Thousands – maybe even millions – of companies are trying to sell their products on social media networks. They try dozens of different techniques in order to do so, but the truth of the matter is that it just isn’t working. Yes, there may be a few sales here or there, but why settle for so few when you have the opportunity to make so many more? How can you do this? Stop selling!

Wait… I know what you’re thinking. Stop selling to sell more just seems silly, and in most cases, it wouldn’t work. For those marketing their companies, services, and products on social media, however, it works MUCH better if you do it right.

Engage

Engaging with your customers helps to form solid bonds, which, in turn, creates a form of customer loyalty comparable to no other. If someone feels as though they have connected with you on a more personal level than simply loving your products, they tend to be more loyal – almost as though your company were a true friend of theirs. It’s more than this, though. Actively engaging with customers on your social media accounts shows them you care about them, and everyone wants to feel as though they mean something more than another statistic or sale.

So how do you actively engage with your customers on social media? Here are a few simple yet highly effective ideas:

• Like all comments left on your posts and images.
• Respond  to at least five comments per post per network. Even if it’s just a ‘thank you’ or a ‘wow!’ A simple one word response is better than nothing at all.
• Formulate posts asking questions. Followers are more likely to engage with posts where an obvious question is asked.
• Run giveaways. This gets more engagement than anything else, and builds your following at the same time.
• Be conversational and personable in your posts. Hard-selling techniques don’t work on social media, and neither does sounding like a text book.

Communicate

Communicating with your followers creates more informed customers. More informed customers feel better about their decision to purchase from your company, because they feel that you have nothing to hide. You must be communicating every possible aspect of your company that matters to customers. Truthfully, you need to become a transparent company – no secrets, no lies, no exaggeration, no hidden agendas. Your customers are not stupid, and they will be able to detect falsities with ease.

Not sure what matters most to customers? Here are a few things you should ensure you’re communicating:

• Your company’s voice, motto, background, philosophy, key members, and expertise.
• Product/service names, images, and features. What sets your products or services apart or makes them special? What purpose does your product or service for your customers?
• All aspects of customer service. How can customers reach them? Share reviews and testimonials to create trust.
• Previous customer complaints, and how they were settled or responded to. You don’t have to do this with every little complaint, but you must do this with the big ones – especially if the complaints got bad press.
• Milestones, anniversaries, and events. When, where, and why?

There is more you should be communicating with your customers, but the above is a very good place to start. The key is to communicate every possible aspect of your company, so that nothing can be held against you as being false. Obviously, this makes honesty a main component in your journey to engage and communicate as well.

Conclusion

If you really want to sell more products on social media, you need to stop the hard selling. Start engaging and communicating instead, and the sales will begin to happen naturally.