Strategy With An Inbound Focus

To build an effective social selling strategy with an inbound focus, you need to understand your audience and engage them meaningfully. Here's how to build a winning Social Selling the Inbound Way strategy:

• Know your ideal buyer:

Before you start posting, identify your ideal customer. Create detailed buyer personas that outline their demographics, pain points, and online behavior. This helps you tailor your content to their specific needs and interests. Also, keep on updating your personas as you gather more insights to ensure they remain accurate and relevant.

• Create and Share Customer-Centric Content

Focus on creating customer-centric content that educates, entertains, and solves your customers’ problems. Plan a mix of content types, such as blog posts, videos, infographics, and case studies that address your audience’s needs. Keep a consistent and dedicated posting schedule to keep your audience interested and informed.

• Engage Beyond Posting:

Posting is just the first step. Social selling is about building relationships. Actively engage with your audience - comment on their posts, participate in discussions, and offer helpful advice. Show genuine interest in your audience’s needs and feedback. Authenticity is key – be yourself and connect on a human level.

Knowing your audience and engaging them meaningfully is crucial. Activated Scale’s professionals can help create and implement a tailored social selling strategy.

• Other Relevant Tips:

1. Keep an eye on your social media performance to find out what content your audience responds to the most.
2. Make sure your social media accounts accurately convey the tone and values of your company and are complete and professional.
3. Encourage your sales team to re-share your content and engage with their networks for a better reach.
4. Keep up with social media trends and platform updates to adapt your strategy accordingly.

Benefits Of Social Selling The Inbound Way

Feeling like traditional sales tactics are a dead end?  There's a better way to connect with potential customers and generate leads. Social selling the inbound way flips the script on sales, attracting qualified leads who are already interested in what you offer. But the benefits go beyond just lead generation. Here's how Social Selling the Inbound Way can transform your business:

• Increased Visibility and Brand Awareness:

When you consistently share valuable content, you position yourself as an industry expert and increase brand visibility. Social media platforms can help your brand reach a wider audience, going beyond conventional marketing channels.

• Enhanced credibility and personal brand building:

Social selling fosters authentic connections with potential customers, leading to stronger and more meaningful relationships. By offering insightful analysis and practical solutions, you could enhance audience trust and increase the likelihood that they choose your goods or services over those of competitors.

• Effective lead generation and conversion rates:

Say goodbye to expensive advertising campaigns. Social selling the inbound way leverages the power of free social media platforms to reach a broad audience. It's a cost-effective way to generate leads and grow your sales pipeline. Building relationships over time means that when leads do convert, they're often ready to buy, resulting in shorter sales cycles and increased conversions.

• Improved Customer Feedback:

Social media sites offer insightful information about customer preferences, pain points, and feedback, helping you tailor your offerings and improve customer satisfaction. Interacting with clients on social media enables you to quickly respond to issues and comments, showcasing your dedication to providing excellent customer service.

The pros of social selling include augmented brand visibility and trust. Imagine the impact with sales experts from Activated Scale, who can further enhance your outreach efforts.

Practical Guidelines For Enhancing Social Selling The Inbound Way

Optimizing LinkedIn activity and improving the Social Selling Index (SSI)

LinkedIn's Social Selling Index (SSI) helps you gain valuable insights into your social selling activity. With this data, you can:

• Set SMART goals to enhance your social selling skills.
• Track your progress over time and see how you're performing.
• Become an industry leader by aiming for an SSI score of 75 or higher.

Here's how to boost your LinkedIn activity and watch your Social Selling Index (SSI) soar:

• Craft a powerful profile
• Share valuable industry content regularly.
• Comment, participate in discussions, and answer questions.
• Join LinkedIn Groups to connect with your niche.

Best practices for engaging with influencers

Influencers can be powerful allies in Social Selling the Inbound Way. Here's how to collaborate effectively:

• Look for relevant influencers whose audience overlaps yours.
• Build connections by sharing insights or co-creating content.
• Comment, share, and participate in their discussions.
• Co-host webinars or write guest posts to reach new audiences.
• Thank them publicly for their partnership.

