The reason so many people quickly give up on social-selling is because it’s usually not a quick return.
Not only that, but it requires digging in, reflecting on what’s working and not working, and being willing to pivot when necessary. The hard part comes in because it’s all in front of your personal network. That can be terrifying, and rightfully so.
Have I scared you off yet?
Don’t worry. Stick with me.
If you’re treading into the deep end of the Instagram pool and struggling to stay afloat, you’re probably wondering if social-selling is worth all of the effort. And that’s in fact a good question if you’re unsure of your end-game.
So start there.
Ask yourself: What is my end goal?
The answer should be: To convert followers into paying clients, of course!
It’s easy to get distracted with comparison bias and thinking everyone has better opportunities than you do. You may even start to ask yourself if you’re even able to be successful selling on social media.
Have you felt that before?
Perhaps it’s all the perfectly filtered feeds. Maybe it’s seeing big accounts with hundreds of thousands of followers. It could even be seeing the level of income –– and the corresponding upscale lifestyle –– that others are bringing in. Whether it’s one of the above, or even all of the above, your eyes may occasionally bug out as you think to yourself: “That’s what I need to be successful in network marketing.”
But I’m here to tell you: you don’t. Not even close.
I would take an engaged community of 100 followers over an account with 10,000 “fans” any day. You should aim for the same.
We aren’t looking for popularity; we’re looking for profitability. Only focusing on vanity metrics is where people get stuck and disappointed.
What’s the point of a large audience if they will never buy what you’re selling?
Sure, a large audience may feed your ego, but that’s about it. We’re looking for an engaged community that is valuing what we offer, connecting with our brands, and recognizing they need what we have. Am I right?!
Now I have a secret to share. You are already an influencer, my friend. Yes, seriously, you are.
If there are people following your feed, it’s because they WANT to be there — and they’re listening to you. Digging into the brand you’re creating on social and earnestly focusing on who you are selling to –– as well as how you can genuinely serve them –– is precisely the way you find the right followers.
But, how do I find the right followers?
1. They need to be able to find you. First and foremost, you need to have a public profile that is accessible to people. That’s the whole point of being on Instagram. If you’re private, no one knows what you have to offer. Not to mention, having to ask permission to follow you before they even know what you have to offer them is a BIG ask. Beyond having a visible profile, make sure you’re using hashtags that your customer will be searching for. Establish the problem you can solve for them, then use hashtags accordingly so they can find you.
2. They need to know the problem you can solve. Talk about the problem you solve, and do it OFTEN. Is it better health? Is it time freedom? Financial freedom? Clearer skin? Whatever it is, continue to address it in your posts. If you just talk about ingredients, company stats, and/or brag about your success, people will scroll by thinking: “Well, that doesn’t apply to me.” They may even become resentful and unfollow you. Make sure you are keeping THEIR needs at the forefront of your mind when developing content.
3. They need to know how to get involved and why they should want to. Lay out the plan for them to get involved via easy-to-comprehend messaging. Remember the age-old sales mantra: “If you confuse, you’ll lose.” Make it simple to know how to purchase and what it’s going to do for them once they do. I love using before-and-afters on Instagram stories because it gives people a way to directly message me and see exactly what the product has done for others –– as well as what it could do for them.
4. They need to know it has worked for others. Don’t be stingy with telling people how your product/service has helped others. Whether you’re showing your customers or people on your team, make it clear that it’s not just you saying this works. Show your audience that others agree! This is called social proofing, and it’s very effective.
We all want to attract more people to our pages — me included! I just don’t want us to be so focused on the numbers that we forget to nurture the audience we already have. The more that you connect with them, add value, and continue to engage those that are already tuned in to you, the more success you will have.
So the big question is: are you ready to show others what you have to offer? I’m confident that you can do it.
