You're leading a social selling team. What are the most common mistakes you should avoid?

Social selling goes beyond random posts or likes. It's about a well-crafted strategy that aligns with your business goals and speaks directly to your audience's needs. Without this foundation, efforts can become a shot in the dark, potentially wasting valuable resources. Start by setting clear objectives, understanding your audience deeply, selecting the appropriate platforms, and planning your content meticulously. Remember, measuring your outcomes is key to refining your approach. By doing so, you ensure that every tweet, post, or comment is a step towards achieving your business objectives, making your social selling efforts both efficient and impactful.

The biggest mistake to avoid is treating social selling as the product and brochure promotional channel every day and with every post along with self-obsessed posts. Social selling isn’t just about pushing your advertisement content. It’s a place to connect with others, especially with prospects, target audiences, and DMUs in your accounts. Approach it like an in-person networking event. Build relationships, engage in conversations, and then introduce your business.

A strategic approach is vital in social selling. Avoid aimlessness with these steps: 1. Know what you aim to achieve. Align your social selling goals with broader business objectives. 2. Understand who you’re targeting. Tailor your strategy to meet the needs of your ideal customers. 3. Not all platforms suit every business. Choose those that resonate with your audience and objectives. 4. Plan your content to consistently engage and provide value to your audience. 5. Track your results to understand what works. Use insights to refine your strategy continually. Social selling is more than just being active online; it's about being strategically present.

La clave del social selling es la persona, y para esto debemos desarrollar y fortalecer primero nuestra marca personal, tener nuestros perfiles definidos para luego, poder empezar con el networking. La estrategia comienza por nosotros mismos, antes de brindar contenido de valor a una audiencia, es necesario fortalecer nuestra propuesta de valor personal. una vez completado este paso, ahí si debemos seguir con la construcción de la red de contactos a la que queremos llegar, clientes prospecto y empresas clave, para que cuando ya se encuentren dentro de mi circulo de contactos, pueda con mi contenido, llegar a ellos. Asimismo, el contenido no debe ser genérico sino especializado de acuerdo a la industria y al propósito comercial

La correcta Estrategia y un buen estudio previo es fundamental. La Escucha Digital es primordial. Alinear los objetivos Comercial con la Estrategia de Social Selling proporciona el aprovechamiento de grandes oportunidades.

Crafting an impressive social media profile is crucial in social selling. Here's how to make it stand out: 1. Professional Photo 2. Compelling Headline 3. Relevant Summary 4. Showcase Achievements 5. Regular Updates A well-crafted profile is your digital handshake in the world of social selling.

Your profile needs to have the same level of detail that you would apply to a landing page. It's the landing page of you and builds credibility and authority to your prospects. You want to capture their attention, validate your self as capable of delivering results and be personable at the same time. It's easy to apply a marketing message to your profile but in a social selling context you need to be personable as well. What, other than what you are selling, makes you interesting? I note that I play guitar and am into power lifting. My banner image shows me out with my kids and kayaking. I want to share who I am as a person so that when I reach out to a prospect they understand that there is potential value in connection not just a pitch.

Having a poor profile when leading a social selling team can significantly impact your team's effectiveness and credibility in the eyes of potential customers. Here are some ways a subpar profile can hinder your leadership in social selling: Lack of Trust: A poorly developed profile may lead to a lack of trust from potential customers. If your profile appears incomplete or unprofessional, people may question your expertise and credibility, making it harder to build relationships and generate leads. Ineffective Brand Representation: Your profile serves as a representation of both yourself and your company. If your profile doesn't effectively communicate your brand's value proposition or if it's inconsistent with your company's messaging.

Profile optimization is a MUST have. You have to optimize your profile for each platform you're using. LinkedIn: Banner, Featured Section, About Section, and if you have your business in your work experience clear value communication what you're offering. As Jeremiah mentioned ????, your LinkedIn profile is pretty much a landing page for the services you provide. Instagram: Concise and to-the-point bio. No more than 3 links (ideally one) to your services or if you want them to go to your LinkedIn page just put your LinkedIn page. Info reels pinged to your profile where they can learn more about you OR the most influential live streams or reels that you want them to see. Each platform is unique. Optimize it according to the platform!

To be successful in any aspect of marketing or sales, including social selling, a well-defined strategy is crucial. One of the key elements of social selling is to have an optimized profile that showcases your personal brand. However, it's essential to avoid going overboard and appearing like a sales pseudo-guru. The line between being a credible person and overdoing it is very thin, so it's important to strike the right balance.

I am afraid I can't fit my rant into 750 characters! Messages are the place where you can connect and build relationships! Start a conversation. ? Don't start with a pitch slap! ?? For the LOVE OF EVERYTHING read the messages carefully! If a person asks you a question answer the dang question! ? If a prospect is not showing an interest in engaging with you 2 messages max! Connection invite message and welcome to my network message! That's it! After that, it will depend on your mutual engagement! ? Copy-paste not personalized messages. Just don't do it! ? Using ChatGPT mindlessly and replacing YOUR voice and your interaction with generated answers. Look at the end of the day you're building a relationship, not ChatGPT.

Dealing with spammy messages when leading a social selling team can have serious repercussions on your team's reputation and effectiveness. Here's why spammy messages are problematic and how to address them: Negative Impact on Brand Image: Sending spammy messages can tarnish your brand's reputation and credibility. Potential customers may perceive your team as intrusive or unprofessional, which can damage relationships and deter future interactions. Low Engagement and Response Rates: Spammy messages often result in low engagement and response rates. People are more likely to ignore or block messages that they perceive as spam, reducing the effectiveness of your team's social selling efforts.

