Here’s my definition of ROI: A sale. Period. You can engage with social media or you can sell with it. Which will get you hired, promoted, grow your business or your customers’ accounts? The debate around social media ROI is tired and built on false premises:
1) Defining and measuring ROI is more important than earning a business lead or making a sale.
2) Listening and gaining customers’ attention is the end game.
In theory, nobody will disagree with the above yet in practice nearly everyone does. This is why I took a year off and got to work—researching WHO is selling with social media and HOW they’re doing it. What I found was shocking and exciting: from small businesses to global corporations those who are selling with social media are all using the same basic technique—the same success principles.
I met people like Amanda Kinsella of Logan Services who’s selling dozens of heating and air conditioning systems using Facebook. And people like Laura Messerschmidt of Intuit. By combining a cash grant program with social media training for customers, Intuit is feeding thousands of new leads each month to its Payroll product. The same technique is being used by people like Gunner Branson. He’s helping global corporations like Jones Lang LaSalle get clients interested in signing seven-figure commercial real estate contracts using YouTube.
Each of these very different companies are using the same techniques to make social media sell products and services. The most surprising and empowering part of these stories is how these businesses are getting back to basics. As it turns out, selling with social media involves evolution—not a total revolution of how business is done.
On December 2nd I’ll introduce you to people who are making social sell. When you hear how they’re getting the job done you’ll be empowered with knowledge and inspired, motivated to make change. I’m bringing these remarkably simple simple, world class strategies to Antwerp, Belgium at the Fusion Marketing Experience. Will you be there to hear them?
