What is social selling?
Posted: Tue Dec 24, 2024 6:40 am
What is social selling? Well, that’s a very good and justified question. Social networking sites, although they make a lot of money from advertising, have been trying to diversify their sources of income for several years now by offering sales support functions. Let’s get to it. So, how exactly do you use so-called social selling and is it worth it?
The discussion about the sales potential of social media only a few years ago ignited the marketing industry. And then there were many opinions that while building brand awareness can be successful there, selling is bad. Today, however, there is no trace of these deliberations, because the behavior of Internet users who buy online has changed. Selling is no longer a one-time act of trust and has become a process in which building a lasting relationship with the consumer is essential.
Social media has become the place to forge such relationships. Facebook , Instagram , Twitter , LinkedIn , Twitter , Snapchat , Pinterest and – recently – also TikTok are platforms that excel at asking for users’ time, so brands simply cannot be ignored in sales activities.
What is social selling and how to sell directly on social media?
Social selling is nothing less than a deliberate action aimed at building a brand on bosnia and herzegovina whatsapp number database media . Activities that take into account both direct sales using the functions provided by social platforms, as well as increasing targeted traffic to the store's website.
Why is social media worth incorporating into your sales strategy? It’s simple: because it works. In a recent survey by CSO Insights and Seismic, every third B2B marketer said social selling tools increased the number of leads they had to engage with, and 39% said social tools reduced the time they spent researching accounts and contacts.
Social selling, although it is the most talked about in the B2B segment, also works for B2C brands . It all comes down to trust between both parties to the transaction, and you can't try to get it on LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram. Especially the latter, for “visual” brands, i.e. fashion, interior design, gastronomic or cosmetic brands, it is really a must.
What e-commerce features do social media offer?
Call-to-Action in posts
An ad that allows for the addition of an explicit CTA encourages consumers to take an action that the advertiser wants, such as scheduling a showroom visit or purchasing a product from a display window.
How to build an effective CTA ad? First of all – you should remember that you have a few microseconds to interest users. In this time, they need to understand your message and follow it. Therefore, there is no room for fancy metaphors and mystery. Speak simply and unequivocally about the value that your product will bring. We wrote more about CTA and its improvement here .
TIP: Choose the CTA that best suits the goals you want to achieve. Facebook offers the following, for example.
What is social selling?
Instagram Stories with a shopping experience
Instagram, as one of the most engaging social media platforms in the world, is an indispensable platform for brands, especially those that can create visual content. Even more so because recently it has been very careful to support conversions in online stores. How? One of the most important functions is to tag the products shown in the photos .
The shopping feature is available in ads that air in a user’s Instagram Stories feed and on the Explore card . When a customer taps on a product tag, they will be redirected to that product’s details page, which will contain additional product images and details, similar products, and a link to the mobile site where they can make a purchase.
Instagram Checkout
By launching Instagram Checkout at the end of March 2019, Instagram took a step forward. The feature, which is currently being tested in the US market, allows you to shop without leaving the app . A user interested in a particular product will no longer need to go to the store's website to make a purchase. They will be able to do so directly “at the checkout” on Instagram – all they need to do is select the “ Checkout on Instagram ” option and provide their payment details. Companies testing how Instagram Checkout works in practice include Oscar de la Renta, Michael Kors, MAC Cosmetics, Adidas, H&M, Nike and Zara.
The discussion about the sales potential of social media only a few years ago ignited the marketing industry. And then there were many opinions that while building brand awareness can be successful there, selling is bad. Today, however, there is no trace of these deliberations, because the behavior of Internet users who buy online has changed. Selling is no longer a one-time act of trust and has become a process in which building a lasting relationship with the consumer is essential.
Social media has become the place to forge such relationships. Facebook , Instagram , Twitter , LinkedIn , Twitter , Snapchat , Pinterest and – recently – also TikTok are platforms that excel at asking for users’ time, so brands simply cannot be ignored in sales activities.
What is social selling and how to sell directly on social media?
Social selling is nothing less than a deliberate action aimed at building a brand on bosnia and herzegovina whatsapp number database media . Activities that take into account both direct sales using the functions provided by social platforms, as well as increasing targeted traffic to the store's website.
Why is social media worth incorporating into your sales strategy? It’s simple: because it works. In a recent survey by CSO Insights and Seismic, every third B2B marketer said social selling tools increased the number of leads they had to engage with, and 39% said social tools reduced the time they spent researching accounts and contacts.
Social selling, although it is the most talked about in the B2B segment, also works for B2C brands . It all comes down to trust between both parties to the transaction, and you can't try to get it on LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram. Especially the latter, for “visual” brands, i.e. fashion, interior design, gastronomic or cosmetic brands, it is really a must.
What e-commerce features do social media offer?
Call-to-Action in posts
An ad that allows for the addition of an explicit CTA encourages consumers to take an action that the advertiser wants, such as scheduling a showroom visit or purchasing a product from a display window.
How to build an effective CTA ad? First of all – you should remember that you have a few microseconds to interest users. In this time, they need to understand your message and follow it. Therefore, there is no room for fancy metaphors and mystery. Speak simply and unequivocally about the value that your product will bring. We wrote more about CTA and its improvement here .
TIP: Choose the CTA that best suits the goals you want to achieve. Facebook offers the following, for example.
What is social selling?
Instagram Stories with a shopping experience
Instagram, as one of the most engaging social media platforms in the world, is an indispensable platform for brands, especially those that can create visual content. Even more so because recently it has been very careful to support conversions in online stores. How? One of the most important functions is to tag the products shown in the photos .
The shopping feature is available in ads that air in a user’s Instagram Stories feed and on the Explore card . When a customer taps on a product tag, they will be redirected to that product’s details page, which will contain additional product images and details, similar products, and a link to the mobile site where they can make a purchase.
Instagram Checkout
By launching Instagram Checkout at the end of March 2019, Instagram took a step forward. The feature, which is currently being tested in the US market, allows you to shop without leaving the app . A user interested in a particular product will no longer need to go to the store's website to make a purchase. They will be able to do so directly “at the checkout” on Instagram – all they need to do is select the “ Checkout on Instagram ” option and provide their payment details. Companies testing how Instagram Checkout works in practice include Oscar de la Renta, Michael Kors, MAC Cosmetics, Adidas, H&M, Nike and Zara.