If you’re looking to create a step-by-step social selling plan, this chapter is your perfect resource. It will teach you how to define SMART objectives, craft an effective strategy, and choose the right channels and platforms. It will also provide guidance on how to create content that resonates with customers and builds relationships. This comprehensive guide will provide you with the practical steps you need to develop an effective social selling plan.
Developing a social selling plan
😎Setting Objectives:
Understanding what objectives you’d like to attain is key when creating any kind of social selling plan. A crucial part of this step is to define SMART objectives. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely. These objectives will provide direction and clarity to your plan and help you measure the results of your efforts.
Before you can begin creating your plan, it’s essential to know what you’re aiming for. Sit down and define your SMART objectives: objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This will ensure that you know what you need to do in order to be successful.
For example, if you’d like to increase your brand awareness and leads, you could set a SMART objective like “Generate 50 qualified leads within the next three months”. This objective is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely, making it SMART.
Keep in mind that the success of your social selling plan hinges on your objectives, so make sure they’re as clear, SMART, and meaningful as possible.
💪Creating a Strategy:
To make sure that your social selling plan is effective, you’ll need to develop a strategy that’s tailored to your objectives and chosen channels. Start by researching which messages, content, and tactics are getting the most engagement from your target audience. Consider which types of content will be most impactful and reach the most customers.
Once you have your objectives, you need to create a strategy. Start by outlining what you want to do and how you’ll do it. Consider things like the messages you want to communicate, the content you’ll post, and who you’ll engage with. Make sure that you have detailed plans in place and that your strategy aligns with your objectives.
From there, you’ll need to create an action plan that includes tactics like developing customer personas and engaging in influencer marketing. You’ll also have to make sure that strategies for customer service and support are in place. Outline the steps that you’ll need to take in order to hit your objectives and ensure that each step is measurable.
📱Determining the Right Channels and Platforms:
Now you’ll need to choose which platforms are best suited to your goals. Consider which platforms are most popular among your target customers and which ones offer features that will best suit your needs.
To do this, go where your customers are and capitalize on the platforms they use. Look at the types of content your competitors are posting and determine which tools are best for reaching and engaging with your target audience.
For example, if you’re aiming to increase brand awareness, you may find that Instagram or YouTube are more effective than LinkedIn or Twitter. If you’re looking to generate more leads, you may find that LinkedIn is more effective than other social platforms.
Also, take the time to research what kind of content your competitors are posting and the kind of engagement their posts are receiving. This will help you get a better understanding of what works and what doesn’t so that you can create an effective strategy.
😎Crafting Content that Resonates:
Crafting content that resonates with customers requires a thorough understanding of their needs, interests, and pain points. Find out what kind of content they’re engaging with and how they’re engaging with it. Use this information to create content that’s relevant, engaging, and adds value to their life.
Crafting content that resonates with your customers is key to a successful social selling plan. Make sure that your content is tailored to your target audience and that it adds value to their lives. Speak directly to their needs and interests and create a narrative that will engage them.
Some tips for ensuring that your content resonates with customers are to be authentic, personalize your content whenever possible, and avoid being overly promotional. Also, make sure that your content is unique and differentiates you from your competitors.
🤝Building Relationships:
Social selling provides an opportunity to build relationships with customers. Utilize social media to listen to customers and make sure that their needs and questions are addressed. Respond to comments, answer questions, and provide feedback. This will demonstrate that you genuinely care about customers and that their input is valued.
Developing relationships with customers is a crucial part of social selling. Through these relationships, customers will feel heard and appreciated. Listen to their concerns, answer their questions, and interact with their posts. Provide personal, tailored interactions that show that you care.
You should also take the time to interact with customers on a personal level. Provide them with tips and advice, thank them for their feedback, and show your appreciation. It’s important to make sure that customers feel heard and appreciated.
📊Measuring Success:
Once your plan is in place, you’ll need to establish metrics for success. Try to measure more than just numbers. Look at engagement levels, reach, and other relevant metrics. Identify which metrics are most important, track them regularly, and adjust your plan if the results are not as expected.
You should also look at the number of leads generated and conversions achieved. If you’re generating leads but not converting them into customers, you may need to adjust your tactics.
Having a plan in place for social media is only the first step. It’s also important to determine metrics for success so that you can gauge how your plan is performing.
Leads and conversions are two of the most important metrics. The number of leads generated and conversions made from social media is a great way to determine if your messages are resonating with customers.
Engagement levels are also important. Pay attention to how many likes, comments, and shares your posts get, how quickly people engage with them, and how much interaction there is around each post. This will give valuable insight into the effectiveness of your content and strategies.
Another metric to consider is your reach. How many people are you able to reach with your campaigns? What percentage of your audience is engaging with your content? This can help inform your future strategy.
It’s also important to keep track of any mentions or conversations about your brand on social media. This will help you to understand how your customers perceive your brand and identify any areas of improvement.
By tracking the right metrics, you can gain valuable insights that inform and adjust your plan. This is the best way to ensure that your social media strategy is effective and successful.
Skills to develop
Soft Skills:
- Leadership: Ability to motivate and direct teams in order to meet goals, while inspiring others to do the same.
- Communication: Ability to communicate in a clear and concise manner, both orally and in written form.
- Business development: Understanding of how to find, develop, and nurture business relationships in order to drive growth.
- Marketing: Ability to understand customer needs and how to effectively reach and target potential customers.
- Strategic planning: Ability to create a roadmap for success, including setting goals and objectives, analyzing data, and allocating resources.
Hard Skills:
- Data Analysis: Ability to analyze data and draw meaningful conclusions that inform the overall strategy.
- Project Management: Ability to manage projects, prioritize tasks, and track progress in order to ensure deadlines are met.
- Social Media Platforms: Knowledge of various social media platforms, including how to use them for social selling.
- Content Creation: Ability to create content that resonates with customers and builds relationships.
- Reporting & Insights: Understanding of how to track and measure success, and the ability to identify patterns and trends.
Actionable steps
To be successful as a B2B sales professional with skills in leadership, communication, business development, marketing, and strategic planning, it is important to set objectives, create a strategy, determine the right channels and platforms, craft content that resonates, build relationships, and measure success.
Setting Objectives:
- Understand desired outcomes of the plan, such as more leads, increasing brand awareness, and more conversions
- Brainstorm measurable objectives to track progress
Creating a Strategy:
- Determine the messages and content that will resonate with customers
- Decide what channels to use for engagement
- Set goals for engagement and conversions
Determining the Right Channels and Platforms:
- Research what platforms your customers use
- Analyze competitor’s content, engagements, and other platform-specific factors
Crafting Content that Resonates:
- Speak to customers authentically and consider their needs, interests, and pain points
- Create engaging content that adds value to their lives
Building Relationships:
- Utilize social selling techniques to build relationships with customers
- Listen to customers, answer their questions, and interact with their posts
- Provide personalized and tailored interactions
Measuring Success:
- Establish metrics for success to gauge the plan’s performance
- Monitor leads generated, conversions, engagement levels, reach, etc.
- Regularly adjust the plan as needed