Social selling is all about nurturing real connections, not bombarding every new follower with sales pitches. Spammy tactics can backfire, damaging trust. Instead, craft personalized messages that offer genuine value, invite dialogue with open-ended questions, and always respect the personal boundaries of your audience. This approach fosters trust and credibility, paving the way for meaningful relationships.

The last thing a prospect wants on any social channel, and certainly LinkedIn, is your sales pitch. Whether a DM or a InMail, there is no appetite to consume your unasked-for outreach. This has only accelerated with the adoption of automation channels. What makes it even more egregious is that there are so many ways to warm a conversation up on LinkedIn. It only takes a little time and effort and you can stand out from the pack. So it's critical that your programs support relevant and thoughtful outreach, not just more spam.

Spamming or Over-Automation: Excessive automation or spammy tactics can damage relationships and tarnish your brand reputation. Maintain a balance between automation and personalization to ensure authentic interactions with prospects. Overly Promotional Content: Profiles that predominantly share promotional content without offering value or engaging with the audience may come across as spammy or self-serving.

Engagement is the heartbeat of social selling. Pay attention to what your audience says. It’s not just about broadcasting your message. Don’t just post; interact. Comment on posts, join discussions, and be a part of the community then provide value. Respond quickly to questions and concerns. It shows you care and are attentive to your audience’s needs. Remember, engagement in social selling is about building trust and relationships, not just making sales.

When leading a social selling team, encountering low engagement can be frustrating and challenging. Here are some reasons why your team may be experiencing a lack of engagement and how to address it: Ineffective Targeting: Your team may not be targeting the right audience. Make sure they understand the demographics, interests, and pain points of their target market. Encourage them to refine their targeting criteria and focus on engaging with prospects who are more likely to be interested in your products or services. Poor Content Quality: Low-quality content can fail to capture the attention of your audience. Encourage your team to create compelling, valuable content that resonates with your target audience.

Social selling thrives on engagement, not just broadcasting messages. Lack of interaction could mean you're not resonating with your audience. To avoid this, actively engage by sharing valuable content, commenting on posts, participating in groups, and promptly addressing questions and concerns. This approach helps build trust, deepen relationships, and guide prospects through their journey with you.

LinkedIn is a social networking platform...not a social media platform. Networking is about conversation and relationship. Media is about broadcasting from you to them. Nobody is here to be talked to. There are a lot of people who want to be talked with. In fact, I think sellers should start by commenting on other's posts before they start posting themselves. That way, your network will actually pay attention when you start posting.

If sellers want engagement to happen on their content they need to actively engage with their networks content first. And that doesn't mean just hitting the like button but actually starting a dialogue with their network. In turn, if you want to drive more engagement on your content you need to be sure you're sharing buyer centric content that adds value to your network. Too often sellers simply share the latest blog post from their firm announcing they won some award or share the latest product piece, but people aren't on LinkedIn to hear about your company they're there to learn so share valuable insights either your own or from industry sources.

If you're leading a social selling team and noticing a lack of learning or development among team members, it's crucial to address this issue promptly. Continuous learning is essential for staying competitive and adapting to the ever-evolving landscape of social selling. Here's how you can foster a culture of learning within your social selling team: Provide Training Opportunities: Offer regular training sessions, workshops, or webinars focused on social selling best practices, industry trends, and relevant tools and technologies. Bring in external experts or utilize internal resources to provide diverse perspectives and insights. Encourage Knowledge Sharing: Create opportunities for team members to share their experiences.

Don't see your fellow sales colleagues as your competitors and share your successful tactics with them! Think beyond mere individual goals.

Social selling is not a static skill. It's a dynamic and evolving practice that requires constant learning and improvement. No learning can make you fall behind your competitors and lose touch with your audience's needs and expectations. It can also limit your creativity and innovation. To avoid this mistake, you need to learn from your data, feedback, and results, experiment with new ideas and approaches, seek feedback and advice from others, and invest in your professional development.

Even if it's tempting, don't use AI content. Try to write real stories where you can bring value to the community. People know in seconds if the content is AI-written. Just open your heart and share lessons, mistakes, or stories!

AVOID : Overlooking Training and Development: Failing to invest in ongoing training and development for your team can hinder their effectiveness in social selling. Provide resources and support to enhance their skills and knowledge. Not Building Relationships: Social selling is about building trust and relationships over time. Avoid focusing solely on transactional interactions and prioritize nurturing connections with prospects. Ignoring Compliance and Ethics: Disregarding compliance regulations or ethical considerations can lead to legal issues and reputational damage. Ensure your social selling practices adhere to relevant laws and industry standards.

The most important thing to remember when you are running a social selling team and program is that this isn't a "one-size-fits-all" exercise. It's important to provide the training and support that meets the user where they are and helps move them forward. Even the term social selling has so many meanings and definitions, so don't jam everyone into the same bucket. Provide different approaches and perspectives that match what your team needs on an individual level.

One of the things I hate when being "sold" is when the social sales initiative is speaking to the general public. Make it personal. Talk to ME. I don't really care what everyone else thinks. I'm shopping for me, for my family, for my business. Talk to ME.

The only stupid questions are the ones you don't ask.. Whether your manager, your peer, or even your janitor, wisdom is all around us.. All you have to do is occasionally listen... "Once in a while you can get shown the light, in the strangest of places, if you look at it right.."