What makes social media prospecting different from traditional sales approaches? How can you build meaningful connections with potential clients through social platforms?
In Fanatical Prospecting, Jeb Blount reveals that social media isn’t meant for direct selling—it’s a powerful tool for building recognition and trust. His insights show how to leverage platforms such as LinkedIn to create authentic relationships with prospects.
Keep reading to discover proven social media prospecting strategies that can transform your approach to building business relationships.
Social Media Prospecting
While email prospecting has been around since the mid-1990s, social media prospecting—especially via LinkedIn—burst onto the scene only in the 2010s. However, Blount cautions that social media isn’t useful for directly selling to prospects, as people use social media to connect with one another rather than listen to pitches from salespeople. Rather, he contends that social media is best for fostering name recognition with prospects.
(Shortform note: According to salespeople, social media is more effective at fostering name recognition than traditional modes of prospecting (such as cold-calling) because social media feels like a more personal and authentic way to connect with prospects. For example, prospects who receive a cold call likely know nothing at all about the salesperson on the other line. By contrast, those who connect with salespeople via social media will have more insight into their company and personality, making it easier for them to build awareness of salespeople.)
Consequently, Blount lists an array of strategies for making your prospects aware of you and your company. Specifically, he encourages you to frequently connect with prospects, create content that’s relevant to your prospects, and share content that’s relevant to your prospects.
Strategy #1: Frequently Connect With Prospects
According to Blount, the first strategy for building rapport with prospects on social media is simple: Connect with them on various platforms. The specific connection process will look different on each platform—on LinkedIn, for example, you simply send a connection request and if your prospect accepts, you’re mutually connected. By contrast, on Twitter, you might follow a prospect without them following you back. But, in either case, reaching out to your prospects on social media will increase their recognition of your name, leading to more effective prospecting.
(Shortform note: On LinkedIn in particular, the way in which you connect with prospects should differ depending on your relationship with the prospect. For instance, if you haven’t had any prior association with the prospect, you should consider adding a note to explain your connection request and make it more likely that they’ll accept. By contrast, a note can be unnecessary when connecting with a prospect whom you know well from another context.)
Strategy #2: Create Relevant Content
While connecting with prospects can create a baseline level of awareness, Blount suggests that when you publish content that’s directly relevant to your prospects’ lives, it’ll increase their engagement exponentially. He writes that producing relevant content—for example, blog posts, short articles, and explanatory videos—will instantly boost your credibility in the eyes of prospects. Rather than just another salesperson, prospects will view you as a trustworthy expert in their field—one whom they’re more likely to buy from in the future.
(Shortform note: In The Minimalist Entrepreneur, Sahil Lavingia offers concrete advice for businesspeople who wish to create content on social media. For example, he recommends posting transparently about your business journey, since many people are interested in seeing your progress. Additionally, he advises being authentic and personable in your posts to avoid seeming like a disingenuous salesperson.)
Strategy #3: Share Relevant Content
Nevertheless, Blount acknowledges the difficulty in constantly producing high-quality content. For this reason, he also advises that you share content from other credible posters that’s relevant to your prospect base. In so doing, you’ll add value to your prospects’ social media feed, making them more favorable toward you—especially compared with other salespersons who are constantly trying to pitch them something.
(Shortform note: Sales professionals agree with Blount’s recommendation to share relevant content, and they clarify that you should follow the 50% Rule when doing so: At least 50% of your posts should be shared content, rather than content you created yourself. According to these professionals, if the majority of your content is self-created, then prospects will likely view you as self-interested and take you less seriously.)
