How to Create The Perfect Social Media Profile for Selling

Social selling — is it the newest member of the marketing buzz word family, or an actual strategy your brand can use to turn prospects into real customers? 

There's a lot of confusion about social selling — and even more confusion about how to use it properly. 

Today, I am going to set the record straight. 

We're going to talk about what social selling is (and what it isn't) and how to create a profile that will reel customers in — not scare them away. 

Note: Grow your sales pipeline by identifying anonymous companies from your current website traffic with Leadfeeder, sign up and try for free for 14 days.

The power of social selling 

Social selling is about leveraging the power of social media to connect with prospects where they spend a large portion of their day — on social media. 

If you are still using outdated sales funnels that focus on email and cold calls, then you are letting a large portion of your revenue go down the drain. 

Social selling is the act of using social media platforms, like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, to connect with and nurture sales leads through the sales funnel. 

Is it social media advertising? Not totally, though it can include ads. 

Is it a social media strategy? Kind of. Though social selling is more personal. 

The main thing you need to know about social selling? It works. Period. 

In fact, 78% of social sellers outperform their peers who don't use social selling. 

The biggest struggle brands have when it comes to social selling is they are so focused on selling aspects that they forget the social part of social selling. 

And it all starts with your social profile. 

How to create a brand social profile that actually sells

When your profile resonates with your target audience, you are going to have a much easier time closing deals.

But what exactly constitutes a great social media profile? 

What is the reaction you want people to have when they view your profile?

“This person is the most ingenious and most respected professional to ever work in my industry”? 

Not so much. 

Not only is that going to look cocky and annoying, but it would also make you seem inaccessible.

Here is how to build a social profile that helps you actually close deals. 

Be a real person, not just a brand. 

People don't buy from brands — they buy from people. Your social profile should be professional, yes, but also personal. 

Be authentic, don't be afraid to show your triumphs and your trials. 

If they are going to trust you, they want to see the real you, not the Instagram perfect version of your life. 

Pay attention to the nuances between platforms — you wouldn't want to share pictures of your cat on LinkedIn, for example. That is what Facebook and Instagram are for. 

Being authentic means sharing a clearer view of your life and who you are as a person — not just the highlights. 

Use automation tools carefully. 

Social selling requires you to be active and authentic on multiple social media networks — all at the same time. 

Keeping everything updated and organized can be time-consuming. This is where automation tools come into play — but they have to be used carefully. 

Scheduling the exact same post on four social networks, for example, isn't going to feel authentic. People will think you've outsourced your social media — or don't actually care. 

For social selling to be effective, you will need to use some tools like Buffer or Hootsuite to schedule out posts. 

But also make time to engage with people. Respond to Tweets, share interesting resources, ask questions. 

A social mention tool is your friend here. 

There are several stand-alone tools, or you can use a built-in tool, like the one Hootsuite offers. 

It makes it easy to see when people are talking about you or topics that are important to your brand. 

Take the time to engage with users by answering questions, responding to mentions, and engaging in a thoughtful way. 

You will want to keep a calendar so you don't forget to mention upcoming promotions or launches, but don't rely too heavily on automation tools — it will make your profile feel scripted and fake. 

Be emotional. 

Like any sales guide will tell you, sales is all about building connections. That is true whether you are cold calling, working hot leads, or using social selling. 

Social media, however, allows you to be far more personal — and emotional. According to Harvard Business Review, emotions are one of the most critical forces behind effective marketing. 

If you want people to buy from you, they need to feel connected to you. 

They need to trust you; they need to be excited and curious about the content you share.  

One of the most effective ways to evoke an emotional response is through visual images. 

Content with images garners more views and engagement than any other type of content. 

So, if you want to build an emotional connection with your prospects, share infographics, images from your life, and other visual content. 

Show how you can help. 

Social selling, at its core, is about being part of a community. That means sharing and being helpful — not just sharing your brand's latest blog post and patting yourself on the back for being 'active.' 

Your goal should be to be viewed, first and foremost, as a wealth of knowledge and resources — not just as a salesperson pushing their product. 

Join LinkedIn groups, and interact with content people share authentically. Share your thoughts and reflections. 

Look for Twitter chats in your industry and participate and share value. 

Join Facebook groups related to your industry and take the time to interact. Answer questions from newbies, share resources that you find helpful. 

When you take the time to participate and share value, you build trust — which makes it easier to build connections and sell to your prospects. 

Final thoughts on building the perfect profile for social selling.  

Social selling can be incredibly effective when used correctly. 

Or, it can be a complete waste of your time. 

Whether or not social selling is effective is totally up to you. If you take the time to show up, participate, and add value, you will find it is easy to connect with prospects and lead them through your sales funnel. 

On the other hand, if you use it as another outlet where you can badger people to buy your product or service, you are going to be sorely disappointed.

Take the time to think before you post. Consider whether you are posting to sell or if you are building trust and credibility. Put your audience's needs first, and the sales will follow. 

Note: Grow your sales pipeline by identifying anonymous companies from your current website traffic with Leadfeeder, sign up and try for free for 14 days.