Why replacing cold calls with social media won’t work
How do you like the cheesy picture? I know I know, the idea is to try and show that behind the keyboard, when you are talking to people on social platforms, you need to remember that they are real people. Anyhow, on with the blog…..
The problem with cold calling is that it can come across as pushy and spammy.
How many times has your day been interrupted by someone wanting to sell you something, whether or not you want it?
I guess this method must work sometimes, otherwise people wouldn’t do it right! Now, don’t get me wrong, there are some very good telemarketers out there that do their research and only approach companies when they are sure that the product/service would be of great benefit to them. But, in my experience, this unfortunately is the exception rather than the norm.
So, if cold calling isn’t working for someone, why oh why do they simply do the same thing via social networks instead?
Spammy is spammy no matter how you sugar coat it!
How many times have you received a message on LinkedIn from someone telling you all about how great they and their products are? How many Facebook groups have you left because they are full of adverts rather than real discussion? It smacks of desperation but it’s an easy thing to fall into.
We know that peer recommendation across social platforms is the best way to gain new leads, but how do we get these recommendations when we are a new business? How do we get people talking about us online in a positive way?
Be Present
The first thing is to be there in the first place and by being there I mean sharing useful content, engaging in conversation and genuinely trying to help people. It doesn’t mean posting countless ad’s and jumping on other people’s posts trying to sell something.
By being seen as helpful and full of valuable information, people will start to build trust in you and your business and start to look to you as a resource.
Having a personality
Social media is a great way to help get across the personality of the business, have some fun with it. Show people that you are human beings, be friendly, helpful (there’s that word again), open and warm with people. They say that people buy from people and by having the right attitude online, you can help to create that personal touch.
By engaging online you will also help encourage people to discuss your company, there’s no harm in asking for people to leave reviews or showcase your work. Just make sure that you get the balance right.
Happy posting!
