Social Selling: 3 Ways to Use Your Content to Sell On Social Media—Without Asking for Money

How do you use your social media content to get people to know what is it that you do and what you offer without sounding salesy and pushy?

Does “social selling” mean it’s okay to pitch your paid offers directly on social media?

Knowing what to post on social media to increase your bottom line isn’t always easy. Although you perceive your promotional content as benevolent and welcoming, it may strike the wrong nerve in your audience.

Your “helpful” paid offer solves your prospect’s biggest challenges. So, why aren’t they saying “yes” more often?

Sales-related content is intrusive and misplaced since it interrupts the conversational aspect of social media.

Think of it this way. You’re at a party talking to your friends while enjoying a drink. Suddenly, someone breaks into the conversation, looks you in the eye and exclaims, “Hey, I sell coaching services. I’m having a sale. It’s a good deal. Wanna hire me?”

In general, don’t expect sales pitches and “hire me” declarations to be effective on social media. 😉

Every one of your social media followers is at a different point in their lives and in their buying journey. They may know you really well and be ready to buy OR they may have just discovered you. If you pitch an offer at the wrong stage, you risk annoying your prospects or losing them.

While some businesses—like restaurants and e-commerce stores—often get away with sales-driven content, you’ll likely need techniques other than promotional content to convince your prospect that you’re the one!

(Prefer video? Scroll down to access my YouTube video about this topic.)

What is Social Selling?

Now, how the heck are you supposed to use social platforms for marketing your business if you can’t pitch?

It’s about content that supports the social selling and relationship building processes.

According to Hubspot, social selling is when you use social media platforms to interact directly with your prospects by providing value and relevant content until the prospect is ready to buy.

In my definition, I consider social selling a lot less about sales and a lot more about networking and content distribution. And that’s exactly how I use social media: to build relationships with my community based on interactions that happen as a result of my free content.

Free content doesn’t mean links to blog posts. You’ll have to do better than that! And don’t forget that your content needs engagement to be most effective.

Am I really suggesting you sell without selling? Yes, I am!

I’ve blogged about some of the content types that are almost guaranteed to boost your results. Now let’s talk about a few of my top content tactics to sell on social media without ever asking for money.

Charm Your Prospects – Be Likable

Win over your prospects so that they know and like you.

What was the last thing you bought? I’m not talking about groceries or anything that you require for living. Think back to the last purchase decision you made that you really had to consider because it was something you could live without. What factors did you use to determine your choice?

Whether you are conscious of it or not, knowing and liking a brand or person makes a difference in purchase decisions. Emotions are a big part of the choices people make.

As such, one goal of your social media content is to charm your prospects. I’m talking about content that builds rapport while giving people a chance to get to know and like you. Show off your personality, share your humor, and be yourself. These things help attract the right people to you.

Examples of Content That Charms

• Jokes/Humor
• Motivation and inspiration
• Personal
• Supportive

**BONUS TIP: Use video to charm your audience and boost the know and like factor MUCH faster!

PERSONAL POST

MOTIVATIONAL POST

Impress Your Prospects – Prove You Know Your Stuff

Show your expertise and experience off in subtle ways to build trust and credibility through free and valuable content.

Before anyone chooses you to solve their problems, they want to trust you. They need to know that you’re capable and competent.

This isn’t about self-praise or self-promotion.Give them a taste of your prowess through your social media content. Share your knowledge and empower your prospect with relevant, targeted content so they have proof of your expertise and how they can benefit from it.

Position yourself as an authority in your niche to influence others. If your prospect believes you are a knowledgeable expert BEFORE you attempt to persuade them to buy, you have a better chance of them saying “yes” to you when you do present an offer.

Your skills and savvy can help them, so don’t be stingy with the goods. Be willing to give free guidance and partake in online conversations. Although subtle, these things build confidence in your abilities.

Examples of Content that Impresses

• Facts
• Tips
• Advice
• Testimonials
• Reviews

TIP POST

FACT POST

Entice Your Prospects – Have Them Begging for More

Create free irresistible, relevant content that attracts your ideal prospect and tempts them to try your offers.

Remember the Pringles commercials? You can’t eat just one. (It’s true by the way. My hips are proof.) If you eat one Pringles, you’ll definitely want another.

Think of your social media content that way. Make each post so tantalizing that your audience craves more, just like a Pringles chip.

When you’re reaching your ideal prospect with targeted, relevant content, they will relate to it. They’ll desire more of what you offer since you’re speaking their language and relieving some of their pain.

If done well, enticing content is like an hors d’oeuvre before dinner. It whets your audience’s appetite while giving them a taste of the possibilities to come. In other words, make your free content so appealing that your prospect can’t wait to try your paid offers.

Examples of Content that Entices

• Freebies
• Informational tidbits
• Guidance
• Quizzes

Social Selling Influences Your Prospects Over Time

Social selling works best when you communicate your value and authority through consistent, persistent, and ongoing messaging in your content and in your online relationships. Influence helps with this.

Influence is the ability to affect ideas through longer-term relationships, concepts, and words. It takes skill to achieve influence since it’s usually gained or earned.

With influence, people adopt your ideas not because it’s imposed upon them but because they believe in you. As others trust you more, your influence increases as does your ability to persuade people’s decisions.

As you might imagine, influence is powerful, but it’s a process that happens over time. In fact, I believe that influence is a relationship with your prospect that is built on the value you give, which forms bonds and reinforces that you are who you say you are. The more your prospect trusts and likes you, the higher the likelihood they will say “yes” when you ask.

In my experience, social media content is one very effective way to increase influence. After all, it’s your job to use your content in a way that shapes your prospect’s perception of you and your brand. Content that charms, impresses, and entices does the social selling on your behalf and helps build influence that leads to sales without asking for money in a social media post.

Understand that social selling and influence work together through your content to help sell your offers without asking for the dough up front. Be prepared for the long haul, though. This is a marathon, not a sprint! 😉