sticking a price on it and putting it somewhere people might buy it.
No more!
Marketing products on social media is an ever-evolving process.
[bctt tweet=”5 Easy Ways to Sell Without Selling on Social Media. #socialmedia” username=”feedalpha”]
In order to continue to generate interest and sales, businesses have turned to adding value on the social media platforms where their customers hang out.
So how do you add value to social media exactly?
It’s not much different to what traditional marketeers might do.
What can you do on social media that makes your actual product or service more valuable to your customer?
It’s not complicated,
it doesn’t have to cost you anything,
but it is a great way to build brand loyalty,
just like the traditional things that sellers might do,
such as throw in free delivery or an extra piece of kit.
So here we go: 5 very simple ways you can add value online.
1. What is added value for your customer?
What is added value for them?
If you’re unsure, a customer persona exercise is a great way to start (you can check out free online resources or go through a marketing specialist):
it will help you to develop a clear picture of who your ideal client is,
what they are interested in, what they need and what their priorities are.
Do you know who your ideal customer is?
People just want to be understood!
If your customer is attracted by extras, that’s what you should focus on; if he or she really values objective advice, that’s how you need to add value.
Also, think outside of the transaction.
How can you help them with their preoccupations?
What content will interest them?
2. Perfect your customer experience
It involves everything from when a potential customer first shows an interest, all the way to any post-purchase communication, and all the intangibles in between.
On social media, you can really focus on your responsiveness.
Customers hate to wait.
Waiting on hold for ages (with irritating music on a loop) is the bane of your customer’s life!
Leverage social media to solve that particular issue.
You can answer questions, allay concerns, resolve problems quickly and efficiently all on a one-to-one basis.
The quicker and more responsive you are, the more impressed and likely to become repeat customers they will be.
3. Give Away!
It doesn’t matter if it’s a branded magnet, pen or calendar, a free e-book or guide, or just free advice.
It all shows a desire to give back and go above and beyond for your customers.
Get creative with your ideas.
Figure out what would appeal most to your customers (the customer persona will help with that).
It could be exclusive access to something or a preview of a new product or access to sale stock before the sale officially starts.
Tailoring your giveaways to your customer will get you noticed and remembered!
4. Help
You could go so far as to create a social media account just for answering your potential customers’ queries but be aware that this could be incredibly time-consuming!
A more efficient approach might be to have an FAQ section on your website with the answers to commonly asked questions about your area of expertise (not – and this is very important – about your product or service!).
Writing blogs that address people’s questions and pushing them out either as a direct response to an individual who asks the question, or in a scheduled manner, is another good way to build up a helpful expert reputation.
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5. Build a Community
Successful Facebook groups are supportive community networks where people can help each other, but where you are on hand to answer questions and generally be really sound.
There is a lot more work in this, but it can be hugely beneficial to your branding and your business.
Bite the Biscuit is a group on Facebook for people working in the arts – makers, designers, painters, writers and so on – set up by a woman who runs business courses for those in the creative fields.
Massage Matters is a group where complementary therapists can ‘Share, Source, Support and Socialise’.
It is run by a therapist who also supplies massage oils and lotions to therapists.
The founders of both groups say they have transformed their businesses, but more than that, they absolutely love participating in the communities that have formed around the Facebook pages.
They will seek your advice and more than likely purchase from you… while singing your praises to their circle of friends!
If you follow our pointers (or even just some of them), you will find that you have built stronger brand awareness and brand loyalty, created happy and engaged customers, and generated additional sales.
You will stand out from the crowd with a competitive edge… and your customers will have a major case of the warm and fuzzies.
What’s not to like?