Are you using social media to market and promote your business?

Still finding that your sales and conversion results are less than stellar?

You’re not alone.

Social selling is a common business challenge.

That’s why I was ecstatic to join Aaron Kilby last week on #MediaChat where we tackled this tough topic.

We discussed social media, the sales process and finding your perfect marketing mix.

Below is a roundup of our conversation, including 31 tips to effectively use social media to boost your sales!

31 Tips on How to Use Social Media to Boost Sales

 Increase Sales Opportunities

1. Get involved! The key to building lasting relationships is engagement. Make conversation the bridge between you and your audience.

2. Use Pinterest and Facebook advertising. Promoted/Boosted Posts can highlight quality content and drive targeted leads.

3. To capture consumer attention, answer ‘blocking’ questions immediately. Use straightforward language and be descriptive.

 Beef Up Your Social Media Profiles

4. Create a Persona Profile. Know your target market and understand their needs. Now speak directly to them within your social media profiles.

5. Get a professional headshot! People connect with people, not a logo, dog or kids. Make it easy to see who you are at a glance.

6. Get branded. Cover photos offer an immediate visual connection to your brand. Let this space tell your story!

 Share the Right Content

7. Create content that offers value and is clear in its intent. It helps potential customers get “un-stuck” during purchase decisions. 

8. Let visual marketing tell the story behind your company, product or service. Show and tell, don’t sell!

9. Video is the single best way to build rapport, establish expertise and instill trust in your business.

 Create Differentiation

10. If you want to stand out in a sea of social media noise, know what sets you apart from the competition. Now share it without fail.

11. Define your special skills and unique abilities. Specifically share how they help solve the problem(s) of your target audience. Share your story.

12. Stories create a personal connection, drawing on emotion and humanizing your business, making you memorable.

 Get Into Hashtags

13. Hashtags give you reach into a previously untapped market. How does this work? Once a word or phrase is hashtagged, (take #socialmedia for example) anyone can see it & search it.

14. With hashtags, you can also track your mentions, identifying key promoters or supporters of your brand. It’s a great way to insert yourself into the conversation, saying a simple hello or thank you.

15. Hashtags should also be used in your next marketing campaign to align with the theme and message. Use them along with tracking URL’s to monitor your progress and brand your business.

Start Pinning on Pinterest

16. Pinterest lets your expertise shine, introducing you and your business to a whole new targeted audience. Its no secret, I love its pinning powers!

17. Rich Pins are a social sales dream! Additional data is added to pins, offering higher visibility & an instant call to action. Are you using them in your business? If not, it’s time to get on board.

18. On Pinterest, consistent branding, including colors, fonts, and style creates a streamlined look, boosting brand awareness. Don’t miss the opportunity to utilize all that Pinterest has to offer.

My “Pinterest Getting Started Guide” on Post Panner shares secrets to using Pinterest in your business.

 Answer the “What’s In It For Me?” Question

19. Consumers are moving at lightening speed as they research, interact and make purchase decisions online. In order to capture their attention, you need to answer the WIIFM question immediately.

20. Social media can help you drive sales and leads by building deeper, more meaningful connections with your audience.

21. Sharing who you are, what you’re all about it, and who you help builds trust, and that’s the cornerstone of social selling.

22. Buyer decisions are wrought with emotion. Social media lets you foster a positive emotional response towards your business.

 Leverage Twitter Traffic

23. Use short, provocative tweets that invoke interest and inspire action within your audience.

24. Get visual! Images including quotes, data, or behind-the-scenes images can extend the message of your product or service.

25. According to @Buffer, Tweets with images get 18% more clicks, 89% more favorites & 150% more retweets.

26. Get involved in chats like this one. Find your target market and get interactive around their (and your) favorite topics.

 Use Facebook to Turn a Cold Lead Into a Hot Prospect

27. Add a call to action to your posts. Never leave the next step you want fans to take to chance.

28. Facebook is a visual medium. Get your important details front and center on your cover photo. And make sure your content meaningful and compelling. Not only does it increase engagement, but strengthens ties to your page.

29. I wrote about this in “11 Little Facebook Tips That Bring BIG Engagement Results.”

 Use the Right Tools

30. I love @SproutSocial. Sprout is an all-in-one social management platform with powerful social CRM tools built right in.

31. If you want a tool that integrates email, @Nimble is a your answer. It’s a cost-effective CRM solution with a whole lot of social power.

Final Thoughts

While there are many ways to boost sales through the power of social media, not every one is right for your business.

Figure out where your target audience is spending their time online and then be there – without fail.

The beauty of social media is in the relationships, and those can only blossom through consistent engagement.

Source: http://rebekahradice.stfi.re/how-to-use-social-media-to-boost-sales