Businesses are continuously trying to understand the full potential of social media and it’s impact on the sales cycle. Are you aware of where social selling fits into your business strategy in regards of the sales process?

What you should know before diving in:

1. Leverage content for social selling success

It’s very important for social sellers to be relevant and mindful of the type of content being shared. Your content like strategy guides, industry news and case studies are great tools to help nurture business leads. Sharing this type of content will also demonstrate your expertise within your field, and assist in leading prospects through your sales funnel.

2. Don’t force a social media presence on every network

There is no reason to establish a social presence on every social network that exists.Instead, consider employing a strategy that focuses on the platforms your prospects and consumers do use. Social listening will help you identify the networks your prospects, competitors and industry trades use to share information.

You’ll notice that the right networks will inspire more interaction - people will like, comment on, or forward your thoughts, which opens up the opportunity to have two-way dialogue. By design, social media is a conversation, so join the right one.

3. Start a Blog and write about the industry you serve

When trying to create a successful social selling presence, most sales teams will at one point consider the benefits of blogging. Business blogs exist to answer common questions their leads and customers have, establish authority in a specific industry, and drive traffic to your main website.

In social selling, it’s all about building a strong brand presence among a connected community. When your brand is creating meaningful content, and sharing it, your business is strengthening its social reach and increasing its exposure.

4. Use social to nurture leads you did not close

Always be closing is the right frame of mind but it just doesn’t happen all the time. Pointing your leads to follow your company on twitter or linkedin during the review process is a great way to keep them informed even if they didn’t buy from you.

Updates from your company or personal profiles will keep your brand in front of prospects. Following up is half the game in longer selling cycles. Social media is a non-intrusive form of a follow up. If you do it right, you will stay relevant to deflected leads who may have needed more time to make a purchase.

5. Establish metrics for success

Selling metrics haven’t changed much. At the end of the day you need leads. Social selling metrics should end with a conversion but you will need to understand where a new follower or email subscriber falls into the funnel.

Traditional social metrics are likes, follows, and shares. Tracking your interactions with customers allows your business to identify where sales opportunities are most affluent, and what needs to be adjusted in areas that fall short. Social media monitoring can help your business track conversations to see what resonated and how far the content reached. From there, your business can compare strategies, uncover insights, and apply only what triggered the best results.