Time to read: 3.5 minutes. Most businesses are failing to make social media produce leads and sales because they have a social media marketing strategy that creates engagement—rather than a social media SALES strategy that creates RESPONSE. Your business is not in the “publishing business” but rather in the “action business.” RESPONSE is king. Here’s how to get customers to take actions on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and blogs that ultimately convert them to paying customers.

I finally found a practical way to develop a social media sales strategy. Above, you’ll see I’ve illustrated the system—the exact method successful social sellers are using. This is based on 2 years of my own research.

THIS is how people are creating sales on platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn, blogs, podcasts and Facebook.

Ok, let’s quickly take a look at this system at a high level so you can begin putting it to use in your daily life.

Step 1: Un-Learn the Lies, Half-Truths & Myths

This might seem like a strange step but hear me out.

Ever since social media’s arrival most of us have spent time REACTING to it. Sure, we say we’re developing a strategy but the truth is social media exploded onto the scene—caught us off guard. Ever since, we’ve been quick to believe the simple lies instead of slightly complicated truth. Too quick.

Because the slightly complicated truth isn’t so complicated. More importantly, it’s what works.

Selling products and services on social media is mostly about applying direct response marketing concepts. Getting back to “old school” basics is the key to success—the foundation of your social sales strategy.

I know this based on 2 years of researching the best social sellers out there, culminating in my book (How to Make Social Media Sell for You) and training program. Heck, I’m building my business on it!

Looking more human online. Joining the conversation (for the sake of looking more human or being “transparent” with customers). Getting Liked, followed, re-tweeted. The list of bullshit time-wasters is endless, the social platforms just keep coming and the drum-beat of “experts” gets louder and louder. DO SOCIAL MEDIA NOW—FAST! (or be lost)

It’s time to turn the channel!

Step 2: Change the Goal to Confidence

Ask yourself right now: “Is my social media marketing strategy designed to grab at the attention of customers or capture them as a lead—and help start the process of ‘getting them confident?'”

Are you helping customers solve problems critical to their success in life, getting promoted, avoiding risks they don’t know they have, learning new skills—all with the aim of building their confidence in themselves AND trust with you?

Or are you busy trying to get Liked on Facebook, polishing up your LinkedIn profile or trying to get noticed in LinkedIn groups? See the difference?

If you’ve ever sold anything in your life (or hired someone who has for you) you know one thing very well: People buy ONLY once they’ve become confident in themselves. Earning their hard-earned cash demands they know what they’re doing/getting into.

Customers need to feel like “this CAN happen in my life” successfully, at a fair cost and without blowing up in their face.

If you want to SELL with social media (and beat your competition to the punch) do this:

Support your social media sales strategy (getting customers confident in themselves and trusting you) by following these tactical guidelines every day. When you blog, publish videos, etc…

1. Focus on solving customers’ problems with social marketing in ways that you can connect to what it is you sell.
2. Give customers a cure for an expressed pain, encourage them to ask more questions—then take them on a journey toward the complete remedy.
3. Listen in ways that help you always know what problems to solve, how to solve them and how to attract the most appropriate bees (best prospects) to your hive (your blog’s Answer Center) more often.

Step 3: Create Response

Selling on social media requires you to be a thought PROVOKER not just a thought leader. You’ve got to get customers to feel confident. That’s job #1. Next, you’ve got to get the conversation rolling in a direction you can guide. That means provoking customers into action—on the spot.

Yes, engage but then get prospects to dis-engage from social media and do something to become a lead! (get on the path of that journey toward what they need)

Your social media sales strategy must do this one thing really well:

Create RESPONSE.

To do this you’ve got to give prospects a compelling reason to ask for more answers. Give them a reason to sign-up for a series of videos that scratches their itch a bit more—gives them useful answers they can apply and create a bit of success with. Because when they do that they become:

• more confident
• more trusting of the people giving them the confidence and
• part of your sales funnel.

Remember: Your business is not in the “publishing business” but rather in the “action business.”

Create Results—You CAN do it!

The success formula is simple.

Step 1: Create content (a blog, a video, etc.) that solves a distinct problem for customers.
Step 2: Locate and/or attract qualified discussions.
Step 3: Lure prospects into taking an action that connects to your sales funnel (creates response).

If you would like more guidance on how to actually make this happen in your business check out my free training course. There’s no need to wonder anymore about how to create a social media sales strategy. Now you know!