Now that you’ve started creating the right content, the next step is to react.

PRM NOW is about turning social media contacts into genuine prospects and, ultimately, customers. In this guide, we’ll take you through six simple steps that show you how to manage those relationships, nurture them and give yourself the best chance of winning more sales.

Conversations, Conversations, Conversations

A like, share, comment or message might seem like a small interaction, but it’s also an acknowledgement. Someone has noticed what you’ve posted and decided to engage with it. That gives you an opportunity to start a conversation.

You don’t need to jump straight into selling. In fact, doing so can have the opposite effect. Instead, look at the interaction as the beginning of a relationship. Respond to their comment, answer their question or ask something that keeps the conversation going.

If the timing is right, those small interactions can gradually build familiarity and trust. Once someone knows who you are, understands what you do and feels comfortable talking to you, you have a much better chance of turning that relationship into a sales opportunity.

The Void

The problem with social media is that everything moves incredibly quickly. A post can be seen, forgotten and replaced by hundreds of other pieces of content within a matter of hours.

That means there’s a real risk that someone who could eventually become a customer simply stops seeing you.

Regular posting can help keep your business visible, but starting a conversation is even more valuable. Once someone has interacted with you, you have an opportunity to make yourself memorable and continue that relationship rather than waiting for them to stumble across your next post.

But being memorable isn’t enough on its own. If someone remembers your business but never takes the next step, the relationship isn’t going anywhere.

This is why you need to react.

If someone shows interest, acknowledge it. If they ask a question, answer it. If they keep engaging with your content, find a natural opportunity to continue the conversation. The more useful and genuine those interactions are, the more likely they are to come back to you when they are ready to buy.

Take the Conversation Somewhere Else

Think of social media like a busy party or a conference. There are lots of people, lots of conversations and plenty of distractions. You might have a really good conversation with someone, but eventually you may want to move somewhere quieter so you can actually hear each other.

Social media works in much the same way.

Once you’ve built enough of a relationship and the other person is comfortable with it, you can move the conversation away from the social platform and into a channel you can manage more effectively. That could be email, a direct message, a phone call or even a meeting.

The important thing is not to rush this. You should earn the opportunity to continue the conversation rather than immediately asking for someone’s contact details.

When someone is interested and happy to take the next step, capturing their details means you can keep track of the relationship and make sure the conversation doesn’t disappear.

This is where a CRM becomes particularly useful.

Instead of relying on your social media notifications or your memory, you can record the contact, make notes about your conversations and keep track of what needs to happen next.

Give People a Reason to Continue the Conversation

Sometimes the easiest way to move a social media contact into a more direct conversation is to give them something useful in return.

This could be a guide, checklist, webinar, useful resource or another piece of content that solves a problem for them. These are often referred to as lead magnets because they give someone a reason to provide their contact details and continue the relationship with you.

For example, someone might see a post offering a free guide relevant to their business. They provide their email address to receive it, giving you permission to continue communicating with them in an appropriate way.

That contact can then be added to your CRM and, where appropriate, placed into a relevant follow-up or nurturing process.

The important thing is that the offer should genuinely be useful. If you’re asking someone for their details, you need to give them a good reason to trust you with them.

A Time and a Place

It’s important not to scare people off by trying to move too quickly.

Think about meeting someone at a party. If you introduced yourself and immediately started treating them like your best friend, you’d probably make things uncomfortable. Social media relationships work in much the same way.

You’ve got to give people time to get to know you.

If someone has only liked one of your posts, it probably isn’t the right time to start sending them messages about your services. But if they’ve commented several times, asked questions, shared your content or started a conversation with you, there may be a natural opportunity to take things further.

This is where paying attention to individual interactions becomes important.

For example, if someone regularly engages with your LinkedIn posts and then comments about a problem that your business can solve, that’s a much stronger reason to start a direct conversation with them.

You can also tag or mention people when there is a genuine reason to do so. If you’ve shared something that you know would be useful to them, letting them know can be a good way to continue the relationship.

The key is to make it relevant. People want to feel like you’re talking to them, not simply adding another name to a marketing list.

When you get this right, you start to build trust. They feel recognised as an individual, rather than simply being treated as another potential sale.

Are They Good Enough?

At some point, you need to decide whether a social media contact is actually worth pursuing as a prospect.

This is where prospect qualification comes in.

Not everyone who engages with your business is going to become a customer. Someone might like your content because they find it interesting, even though they have no need for your product or service.

Before investing significant time in a relationship, you need to understand whether there is a genuine opportunity.

Some of the questions you might want to ask are:

1. Do they need or want your product or service?

2. Do they have the ability to buy?

3. Are they involved in the purchasing decision?

4. How likely are they to make a purchase?

5. Are they eligible for what you offer?

The answers will help you work out whether someone should simply remain a contact, become a prospect or move further into your sales process.

This is another area where your CRM can help.

With popcorn’s prospect scoring, you can give contacts a score based on the information and interactions you have with them. As they show more buying signals, their score can increase.

You can then take this further with automation. For example, once someone reaches a particular score, you could move them into a relevant stage of your sales pipeline or trigger an appropriate follow-up.

That means you’re not spending all your time chasing every person who interacts with your business. You’re concentrating your attention on the people who are showing genuine signs of becoming customers.

And now you’ve started the right conversations, reacted to the people showing interest and identified which contacts are worth pursuing, you’re ready for the next stage:

Manage.

Discover the steps to PRM NOW