Ever notice that at the end of almost all TV ads these days you’ll see a “Find us on Facebook/Twitter” message?

Facebook and Twitter have become standard components in company ad campaigns. However, it takes a prescient company to recognize that social media should move beyond the marketing department and become an integral part of the overall sales process. Even for B2B businesses, social media can play a role – from establishing credibility to generating referrals.  

Regardless of your industry, you can follow these five basic steps to incorporate social media into your sales cycle:

Establish An Online Footprint. An online footprint is much more than a website or a listing in an internet directory. Having a substantial web presence is a useful business development tool because it can help you build your brand and credibility; direct potential clients and customers to your website, blog or other virtual home base; manage your online image; and ensure colleagues can easily make referrals.

Begin with an online audit by searching for your company, your name, names of key employees, and your industry and geographic area. If you do not appear in the manner you desire (or at all), then you need to start the first phase of your social media strategy. This entails building an online footprint via directory listings, social media platforms, keywords and qualified backlinks.

Pick A Virtual Home Base. A virtual home base is the web location to which you drive your target market online. While it’s generally your main website – especially if you incorporate a blog – there may be budgetary or other reasons for using a free blogging platform, LinkedIn or a Facebook page. Whatever you decide, you need to design and implement a consistent strategy that results in capturing leads that you can ultimately turn into customers or clients.

Generate And Automate Content. It’s hard to do it all, especially if you don’t have a dedicated social media representative or team. This is why you need to determine what content will be original and what can be automated. No matter what you decide, you should personalize at least one of the platforms. If launching a social media campaign company-wide, you will need social media guidelines and should also provide training for groups and individuals. If developing original content is a problem, look to repurpose existing content or outsourcing the editorial/writing functions for blogs, Facebook, Twitter, e-newsletters, web releases and/or eBooks.

Practice Conversational Selling. Social media engagement is more of a networking event than a press release. You wouldn’t walk up to a stranger at a cocktail party and start rambling off your company-approved messages. The same goes for social media. It’s about building relationships first so that referrals follow. Social media is also an opportunity to respond to critics and customer complaints. Disgruntled prospects and customers are no longer calling your customer service, as it’s much more satisfying to complain publicly by posting on Twitter.

Enable referral generation. Maintaining your online presence and participating in social media will keep you, your employees and your company top of mind for clients, colleagues and friends. For many of us, the only referrals we have time to make are the ones that can be accomplished with the click of a mouse. LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook can make referrals happen quicker and more frequently.

There is no one-size-fits-all social media solution. However, it’s clear that the companies who reap the most benefits from social media are those that incorporate it into their entire sales cycle. So before you start slapping Facebook and Twitter icons on your ads, consider if that’s truly the best application of your social media time and money.

Diane K. Danielson is the principal consultant with DKD New Media Strategies in Cohasset. Email: Diane@dkdnewmedia.com