15 June 2021 
Marina Dvoryachenko In the era of social networks, it is impossible to imagine any interaction without them. E-mails and face-to-face meetings are still in use, but as Bill Gates said, If your business is not on the Internet, then your business will be out of business. Today we have prepared some tips to help you find potential customers on social networks.
Find your target
Before making a connection with your prospects you should find someone to connect with. Use a keyword search to find your audience on social media. You can use keywords to find issues of your prospective customers or track the activities of your competitors.
Use Google or other keyword research tools to find the words people use to describe the problem. Then use those words in your social media searches.
Choose your platforms
It looks extremely simple, but sometimes people make too many mistakes, trying to manage all popular networks. It is unlikely for an attorney to use Pinterest, as well as a ballet school won’t use Twitter.
Any broker would tell you that it’s not too smart to put all your eggs in one basket. It’s better to choose the required minimum and kill it rather than focus on a bunch of unnecessary networks that won’t even have your audience in it.
Social media like Facebook and YouTube have connected all of the age groups, but according to Forrester, decision-makers primarily use Twitter and LinkedIn.
Join groups
Find out which groups your customers are in, and join them, and then start interacting. Groups on LinkedIn and Facebook are most suitable for these tasks. Here people are searching for their answers, quality content, the product or service they need. And with the help of such groups, they usually make research before buying.
Watch competitors
It is likely to see many groups of your competitors while searching for prospective clients. But do not leave such communities, join the party. People who are interested in competitors’ products or services will also be interested in yours.
You should not see these groups as a threat at all. They are your extra source of prospects. Track the activity under each post, study the reaction of the audience, and communicate. Even if clients have never heard of you before, they can turn to you while you’re active.
Create your own groups
You figured out the mechanisms of groups in social networks and joined the communities. Now you can proceed to the next stage. Create a group for your product.
Fill your groups with unique and engaging content. Attach research links, share your tips on the topic, and publish interesting articles. Grow your communities and then create targeted posts for active members.
Be more personal
Once you become active in groups you’ll see how the number of views on your profile will increase.
When you receive a notification that someone is viewing your profile, send them an invitation to connect. But under no circumstances send them a standard impersonal invitation like”Hi Tom, I’d like to join your LinkedIn network”. Instead try something more simple and friendly: “Hi, thanks for viewing my profile. Would you like to connect on LinkedIn?”
That is a much better way to begin communication with your prospects.
Provide value
Decide on the platforms on which you will look for clients, and then start exploring. Take your time, analyze problems, needs, and questions, and then use that as leverage for conversations. Comment on social media posts and join live chats. At this stage, offer your advice to users, rather than selling them your products or services.
The easiest way to gain attention and show qualifications is to give advice. In groups and communities, people ask questions that interest them, and if you know a good answer, go ahead. Good answers will help you gain a reputation and prospect’s trust.
Use LinkedIn Sales Navigator
There are more than 2 million groups on LinkedIn. The platform has a great internal resource to help you track leads more efficiently.
You will be able to conduct an advanced search for potential clients and companies. Search capabilities are different from regular LinkedIn searches and are much more specific. It is possible to use your CRM tool to track all the leads you discover and interact with. And you can also set up alerts for clients on the selected level of connections. LinkedIn Sales Navigator will allow you to find the people you need. The service will also provide lead and account recommendations based on your target audience.
To Sum Up
Social media is a great sales tool. You can always find prospects and catch their attention offering them a solution for their expressed problems or inquiries. Show your qualification, provide useful advice, and you will gain a prospect’s trust.
All of the above-mentioned tips will be useless if you do not track your progress. Feelings can be deceiving, but statistics are always extremely honest. Analyze your methods and tools, be flexible. Connect data analysis services and learn how to adjust your strategy. Try new tools and services that automate social sales prospecting and social selling. Finally, you will be able to build a reliable lead pipeline from social media.