Now more than ever, you need to leverage social for your business

The world of social media can be overwhelming, but it’s an essential part of doing business. Tara Clark is an experienced guide. Her company, Social T. has helped more than 200 brands such as BC Blueberries, Laiki Rice Crackers, and My Matcha Life use social as a force for good, for their bottom line and for the world. 

On January 28^th, Tara delivered a jam-packed webinar on Social Media Selling. You can watch the full recording of the video to the right. And you can download the slides here.

PRE-GAME CHAT: Prior to the event, Tara sat down with us to share some thoughts about social media selling and what people might learn from the webinar. 

What will the audience take away from your webinar?

If you want to inject creativity and new ideas into your social media to sell products, this is the session for you. I’m a big fan of conciseness and clarity in our intentions and goals, and I model that. I’m going to talk about how to earn your spot in the market and sell organically through the 4 Ps of Social Media Selling: 

1. Product: You need to have a great product and great brand, including stunning visuals.
2. Place: Make it easy for people to find your product. 
3. Promotion: Offer deals in store or online, and make sure you’re telling people about it.
4. Professional Presence: Linkedin is the most important networking platform for business leaders and their teams. 

Ultimately, you need a clear plan and specific goals so you can measure your success on social media. What do you want to achieve by using social media? Who are your followers today and which followers do you want tomorrow? What are the key performance indicators for your social media strategy?

What do you want entrepreneurs to understand about social media selling?

You can use your creativity to sell your products in an organic way, without traditional advertising. When we think of selling online, we often leap to, “What’s the advertising budget?” But not every business has advertising dollars. With social media selling, you don’t need to spend money to make money. 

What are the biggest challenges facing entrepreneurs in terms of leveraging social media to sell?

When you’re new to social media, it takes time to grow your following. It’s important to set specific and clear expectations, and build patience into that. It’s not going to happen overnight.

A lack of stunning visuals on your social media platforms is also a common problem. Visuals are key to creating a link from what consumers see on social media to what they see on the store shelf. Remember that your visuals don’t have to be perfect — use your phone! 

While you’re using that phone, consider generating some compelling video. Videos perform three to five times better than any picture. Consumers want to see your product, and see it in action. Invite your team to make creative video content using a platform like TikTok, for example. Show them interacting with your product, eating it, using it.

What’s a surprising mistake that entrepreneurs make?

If you’re not sending out an email newsletter, you’re missing out. You might not think of a newsletter as “social media”, but you interact with a lot of customers on your website and in person and they need to hear from you, too. The content that does well on your social media can go right into your newsletter, so you get maximum value and engagement. 

What will you challenge participants to do after they take your webinar?

It’s important to step outside your brand so you can see it more clearly. Start with looking at your brand as a consumer would look at it. Survey everything you’re putting online through the eyes of someone who knows nothing about your brand. What impression do you get? How does it feel? Ask your friends and family to help you with this.

Next, review who you’re following on social media and who’s following you. Are they benefitting from you or vice versa? Start to curate your following, focusing on quality over quantity. 

While you’re refining your online approach and social media connections, you’ll likely start to notice other businesses that have synchronicity with your brand. Consider how you might partner with them for mutual benefit. These “perfect pairings” can be extremely valuable.

Any parting words of wisdom about social media selling?

Remember that who you are as an individual or owner is more important than what you do. Don’t bend to fit the social media tools — make them fit you.

Getting comfortable crafting content and selling on social media can really inject joy into your work life! It’s fun, creative, rewarding, and you can get your whole team involved. Set aside some time to get out of the weeds so you can brainstorm ideas and think imaginatively. Consider bringing in someone else who can help spark ideas. Sometimes it just takes a fresh perspective and a conversation.

To learn more from Tara, register for the webinar

About Social T.

Social T. is a boutique social media marketing agency based in Vancouver that provides impactful social media support for B2B and B2C enterprises. Their customized training, social strategy, and social media management build sustainable online presence that evolves with your business. Social T. is an Innovation Support Member in Canada’s Natural Product Innovation Cluster