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Johanna Ostermeier

5 Steps To Social Media Success

There is no doubt, love it or hate it, that the presence of Online Social Media is becoming unavoidable in the day to day working lives of sales professionals, however to what extent you participate in this is likely to be a decision that you have made recently or are currently trying to make right now. Whether you are a sales employee looking to generate more leads or a sales manager looking to recruit sales professionals it is likely that you will have considered using a form of social media as a career tool at some point in the past 2 years.

The fact is, social media is a new phenomenon and its effectiveness as a tool for sales professionals to succeed is likely to be met with much scepticism until we see hard results over time, despite all the hype surrounding its usefulness to date. It is however a potential mistake to overlook the possibilities that could be open to sales professionals in utilising at some of the big social media platforms out there and we’d like to take the opportunity to show you why and how social media can be a success for you.

In this article we take a look at some of the top reasons we believe you should be using social media to increase your sales within your organisation and provide specific steps you can take to get moving with your social media strategy (if you choose to!).

Why Should I Use Social Media?

Some important facts to remember when deciding on whether to start planning your social media strategy.

  • Facebook has over 325 million active members and is predicted to have 500 million by 2011 or sooner. The 2nd most trafficked website in the world. [Source: Alexa.com]

  • More than 50% of Facebook users in the U.S. are over 35 years old. [Source: ComScore].

  • Facebook users have more degrees, they're more mature, and their median income is above average.

  • Twitter is the fastest growing social network- growing by over 1900% in 2008 to 2009.

  • Twitter has over 50 million members and growing by tens of thousands a week.

  • On average each adult with a social networking page or profile has profiles on 1.6 sites, and 39% of adults have profiles on two or more sites.

  • Half of all current adult social networkers say that they access their profiles at least every other day.

  • 57% have joined a Social Network, making it the number one platform for creating
    and sharing content [Source: Universal McCann, 2008]

The Approach

The important thing for sales professionals to remember is that sales are generated using social media by implementing a form of marketing called Relationship Marketing and unenthusiastic social media efforts will rarely result in ‘quick sales’ and that is not really what we should be aiming for in using it anyway. Whilst we appreciate that the biggest ultimate concern for sales professionals is to increase sales, we believe that how you reach this point will require a more strategic way of looking at gaining sales than perhaps some of you may be implementing before now. Relationship Marketing is one way of doing this and is the basis of most things social media related. It has been described as:

“Relationship marketing differs from other forms of marketing in that it recognizes the long term value to the firm of keeping customers, as opposed to direct or “Intrusion” marketing, which focuses upon acquisition of new clients by targeting majority demographics based upon prospective client lists.” (Wikipedia)

Bearing this in mind you can now take action to make your social media presence felt.

Get Started with Social Media

After some basic goal setting and planning you will be ready to start using social media to drive business in your sales position or business.

Here are 5 specific steps to get you moving:

  • Get online: Get a Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter page set and looking great, and most importantly start writing a blog if you’re not already. Make the material in the blog relevant to your industry, ensuring that people will want to read it. You want people to look forward to receiving the blog they subscribe to and these really do have to add value to their working life- ensure yours does.

  • Identify relevant contacts in your industry and contribute to their blogs and posts and begin to develop relationships with these people via comments and tweets. The aim here is to get discussions going. These people will not be buying your product or service, these people will talk about your product or service and promote it indirectly. Promotion by a neutral and unbiased party, encouraging ‘word of mouth’, is one of the best forms of marketing and PR you can get.

  • Attract a following- There is no point putting out there your ideas, experiences, thoughts and critiques out there if no one is following you. You want to be contributing to conversation and building authority in your industry and ensure people are listening. The key here is to give abundantly. Don’t worry that people will steal your ideas- these people were never going to buy your product or service anyway. The people are willing to pay, still will.

  • Engage and capture your audience by bringing them back to somewhere (most likely your website) where you can do business. Your blog can really come in handy here and a ‘call to action’ should be evident throughout the page. For example you can put a call to action in your sidebar or a contact form. For example “Sign Up Here For”

  • Measure your activity- Give yourself goals and start to keep track on how you are getting along with these goals. Some measures could be the number of industry professionals you’re finding, the number you’re following, connecting with and contributing to. Whatever you’re putting your efforts into, measure it to ensure you’re not wasting your time.

