It’s no longer news that people spend more of their time online browsing social media, so how much of that time will they use to view product impressions, friends’ recommendations and brand outreach? Nowadays, people base their buying judgments on reviews made by others that have used the product or patronized a company. The more positive reviews that a company receives, the higher the likelihood that they will become customers. This, among others, is one reason why prospecting on social media is no longer a herculean task and being a savvy salesman you should see social media as the place to prospect and get appointments.
It is noteworthy that 62 percent of generation Y will become loyal customers if they were engaged on a social network and 39 percent of product consumers buy a product and/service which a friend recommended on social media. But how easy is it to prospect on social media? What are the strategies and skills required to prospect on social media?
If you want to know how to prospect with emails, read this article.
Tips to Prospect on Social Media and get Appointment
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Plan your workflow
Engage the use of a ‘Marketing Automation Software’. You can connect your social media to booking requests by the use of this integrated automation platform. The result is that you get schedules made in real-time and also minimize the cost of administrative work to be done. For example, once the customer makes a booking, the software confirms the booking and set up, which also enables an appointment to reschedule or cancels, where the need requires. The point here is to plan a workflow that will require less human effort but give positive results in return.
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Do all you can to make them feel unique
Everyone loves being treated specially. From tailor-made products and services to out of the box freebies, everyone relishes a personalized experienced better than the norm. For this, you can try taking hold of holidays such as Mothers’ Day, Halloween, Christmas and New Year seasons to send personalized ads to distinct demographics. Also, prospecting on social media platforms such as Facebook’s targeting assistance, which features the booking option as the call to action.
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Prop-up the urge to book
What other proof than ‘testimonials’ shows that your products and services are just as the company says they are. Testimonials are a proof that your products meet expectations. So, get validating content around your booking options so that buyers can meet up to appointments. One more thing is to add an influencer, such as a ‘celebrity quote’ (with pictures) to make the offer more interesting.
Make your five-star rating and positive reviews more conspicuous, as the more appealing and high-rated your products, the more people will be drawn to do business with you. If you decide to get appointments via a personalized messaging system or apps, you will have succeeded in saying so much without actually speaking. Also, remember that people see things on social media without you paying for advertisements and the discussion at the ‘comment section’ of these platforms can be what will get you your most loyal prospects cum customers.
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Offer limited time deals on your page
Incentives, discounts and limited offers show that your company is doing very well and can give out freebies without feeling a hitch about it. Offer timely offers to keep customers glued to your page. Gift cards are one major example of getting people to actually visit your company themselves where you then have the opportunity to speak to them on other products and/or services you offer and guess what? You would have gotten an appointment without asking formally.
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Prospecting on Social media is the big-bang theory for businesses
Facebook roll-out, Snapchat, Instagram, Viber, Skype, Linkedin, Whatsapp and many newly or soon to be developed platforms have changed the way the world interacts. Think about E-Commerce and local shopping, how many percentages of people shop online now compared to walk-ins? I leave that to your imagination, but the truth remains that social media and the internet, in general, has created a simpler interface for people to interact with product and service providers without meeting face to face.
Marketing representatives, customer service agents and virtual assistants are job roles that were strictly performed in the office but can now be performed remotely, that is, employees can be employed with a company that the only way they meet is via virtual meetings (audio and video). These only show that more and more people are online and therefore, social media opportunities must be well-utilised.
As an example, for a service production company such as a salon with various pictures as proof of expertise, many people will be drawn by the media shown and try to book appointments as soon as the desired style is uploaded, but if there is no avenue for appointments to be booked, then, many will forget to book later or feel reluctant because the lack of an appointment booking feature on your page may show a lack of confidence in that area. After all, when you are a professional, you should be glad to show first-time clients that you are worth retaining as their stylist, so why not? if not?
Summary
To prospect on social media, you must
- Be on every social media platform possible
- Utilize software and features to help appointment booking
- Hire a digital marketing specialist to ensure that posts are made daily so the page remains popular
- Make prospect on social media easy and straightforward so that there is no need for any human interference
- Set up an automated response and follow-up with a real confirmation of the appointment
- Don’t ignore any question or fail to reply to comments on your page at every point; even comments that seem out of place should be addressed politely and objectively. Remember, it is not only the maker of the comment that benefits from responses but many others too.
Conclusion
The simple conclusion is that appointments set up on social media are one of the easiest forms because the sales representative or digital marketing specialist only needs to set up the right features and/or call to action button and the appointments get booked. To prospect on social media one of the most important points remains that every word and action on social media counts and must be chosen wisely.
