The goal of using social media for print businesses and resellers is often to sell print products, but how a business goes about that goal can make all the difference. Building connections, sharing content, and engaging with your audience are all key components of successful social media selling.
Social media has become a part of our daily routine, and while there’s a good chance that your business is already on social media, you may not be utilizing the platform to its full potential. To see the greatest results, print businesses and resellers need to approach social selling and building relationships in the same way you would if they were face-to-face, by connecting with them authentically and offering useful information at the right time. Make the most of your efforts with these tips for utilizing a LinkedIn profile to sell print products.
Can an online presence help you sell print products?
Print businesses can leverage their social media presence to help increase brand awareness among current and future buyers, make more connections with prospects, customers, and influencers, establish their brand as authoritative and empathetic, and facilitate real-world conversations to build relationships and bonds. By interacting with potential customers on social networks such as LinkedIn, businesses can find the right prospects, build trusted relationships, and ultimately increase sales.
Establish A Professional Brand
First impressions matter, and when prospects visit your LinkedIn profile, you want them to find a professional-looking profile with lots of helpful information about what they’re interested in buying. A business with a branded profile that is sharing useful information is going to instill trust and confidence in a prospective customer.
Establishing a professional brand includes:
- Choosing a professional profile picture – the first element that most potential customers will see is your profile picture. While a professional headshot is ideal, make sure you select a photo that is warm and engaging.
- Crafting an impactful headline – the LinkedIn headline is the section under your name in your profile that acts as your one-liner or elevator pitch. Your LinkedIn headline appears along with your photo in searches, posts, messages, recommendations, and more.
- Writing a compelling profile – this is where you want to display your expertise. Your profile should be written in a professional style, with no spelling or grammatical mistakes, and should include industry-related keywords. You might include core skills, strengths, expertise, or accomplishments. Include highlights that demonstrate how you can help prospective customers.
For businesses unsure of what to post, start by asking yourself these two questions:
- What do you want to be known for?
- What problems can you solve?
The answers to these questions are what your profile needs to say about you. When writing your profile, imagine that you are introducing yourself to a prospect for the first time and consider what it is that you would tell them about your business.
Demonstrate Industry Expertise
Once you have created or updated your profile, you can work on building and expanding your social network. Follow pertinent accounts and look to join relevant industry groups on LinkedIn. Share conversation-worthy updates to grow relationships. This kind of high-quality, sharable items may include blogs, infographics, white papers, or case studies. Select items to share that are helpful and contextually appropriate for followers.
Rise above the competition by delivering solid content and providing actionable takeaways. Listen to your prospects’ and clients’ worries and struggles and cater your content to help them succeed. Buyers want to hear from an industry expert who provides knowledge or insight about their business. Additionally, follow and reshape content from key industry players; these can include colleagues, clients, and prospects. Always customize messages using the information you have learned about the person you are contacting.
Build Relationships with Prospective Customers
Customers buy from a business that they know, like, and trust. Print businesses can build relationships and trust through social networks. When it comes to social selling, the more people your business knows, the better.
A larger network gives you greater leverage in finding new prospects and new clients. However, when using LinkedIn, it is best to engage with people you know or have met. Blind invitations to connect are often moved directly into the trash. Look for common connections and see if those individuals can provide warm introductions to new relationships.
Once you have made a connection develop the relationship. Reach out periodically at appropriate times and add value by providing relevant information and solutions to your prospect or client’s business problems. Remember, this is a two-way conversation. You want to build relationships first and allow sales to follow.
Social media platforms like LinkedIn provides the avenue for building a relationship with potential customers who will then be more likely to buy from you because of the connection established through your social media interactions.
At DFS, we know that print businesses and resellers have a tremendous opportunity to utilize social media to sell print products. With an extensive breadth of products and services, as well as print industry expertise, you can depend on DFS to help guide business success. Contact us today to be matched with a DFS business advisor.
Key Takeaways
- Utilize LinkedIn to build connections, share content, and sell print products.
- The ultimate goal of social media marketing should be to generate interactions with individuals who are ready to buy.
- To sell print products with your LinkedIn profile follow these three steps: establish a professional brand, demonstrate industry expertise, and build relationships.
- Partnering with DFS can help print businesses achieve maximum productivity and drive long-term business success.
