The Do’s and Don’ts of Social Selling for B2B

72% of B2B marketers use social media advertising or promoted posts, so it’s no secret that paid social media is vital to generating sales and delivering ROI. But with the influx of users and increase in social advertising, how do marketers set themselves apart to ensure their message reaches their target audience; and more importantly, how do they drive user action?

Here’s a quick guide to selling your product or service via social media:

Do: Provide Value

Don’t: Ask for Value

Winning audiences over on social media requires a lot of thought and input. We can’t rely on audiences to interact with our tweets, fill out a form or even click through to a landing page without making it seriously worth their time.

Audiences are smart and don’t want to be sold to. Rather, they want marketers to intelligently and subtly appeal to their “sleepless nights.” No, not insomnia per se, but rather what their biggest business obstacles are and what they need to solve them (enter: your product or service).

Do: Lead Users Through a Selling Journey

Don’t: Rush to Selling Points

At Immediate Future, we’re strong believers that the best marketing and sales happen through storytelling. Unlike B2C, it’s not always clear to audiences why they should invest their time and attention into your offering – quite simply, you need to build a business case for them.

As noted in a recent Serious Social Podcast Episode, we like to follow a three-step process:

  • Hook: A fact, stat or timely news that will draw audience in and create urgency.
  • Nudge, nurture: Relevant content that addresses business pain points (typically solved through what you’re selling ).
  • Value exchange: Something you can hold back to tip them over to the point of purchase. Think whitepaper, research or something with a strong value-add that will better educate them while also upselling your product or service.

Do: Show Audiences Your Product/Service

Don’t: Tell Audiences About Your Product/Service

Lastly, and this is important, social is quick and visual. You need a creative that is thumb-stopping but at the same time delivers your key message in seconds. Flat visuals and lengthy customer testimonials serve a purpose, but NOT on social media.  See below for an example of our formula in action, when it’s complemented by strong visuals:

If you’re a B2B brand looking to drive impact through social media, drop us a note. ­

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