Content strategies for addressing pain points and offering solutions

Feeling stuck at creating content that just gathers a few likes? Here's the key: identify the pain points.

• Identify Your Audience's Struggles: What keeps your ideal customer up at night? Research common industry challenges and pain points.
• Become the Problem Solver: Craft content that offers solutions and valuable insights like blog posts, infographics, or short explainer videos.
• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use real-life examples and case studies to showcase how your product or service addresses these challenges.
• Be Clear and Concise: Keep your content easy to understand and actionable. Focus on delivering quick wins and practical advice.

With the right guidance, boosting your Social Selling Index (SSI) on LinkedIn or collaborating with influencers is easier. Activated Scale offers access to professionals who have perfected these strategies.

Streamlining Social Selling Within Your Sales Strategy

Social selling the inbound way isn't a solo act. Here's how to seamlessly incorporate it into your sales strategy:

1. Aligning team efforts with sales goals

Clearly define your sales goals and objectives to ensure the entire team works towards the same set of objectives. To maximize effectiveness, encourage collaboration between sales, marketing, and social media teams.

2. Using CRM platforms for personalized engagement

Consider CRM platforms like HubSpot, Salesforce, or Zoho CRM that offer social selling capabilities. Such platforms help store customer data and personalize your social media engagement. Tailor your content and outreach based on individual needs and interests.

3. Training teams for maximum results

Promote a culture of experimentation and learning, where team members are motivated to try new strategies and tactics. Offer training programs or workshops to educate your team on social media best practices and inbound marketing strategies. Equip them with the skills to engage with potential customers, answer questions, and build trust online.

Integrating social selling into your broader sales strategy can be complex. With Activated Scale’s fractional sales talent, you’ll have the expertise needed to align efforts and achieve your sales goals

Also read, Beyond Part-Time: Why Fractional Work Might Be Perfect for You

Analyzing The Outcomes Of Your Social Selling Efforts

So you know these strategies will help you ace your social selling the inbound way. But how do you measure the impact and keep your strategy dialed in? Here's how to track your success:

• Keep a track on numbers:

Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) like website traffic, lead generation, engagement rates (likes, comments, shares), and conversion rates (leads to sales). Tools like Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, and Twitter Analytics, Bitly for link tracking, UTM parameters for campaign tracking can help you track these metrics.

Also read, Best Sales Tools for Growing Startups in 2024

• Use social listening tools:

Monitor mentions of your brand across social media platforms to understand sentiment and perception with social listening tools like Hootsuite, Sprout Social, Brandwatch, etc. This helps figure out what appeals to your audience and locating any possible problems that your content might solve.

• Tweak strategies based on data-driven insights

Review performance data regularly to identify patterns, trends, and areas for improvement. Experiment with different strategies and tactics to see what resonates best with your audience. To maximize outcomes, it is recommended to consistently enhance your social marketing tactics by utilizing data-driven insights.

Activated Scale can provide experienced sales personnel to interpret data, refine strategies, and ensure continuous improvement.

Key Takeaways On What Is Social Selling The Inbound Way

While understanding what is social selling the inbound way, it's evident that technology and automation play increasingly vital roles in personalized engagement. Leveraging tools like AI-driven analytics and CRM platforms enables startups and SMEs to tailor their interactions with prospects, fostering deeper connections and higher conversion rates.

This emphasis on technological integration underscores the importance of being adept and saying yes to innovative solutions to meet evolving consumer demands. But remember, social selling is about building genuine connections, so it’s not recommended to let automation replace authenticity completely.

Studies reveal that nearly 80% of skilled social sellers outperform their competitors who don’t engage in social selling. This statistic highlights the significance of continuous learning and refinement of social selling techniques.

So, the power to transform your sales strategy lies at your fingertips. Keep developing your social selling skills, experiment with different platforms, and focus on providing valuable content that resonates with your audience. Consider leveraging Activated Scale’s platform to connect with top-notch sales talent tailored to your needs.