As you continue to work your network and build relationships you’ll gain respect and trust and open yourself up to opportunities you never knew existed. Maintain patience when going about your social media efforts. In this instance good things really do come to those who wait....

Aaron Wallis provides a range of expert information on sales from career advice to great sales tips to assist you with your career or business.

Published: 26th March 2021

Date published: 26th Feb 2024

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Rob Scott - Aaron Wallis

by Rob Scott

Managing Director

Rob Scott, Aaron Wallis Sales Recruitment, Author Photo

About the author

Rob Scott

Rob is the Managing Director of Aaron Wallis Sales Recruitment, a national recruitment agency specialising in sourcing sales and marketing staff for businesses across a broad range of commercial sectors. Before setting up Aaron Wallis, Rob spent ten years at a specialist Sales and Marketing recruitment division of a £0.5BN recruitment group, leaving in 2007 as Marketing & Sales Director to establish Aaron Wallis.
 
With over 24 years of experience in sales recruitment, Rob is a History graduate with an MBA (Merit) and a PgCert in Management Practice.  In 2007, 2009 and 2013 Rob conducted the most extensive surveys of sales professionals in the UK and is a trusted authority in the sales industry. From guiding employers through the recruitment process to helping candidates find their dream job, Rob's advice has been quoted in leading publications such as Business Insider and The Independent, as well as OnRec, which host The Online Recruitment Awards every year.

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Giles Phillips is a rare find in the minefield of sales recruitment; an honest and thoughtful recruiter who considers the needs of both the client AND the candidate to create perfect role matches. I look forward to working with him again in the future.

Marketing Director, City of London Police

I found Aaron Wallis to be very professional and efficient, taking time to understand the role and the type of candidate we were looking for. The candidates they put forward met our criteria and were of a high standard. The service they provided was exemplary and I would have no hesitation in recommending them, and will certainly consider using them again in the future.

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Commercial Director, Incentive Facilities Management

Aaron Wallis has continuously provided us with suitable candidates that have been proactively sourced. Having used countless recruitment companies, Aaron Wallis are the only company that I can count on to deliver.

Managing Director, JARK Healthcare Recruitment

Generally good standard of candidates. Especially liked the personality profile. Overall good value for money and will certainly use you again.

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Chief Financial Officer, Alphametrics

Rob’s knowledge of the recruitment industry and his thoughts and how to make it better for his clients have always been eye opening. I would recommend Rob to anybody who is looking for a professional, knowledgeable and flexible recruitment specialist.

CEO, Friday Ad Online Services

I could not suggest anything I would like you to do better. The service you provided materially exceeded my expectations. I would especially like to commend Simon Bonner; he is easily the best recruitment consultant I have ever dealt with. I particularly valued his advice and guidance throughout the recruitment process. 

UK Sales Manager, BTS Holdings Limited 

I have used Aaron Wallis to fill a number of our Sales Development Manager roles and I have found them to provide a very professional service. I will use their services again in future recruitment campaigns.

HR Business Partner, Greene King

Since joining DSGi, Rob has been a supplier of permanent staff and has performed to an extremely high standard, successfully filling 98% of roles he has worked on. If anyone is looking for a good sales and marketing based consultancy with an informal yet professional approach, I would recommend Rob.

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George is a joy to work with, and I'd recommend him to anyone seeking that unicorn hire - he found me mine, and I'm delighted!

Director, Education Support

I have always found Rob to be very knowledgeable about our industry sector, and it is refreshing to see after all of these years that Rob continues to quickly and accurately understand my requirements.

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Rob is a true recruitment professional that goes the extra mile that I have never experienced from any other recruitment agency before. If you need sales people call Rob or someone in his team, as they really are experts in sales recruitment.

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Thank you for your dedicated help during the recruitment process - we came to you after unsuccessfully searching elsewhere, and hired, not one, but two! Quick response times, and a really personal approach, without being pushy.

