Today’s world is more connected than ever before. The Internet has made it easy to connect to the world. Along with the Internet came social media. Social media is a very important tool that, if used properly, can help you achieve success in your Direct Selling business. However, not everyone is accustomed to social media’s role in the successful direct selling business. Many have overseen the possibilities that it can achieve.
Direct Selling is unlike a traditional retail business where products are displayed on shelves in a retail outlet for customers to choose from. Direct Selling does not use the middle man and does business away from the retail setup. Therefore, I am writing this post to help everyone benefit from social media in running a successful business.
Social Media uses for Direct Selling
1. No more door-to-door selling
Imagine running a direct selling business going door-to-door to sell your products. With the invention of the Internet, the concept of door-to-door Selling has vanished. There are no more salesmen that make sales going to every house in an area. That is all long gone. It relies mainly on word of mouth from its existing customers. Social media has been very useful for direct sellers to have a successful business. It has made the traditional selling technique absolute. There are more innovative and ambitious ways to sell your products and have a successful direct selling business.
2. Community
Social media is very convenient for building a community of like-minded people. The advantage of a community is that you can easily share your ideas and thoughts with people who are really interested in the field. Rather than just broadcasting it to the entire world. Community makes us stronger and gives us a feeling of belongingness. Community is very important for a direct seller cause in times when your feel like giving up on this profession due to its hurdles, the community will help to stay on and see the bigger picture.
3. Free of cost marketing
Social media is free of cost. Knowing to use it in a proper way to improve your business will be cost-effective and very helpful. You can advertise your business to people without having monetary costs. Social media has a long reach. You can effectively market your products and business to people worldwide, which would cost a bomb in the traditional way of advertising. You can buy an advertising subscription at the lowest cost.
4. Generate Leads
Generating leads is very important in any business, let alone Direct Selling. In the traditional way of doing business, direct sellers had to meet people physical for them to generate any leads. Using social media, generating leads is easier. You can generate leads sitting in your home. No need to slog yourself in the hot and harsh climatic conditions. Post pandemic, social platforms have become a lifesaver by allowing to generate leads without any physical contact.
5. Reach large audience
Everyone is on some or the other social platforms. Be it Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, WhatsApp, etc. Creating content on these platforms will reach many people and grow your business. However, be thoughtful about the social platform you are using and the format of the content you produce. For example, if Instagram is your preferred platform, content in the form of reels and images is most effective. On the other hand, if you prefer YouTube to be your social platform, then video content is more appropriate.
5 Social Media Tips
- Do not barge your personal life story for your clients and friends. Separate your personal and professional profiles.
- Be authentic. Many people have a habit of inventing an imaginary life on social media. It isn’t easy to find a genuine lifestyle with real people on social media. People appreciate and build a lasting bond when people are authentic.
- Engage with your followers. It is very important to have regular interaction with your clients and let them know you are real rather than just an ideal character. Post content related to your business regularly.
- Block out negativity. Social media is very useful. Sometimes it can be the opposite of useful with negative and harassing engagement from your followers. If not managed properly, the negativity can lead to a downward swirl in your business.
- Limit your online presence. Social media tends to take you down the rabbit hole if you are unaware of the time spent on it. So, set a specific time to spend on social media in advance.
