Navigating the Buyer Journey with Social Selling [2023]

Let's start with a buyer journey example! “Once upon a time…a sales team at a tech startup was struggling to close deals without paying any attention to the buyer journey mapping process.

They were reaching out to potential customers, but they weren't getting any responses.

Also, they tried everything from cold-calling to email marketing, but nothing seemed to work. They were feeling lost and frustrated.

One day, the team decided to try a new approach -> social selling.

They started mapping out the buyer journey of their target audience and identified the key pain points that they were experiencing.

They began sharing valuable content on social media that addressed these pain points and provided personalized solutions to potential customers.

Slowly but surely, they began to see a change.

They started receiving messages and inquiries from potential buyers who were interested in learning more about their product.

By building relationships through social media, they were able to establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry and demonstrate their unique value proposition to potential customers.”

Why Is the Buyer Journey Important?

The moral of the story? The buyer journey is essential to any successful sales strategy, and social selling can help you optimize that journey.

By mapping out the buyer journey, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of how your customers interact with your brand and tailor your sales approach to meet their specific needs.

In this article, we'll be discussing the key stages of the buyer journey and how social selling can be integrated into each stage to maximize your sales potential.

Social Selling and the Buyer Journey Stages

Awareness

Social selling is all about….social (not selling), and by interacting with potential customers, businesses can start to build a relationship and foster trust, which will lead to sales.

By engaging with potential customers, businesses can show that they are interested in what the customer has to say, and in turn, the customer becomes interested in what the business has to offer.

Hootsuite found that 50% of young internet users prefer to use social networks for online brand research.

Consideration

In this stage, you need to leverage social listening to understand your potential buyers' needs and offer tailored solutions through personalized social media interactions.

Social listening is key to identifying potential buyers and their pain points.

So, according to Accenture, social media is projected to generate $1.2 trillion in transactions by 2025.

By listening to conversations happening on social media, businesses can gain valuable insights into what potential customers are looking for and what problems they are trying to solve.

For example…

If a business sells skincare products, it can use social listening tools to identify people who are talking about skin concerns and the types of products they are looking for.

This information can then be used to tailor the business's messaging to better align with THOSE needs and interests.

Decision

This is where social selling can really shine. By establishing themselves as thought leaders in their industry, businesses can position themselves as the go-to solution for potential customers.

One way to establish thought leadership is by creating and sharing valuable content on social media.

This can include blog posts, videos, infographics, and more.

By demonstrating expertise in their field, businesses can build trust and credibility with potential customers.

Once you establish trust and credibility, you can use social selling techniques to close deals. You can convert more potential buyers into customers.

If you are a B2B salesperson, maybe these statistics are for you.

A recent survey of B2B marketers found that the top-performing social media platforms for B2B marketing are:

• LinkedIn,
• Youtube,
• and Twitter.

So, use direct messaging, offer discounts or promotions, or simply continue to engage with the customer…Until they are ready to make a purchase.

Bottom Line

In the world we are living in, social selling has become the ultimate weapon. It helps businesses master the buyer journey mapping process.

By using the power of social media platforms, you can transform your business from a mere blip on the radar to a customer magnet!

With social selling, you're not just trying to sell a product or service… You're creating a personalized and engaging experience for your customers.