"I think many confuse 'social selling' with 'social advertising'"
In an interview with MK Werbewoche, management consultant and social media expert Roger L. Basler explains what to keep in mind when it comes to social selling—the combination of social media, content, and relationship building—and what the current and future trends are.
MK Werbewoche: Mr. Basler, why do classic push advertising measures, especially in the B2B environment, no longer work?
Roger L. BaslerPush has never really worked, there have simply been few or no alternative options. Basically, however, people in the B2B environment want to have a basis of trust before they make a decision. This is different from B2C, where people quickly buy a product, test it, and then find it good or bad. That's why B2B increasingly relies on pull measures, i.e. the long-term development of business relationships through knowledge and trust.
What is social selling and what is the strategy behind it?
In social selling, we try to understand people and their motives. What does the CFO of an SME want to know? What moves the HR manager of a large company, how can we help and support each other and thus build a relationship. With the approach of helping each other and networking, one builds up a network density and interaction that leads to being remembered when it comes to problem solutions, i.e. services and products - in New English "top of mind".
Is digital & social selling the same as social media marketing or is it related to social media advertising?
A categorization is not so easy, because in the vernacular one generally likes to speak of "social media" no matter whether it is simple posts, advertising or interactions. Basically, however, under the term of digital marketing the social media is a method, which is deepened in either social media marketing (push advertising) or social selling (pull relationship management).
If social selling is a typical sales approach, how exactly does lead management work?
Leads are identified and classified in a first stage, then fed and enriched so that they qualify as warm or closeable leads. Lead management as a system is therefore more method and continuity, which can be accompanied, for example, with LinkedIn's Sales Navigator or software such as Pipedrive or Hubspot. Here, one relies on systematic lists and a defined process, which should lead to learning more about the people on the one hand, but also to better personalize and match the offer.
And what are the pitfalls of social selling?
I think that many confuse social selling with "social advertising". That is, when someone makes a post for a workshop or recommends a product, it's quickly said "oh, she's doing social selling aka selling on social media", but that's not what is meant by social selling. Social selling is indirect and long term. But the reason why this is then bashed at especially other "experts" is because they don't understand it. They still think classically: Push advertising gives pull effect, so they earn money, with CPM and CPC but that does not always have the same effect. I think both have their justification, but depending on the goal and purpose, a combination is more effective, as long as the pull share is greater.
How big do you think the pull share should be?
I have a 5:3:2 rule for this: 5 posts (or 50 percent) should be helpful, not promotional or branded, 3 posts (or 30 percent) may relate to the company or person but not be salesy, and only 2 (or 20 percent) of the content should be salesy, so we also have the Pareto principle of 80:20 taken into account right away.
How do you become a topic ambassador and influencer for your own company?
Anyone who reads the LinkedIn Social Selling Index - it is purely an index, you can't buy anything from it - will see that the basis is a good, well-founded network (class, not mass, is required), which means you should actively network and maintain this network (online and offline). Then follows with great weighting "arouse interest through insights", means in my words, document instead of create, from everyday life. What do I do all day job-related? Who do I help? Who else could I help. That's how you achieve visibility beyond your own company. However, companies that build up so-called corporate influencers should consciously address the issue, define guidelines without imposing major restrictions, accompany is more important than control. Success takes place in association and when you empower these people, that is, you look together at what messages you want to place, what fits the company AND the person and what can be learned when you play something out. An influencer is really nothing more than an ambassador with a multiplication effect via social networks - but also offline, we must never forget that.
Can anyone become a B2B influencer or subject matter expert on social media?
Of course. Because everyone has received a leap of faith with the employment contract. That is, someone has trusted the person to do this job well, why should this person not be allowed to talk about it?
How do you manage to be seen as an expert and how do you achieve enough reach?
It takes a long-term approach and you should take your own ego out of it. Helping instead of selling, documenting instead of creating. Someone once told me: A brand is what people say about you when you're not in the room. That can also be virtual. That is, if we manage to provide insights and help with our knowledge.
How did you build yourself into a B2B influencer?
I wouldn't call myself an influencer (yet), more of a networker and someone who wants to motivate and inspire people. But I'm certainly well on my way to doing that by providing insights and sharing my knowledge, documenting my daily professional life and making what I learn available for free.
What formats do you use to show that you are the expert?
I write books, have a YouTube channel and host workshops. A podcast is being created and I make sure that people also experience and feel me live. For example, you can have coffee with me for 20 minutes - depending on the distance, also online, but preferably in person. Espresso, black.
Do you have any specific tips on how to set the course for a successful start in social selling?
First, you should think of an added value and take good care of your network by listening first and foremost. Does my added value fit in here? Who can I help and how exactly? Then get started and see what develops. It takes patience and time, but it will be a joy when you get the first feedbacks.
How will social selling continue to develop and what new trends do you expect?
Video and especially live video will become increasingly important, just as podcasts are establishing themselves as exciting formats. We are only at the beginning here. So everyone is becoming a broadcaster, so let's make something of it.
Interview: Karin Bosshard
Roger L. Basler is a business economist FH and digital entrepreneur. He works in the areas of digitization, digital business models, e-commerce and digital marketing. He lectures at various institutes and has published numerous reference books and articles on the above topics in German and English.
