Social media is many things. It’s a fantastic business building tool. It’s a great networking and learning tool. And when used correctly it can be a good selling tool. Here’s how to sell with social media.

#1 Use social media to build a brand. Social media is an excellent brand building tool. Brands are important because they help a prospect create an identity for you. When you have a strong brand identity your prospects will think of you first when they have a need. Building a brand with social media takes time. It takes creating a plan, a message, and a brand image. Decide what image or brand you want to communicate and then create a plan to make it happen. This plan will likely include interacting online. In addition to posting messages on social media sites, and creating a profile that represents your brand, you will interact in a manner that is consistent with your message.

#2 Use social media to enhance likeability. For many businesses their brand is their personality and this is easy to communicate via social media. We buy from people we like and from people we connect with. Social media is a fantastic way to express who you are and what you’re about so you can effectively communicate your personality. Be friendly, be funny, be informative, be who you are and your audience will connect with you and ultimately buy from you.

#3 Use social media to quietly, subtly promote your products or services. You have to be careful with social media. People join social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to interact, not to shop. They do not like nor do they respond to blatant sales messages. You can occasionally post a promotion or a new product on social media sites. The best results tend to come from promotions that are specific to your connections on that site. For example, “Facebook Friends 20% off Promotion.” However, it’s also important to test and track promotion tactics to determine what your audience responds to. Take great care when using social media to provide valuable information and interaction or you’ll turn off prospects.

#4 Advertise. Many social media sites now offer highly targeted advertising options. Like any marketing tactic, it pays to invest wisely, test and track for optimal return on investment. However, business owners are finding success using social media advertising options.

#5 Integrate your social media interactions into your business website. It’s about creating a community. Once you have a group of people who follow you, trust your authority and credibility, and like you, then selling via social media is easy.  The key to using social media to sell is to use it as a tool to build your relationship with your prospect. Using it as a medium to deliver a sales message generally doesn’t work. Fit the message to the medium and use social media to build awareness, traffic, liking, brand, and your community. Selling will come naturally and the potential for profit is huge.