10 Rules for Using Social Media to Prospect

1. Don’t think social media is going to replace traditional prospecting methods.

View social media as another tool to help you prospect. Most of all, never allow yourself to take the quality time you devote to prospecting and spend it doing social media.

Biggest mistake you can make is thinking all you need to do is devote all your prospecting time to social media and everything is going to work out great.

2. Use social media to create your reputation.

Prospects use the Internet to learn about people who are reaching out to them. Your social media sites, especially Linkedin, can and will prove to be a key validator for prospects checking you out.

3. Use social media to generate contacts you can follow up with using traditional prospecting methods.

Just because you first connected with someone via social media does not mean you can only contact them via that site.

4. Define in advance what you want your social media profile(s) to do for you.

Develop your plan to allow you to be more efficient in which sites you want to be part of and what the priority of each one should be.

5. Focus on social media platforms your prospects use and view as credible.

Just because you like it doesn’t mean that’s where your prospects are.

6. It’s better to use one social media platform well than to use two poorly.

It takes time to create credibility and awareness, and your time will be better spent doing a great job with one site rather than spreading yourself thin on every site.

7. Develop a plan as to how frequently you intend to update and stick to it.

The key is a level of consistency, especially if you want to be seen as someone people can count on.

8. Allow your personal and professional life to come through via social media.

Just remember this simple rule: If you wouldn’t say it in front of your boss at work or in front of your mother, then don’t post it on social media.

9. Set boundaries as to the amount of time you will spend each day and/or each week on social media.

If you don’t set boundaries on both the times of day you’ll monitor social media and the length of time, you’ll find yourself in a giant vortex doing nothing but being on social media sites.

10. Be engaging!

Remember the first word — Social.  this means it’s not just about you. It’s also about you showing interest and intent in others. With that said, however, the challenge is to not allow your time on social media to become even less productive than going to your 5-year high school reunion!

If there is one thing to keep in mind and that is to never forget the reason you’re on social media sites is to help you with your prospecting. Social media is a tool to help you open up new leads and speed up your ability to create confidence with existing leads.

Copyright 2015, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of High-Profit Selling: Win the Sale Without Compromising on Price.

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