3 Ways to Garner More Leads and Sales With Social Networking Design a strategy dedicated to promoting sales through social media

Socialising is an art. Some are gifted in the act while others need to learn the tricks of the trade. With all the pervasive digital reality engulfing us, and social networking essentially altering the way we do business, getting social is now a question of existence.

Breakthroughs in technology have ushered in a new age of communications, messaging, and information access at a phenomenal speed. Driven by this reality, consumers today demand immediate access and sharing of information. This model of escalating pace and sophistication leads to a fiercely competitive marketplace, but also engenders a need to act and react promptly.

However, the fact remains that we do business with humans and technology. We stay glued to the computers thinking that emails, Tweets, ask questions on LinkedIn are all that is required to get the sales process working. Social media is an incredible tool to observe people, discover their network and how to connect with them. Eventually, you must connect with them directly and get a real conversation.

Here are 3 Ways to Get More Leads and Sales With Social Networking

1. The first step is to design a strategy dedicated to promoting sales through social media. This could be a sales plan or a marketing plan.

"Take time and draft a robust social media plan. The points to keep in mind while doing this are - your targeted goal, the identity of your audience, your message that needs to be communicated so on and so forth. Make use of the resources of social media as part of the go-to-market strategy. Find out how the strategy you created can be linked to the consumer's requirements and your business purpose," shared Sudip Bose, MD and CEO Assured Digital

2. The next logical step is to establish relationships. Engage deeply with your customers. Nothing works better than a personal touch.

Answer queries, address apprehensions and connect on a regular basis with your potential clientele. This can be initiated by replying to a post or writing a comment on a status update. However, for a long-term benefit, you need to plan a call or write a response to emails. That helps in carrying the conversation forward and leads to revenue, sales and a strong relationship.

"Take out time to create and nurture personal connections with your customers. Ensure that you pick up the phone and have a discussion to make your customers feel important. Just because you have some names on your datasheet doesn't mean you have them as your loyal customers," warned Arnab Roy, Director Sales, VEDROOP

3. The third vital key is to communicate valuable information effectively. Entrepreneurs must remember that social sites are mostly for networking and not for direct selling.

When it comes to social selling, FAQ pages, blogs and easy to read articles are particularly useful. "Get a dedicated resource to post these regularly on your social media platforms. They are extremely handy for customers with questions or concerns. An archive of important and useful information addressing the common issues of your domain gains the trust of your customers in a meaningful way," advised Pravin Shah, founder, Six Inches Communications, agency for brand consulting, design, communication and digital marketing.

These sites are for establishing connections with potential customers, identifying means to pool resources, and creating a value for your brand or service. "Try and find out the tips you can provide to your audience. Link your pages to different sites which you strongly advocate. By doing this you can get recognized as an expert and thereby boost your web presence. In short, try and become a resource for others," illustrated Shah.

Living and doing business is a time dominated by ever-advancing technology and social media forces, entrepreneurs must remember that personal contacts, referrals and earning trust are of utmost importance.