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I can't fault Sam or AW! Sam was a pleasure to work with and provided great support from the start. Sam always provided me with timely updates when required and provided outstanding candidates!

Director, Waste Managed Ltd

Giles is highly professional and was a pleasure to work with. He achieves excellent results through his personable skills and tenacity. I have no hesitation in recommending Giles to anyone who considers employing his services.

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In an industry where people over promise and under deliver, Rob and his teams have consistently provided a high-quality service. It is great to deal with someone that has an excellent understanding of UK industry, and a passion for sales.

Sales Manager, TR Fasteners

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A. Kirkland, Candidate

I have to say coming across and having dealings with Aaron Wallis proved to be very successful. Being highly experienced did not seem to count for much during my job search bit a conversation with Robert Scott gave me a real confidence boost and enabled to get a position at the age of 63. Great service!!!

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Aaron Wallis Sales Recruitment are a very friendly and professional recruitment organisation who listen to your needs, work with you and act on your behalf which sets them apart from many of their competitors who in my experience are willing to throw anything at you. We discussed my history, my preferences and my wishes - one opportunity was introduced. It was perfect. I start at the end of June.

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Aaron Wallis (and in particular Rob Scott) have been fantastic throughout the recruitment process, and even a few months down the line, still continues to care. Rob clearly cares about each individual and has a wealth of knowledge and expertise, which shows in the work he does. Each candidate is not just a number, and the support received from Aaron Wallis has helped me get a career which I truly enjoy.

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I had the absolute pleasure of working with George Humphries on finding a placement best suitable for me.

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Excellent experience. Knowledgeable staff and really went the extra mile. Found my ideal position and I couldn't be happier. Special shout out to Sam and George: who made the process smooth and easy for me. Highly recommend.

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T. Ashbourne, Candidate

Professional and responsive from start to finish. I would highly recommend. Special thanks to Sophie J for her help and support throughout.

N. Leney, Candidate

Simon was knowledgeable on his clients history, background and what their requirements were and he worked around time zones, holidays and a pandemic to get the right result.

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The Recruitment agent I used, Simon, was extremely helpful and really went the extra mile to ensure all of my questions were answered, and that I felt as comfortable and prepared as possible. Very professional company and would definitely recommend to others. Thank you Aaron Wallis!

A. Callaby, Candidate

Sophie helped me secure a new role I have been searching for. She took her time to explain clear and concisely all I needed to succeed at the interview stage. Thanks again Sophie!

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Darren at Aaron Wallis was really encouraging and helpful. He was very responsive and regularly made phone calls to explain the job opportunities available, and guided me through the application process.

A. Brown, Candidate

Aaron Wallis is an outstanding recruitment agency specialising in high calibre sales positions. I was working directly with Darren Dewrance who went above and beyond my expectations in sourcing me my perfect role. I was kept in regular communication with Darren and he worked extremely hard to secure my dream job. Highly recommended and Thanks Darren for all your expertise and hard work.

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Fantastic customer service, communication was brilliant, happy polite people to talk to, made everything a lot easier and smoother. Thank you for all your help getting me back in the work force, Keep up the good work :-)

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I had a great experience. Helped me every step of the way to get my new job. Sophie was very polite, kind and helpful!

J. Parnham, Candidate

I would highly recommend Aaron Wallis Recruitment, Darren was extremely helpful and provided me with plenty of advice and support throughout the whole process.

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K. Craggs, Candidate

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M. Owusu, Candidate

Rob was really helpful when I was putting together a presentation for the second stage interview. Overall their communication was great and kept me updated of any progress

J. McGrattan, Candidate

I had a very good experience with Aaron Wallis. The company itself is offering great content for all things related to the hiring process. I definitely recommend.

J. Ostermeier, Candidate

I would highly recommend thank you to Darren for helping me secure my new job role! Excellent service all round!

G. Thompson, Candidate

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L. Knowles, Candidate

Wanted to say a huge thank you to Simon Bonner who has just helped me secure my new role. He was one of the most professional recruiters I have ever worked with.

J. Marcinkiewicz, Candidate

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