Why You Should Care About Social Selling in 2023
Almost half of the world’s population is on social media – that’s close to four billion people! – which makes these platforms one of the most valuable methods for connecting with new and existing audiences and targeting them with your marketing efforts.
However, what we are increasingly seeing in the retail space is social networks being used for a more direct form of connection and relationship building with prospective customers. We are also witnessing this practice transforming into a live selling tool which connects directly with sales technology and tools.
This is social selling, and it is rapidly becoming one of the most powerful tools in the retail kitbag – empowering brands to build deeper and more trusted relationships with customers and keep them coming back for repeat business time and time again.
Social Selling
"Think of social selling as modern relationship-building,” says social media scheduling platform provider, Hootsuite. "Actively connecting with potential customers on social media can help you be the first brand a prospect considers when they’re ready to make a purchase. And it can replace outdated relationship-building and sales techniques like cold calling!”
Social selling is most definitely not about spamming your audience with content in a scattergun manner. This technique is as old as the hills, customers are hip to it, and it will have them unfollowing your page or hiding your posts in double quick fashion. Social selling is about a structured and actionable content stream which answers the questions your customers are most likely to be asking, presented in an informative and/or entertaining manner, which guides them into your sales funnel for conversion.
It's incredibly likely you are already using social selling in one manner or another – after all, which brand worth its salt doesn’t have some level of social media presence these days. However, a real social selling strategy goes beyond simple posting and is almost entirely focussed on building relationships and creating leads.
"[Social selling] involves making meaningful connections with potential customers, learning their pain points, and finding ways that your products and services can meet their needs,” says Shopify in a blog post. "The point of social selling is to foster connection and build genuine trust with your customer base in hopes of eventually making a sale.”
However, social selling is not the end of the story. Traditionally, social selling would eventually require the prospect to come off the social media platform and make contact with the retailer in a more traditional fashion – either by paying a visit to a physical store location or by logging onto an ecommerce platform – but these days social selling can lead directly into virtual selling with no disruption to the customer journey required.
Virtual Selling
Referring to the process by which products are sold through digital platforms directly linked to the social media sales funnel, virtual selling tools create a seamless experience where the customer can instantly go from viewing content on their favourite platforms to completing a sale – without even logging off.
For example, a user might be watching some content where their favourite brand is showing off their new line of winter coats. Instead of having to go out of their way to get more information, they can click a button and be taken to a video call where they are connected to a real-life salesperson. This salesperson can assist the shopper with additional information and even demo the items in which they are interested. Chosen products can then be paid for and ordered with a few clicks.
Virtual shopping breaks down the walls between the ecommerce and physical shopping experience, combining the personal service that one receives in a brick-and-mortar store, with the convenience and competitive pricing of online.
"According to a commissioned Forrester Consulting study conducted on behalf of Shopify, 52% of brands said they’ll be investing in enabling online customers to easily connect with brand representatives on their channel of choice (e.g., chat, social, text, video),” says Shopify. "Virtual shopping is also helping secure the future of physical stores. The impact of lockdown can still be felt, and virtual shopping is helping brick-and-mortar retailers convert more online customers to in-store foot traffic.”
Final Thoughts
As we move further out from the worst days of the COVID-19 crisis, customers are seeking new ways to shop and enjoy the experience. With social selling and then virtual selling, retail brands can create an elegant content pathway which guides potential customers through each stage of the purchase decision-making process and seamlessly blends the best parts of online and in-person shopping together.
Social and virtual selling are sure to be part of the conversation at eTail UK 2023, being held in April, at the QEII Conference Centre, London, UK.
Download the agenda today for more information and insights.