http://nolimitbuzz.com NoLimitBuzz Social Media marketing... 7 steps on how to sell social media marketing to your boss

1. How to Sell Social Media Marketing To Your Boss

2. With the changes in how customers buy , social media marketing is becoming more of a requirement than a nice-to-have. With the need to reach more prospects where they spend their time online, social media marketing has become a key competent in your digital marketing mix.

3. It’s imperative to the success of your efforts to have commitment from company stakeholders and decision makers. Without their stamp of approval, the long-term nature of some social media marketing will likely erode confidence and can lead to program funding cuts .

4. Social media represents both opportunity and risk, with an emphasis on the latter among people who either don’t understand it or prefer to hold out until it becomes mainstream. The is why securing internal buy-in is a must.

5. Often, this involves convincing your CEO and executive team why to do online and inbound marketing. Sometimes this problem has to do with company culture or leadership, but often it comes down to communication and how it is explained. Really, many marketing teams could learn from their sales counterparts on how to achieve this.

6. Do Your Homework As any good sales person can tell you, doing your homework before you get in the meeting can make the biggest difference in terms of success. You need to study your CEO like a must-have customer. This means knowing his demographic, BANT and behaviour patterns. Did he come up through marketing or sales, or maybe it was through operations or finance? If he is from a sales and marketing background, talk to him about how research Here is a 7-step process to convince your CEO to start social media marketing:

7. After getting a good understanding about what motives your CEO, you need to match your presentation to what his organizational goals are, whether it’s cost reduction, sales growth, a new product launch or something else. Match his language to your message, whether the context is a new blog or maybe a well-conceived Facebook strategy. Discover what your CEO Cares About

8. In sales, there is the golden rule: you should only talk 20% of the time and have your prospect (your CEO) talk 80% of the time. How do you do this? Walk your CEO through the whole process. Ask questions about current challenges, goals, and how he wants to bring about change. By doing this you will not only discover more about what is important to him, but also you increase his engagement and buy-in. Remember the 80:20 Rule

9. Sales 101 teaches you that you don't sell features, you explain the benefits. That means don't explain how you can track a lead and nurture it from start to finish. Rather, explain how you can pass well qualified leads to sales so they will waste less time chasing unqualified prospects resulting in greater efficiency for the organization. Remember to be as specific as possible and match it to his personal and organizational goals. Sell on Benefits, not Features

10. At it's depth, social media marketing can be very complex, and it goes deep into every behaviour prospects/clients make. Your CEO doesn't need to be the social media marketing expert. If he was, why would he need you? Filter what's important into a message simple enough that your CEO can not only make an appropriate decision but also repeat the message. You want to make him your advocate; if cannot explain it himself, how is he going to champion it into your/the organization? KISS ( Keep It Simple Stupid )

11. I see it all the time with people who are new to sales, they are afraid to ask the most important question of all: "what's the next step?" If you are not comfortable asking for a 100% commitment, ask about preferences. If you feel that your CEO will not green light a new initiative based on a single meeting, keep momentum building by clarifying the next step. Ask your CEO to choose between action and further study. For example, you might say, "We could study this more, maybe involve more people in the discussion, or I could test a few ideas and keep you posted on results before we spend lots of company resources. What's your preference?" Ask for the Business

12. Remember, when looking to implement social media marketing in your company , you need to sell it to your organization and especially your CEO. These 7 steps can set you up for success, and help your organization achieve a greater number of lower cost leads. And isn't that what your job as a marketer is to do?

13. Every brand needs to stand out! If its too much work for you let us help deliver the custom Social Media presence you deserve for YOU, YOUR Company or Organization. We usually deliver more than you asked for; because Social Media is Our Thing!