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Are Your Social Media Sales Leads Flawed by a False Premise?
Posted on February 5, 2016 at 12:41 PM |
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If A equals B and B equals C, then A equals C. It’s a simple conclusion and argument that looks
rock solid. However, if it turns out
that A does not in fact, equal B, then the argument is flawed by a false
premise. The logic of an argument that
uses a false premise can actually be perfectly sound. I suppose that’s why you see it used so much
in social media marketing messages. The
logic can be mapped this way: A = a twitter profile mentions “marketing,” or other keyword you’ve
chosen, in a tweet or in their bio. B = the profile who mentioned your keyword must be interested in what
you are interested in, and already believe you have credibility and deserve
trust. C = the profile who mentioned the keyword must be a “qualified ready to
buy” prospect for your specific product or solution. The actual automated direct message then reads as follows: Hi [Name], I noticed your tweets
on [keyword topic] and thought our solution would be of interest. Feel free to
visit our website (URL here) to learn more about us. We’d love to do a quick
demo for you. However, if you’ve spent any time trying to generate qualified sales
leads you know that it’s dangerous to bank on simple conclusions like the one above. So, how did this very old ploy gain a
foothold in the new world of social media marketing? Probably because many organizations follow marketing
concepts developed in the 1950s to ‘70s. 1. Segment
the audience: The individual social profiles mentioning the keywords can be
easily identified and put into a broad group. 2. Targeting:
Blast a mass customized message to the identified group through automation
technology. 3. Positioning: Craft the message to appear personalized and sound
sincere, positioning your solution as the answer to their situation. Congratulations, you just sent the right message, to the right
audience, at the right time! The orders should
start rolling in! Except that’s not how
it’s unfolding because A does not currently equal B. In addition, B does not currently equal C
either. With some careful nurturing, “A”
might equal “B” and become a prospect (equaling “C”) at some point in the
future; but at present there is no recognized need or pain point your suspect
is trying to resolve. In short, you are
a “spray and pray” social media marketer.
By the way, your target has now been put off by your blunt initial
approach so you can forget about nurturing the relationship for future benefit. Are you ready to get back to the future now? Then you must learn to listen
more and speak less. Turn off the
automation that implies the receiver is interested in you or your
solution. Stop thinking of yourself as a
salesperson and start thinking of your role in terms of a business consultant
who can truly add value to your prospects day.
Finally, stop thinking in terms of
“qualifying and closing” the keyword user in one automated shot. People love to buy, but hate to be sold. OK, that is one timeless concept you should
keep in mind. |
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