Social selling is an indispensable strategy for companies looking to increase sales and leverage social media. The approach goes beyond simply having an online presence: it's about creating real connections with your target audience.
In the iron and steel industry, where trust between customers and stores is a key success factor, applying social selling can be the key to generating more business opportunities. Read on to learn more!
Social selling is a sales strategy that relies on the use of social media to create genuine connections with potential customers, nurture relationships, and, over time, transform these interactions into business opportunities.
Unlike the traditional approach of direct marketing of products and services, social selling focuses on building trust and authority through an active and relevant digital presence. It's a smart way to align marketing and sales in the 21st century, marked by online consumption.
To be successful with this strategy, having a social media presence and simply posting random content isn't enough—you need to take a strategic approach.
This means deeply understanding the behavior of your target audience, considering aspects such as:
Based on this analysis, it is possible to develop a solid digital presence plan, focusing on offering real value to the public.
This can include creating educational content, product demonstrations, customer testimonials, interactions in comments and direct messages, as well as the intelligent use of tools such as LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, or WhatsApp, depending on the consumer profile.
It's important to understand that the goal of social selling isn't just to sell, but to generate authority, spark interest, and cultivate relationships that, over time, increase the chances of conversion.
In a scenario where brand trust is a decisive factor in purchasing, businesses that know how to use social media to engage with their audience and position themselves as a reference gain a significant competitive advantage.
Adopting social selling can transform the way your iron and steel store communicates with customers and generates sales.
Even when working in a traditional industry, it's possible—and recommended—to modernize your business approach by leveraging social media. Below, check out some tips on how to apply this strategy!
The first step is to identify the social networks that best suit your audience. In the iron and steel industry, it's common to work with engineers, architects, construction managers, and even customers finals in small renovations.
Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and WhatsApp Business can be very effective. Here are some examples:
A steel shop can create an Instagram profile to publish, for example:
A digital presence needs to convey trust and professionalism. To achieve this, it's essential to develop a clear identity. This includes everything from the brand's appearance (logo, colors, fonts) to the tone of voice used in captions and interactions.
For iron and steel stores, a strong identity can be based on pillars such as quality, fast delivery, specialized technical support, and competitive prices. These values should be reflected in both visual content and captions and comments.
Additionally, it's important to highlight the brand's unique features, such as custom cuts, fast delivery, or technical consulting. This helps the store position itself not just as a materials supplier, but as a partner in the project.
Social selling isn't just about posting content—it's about interacting with your customers on social media! In this sense, the store generates value by answering questions, commenting on partner posts (such as home improvement stores), and using polls, live videos, and question boxes.
An example of interaction would be posting a "before and after" of a structure assembled with your materials. This encourages comments, demonstrates technical expertise, and brings the brand closer to the public.
Another simple and effective action is to share client content—such as photos of projects in progress with your materials—with proper permission. This strengthens the relationship and encourages other clients to do the same.
Using specific hashtags, such as #ferroeaco, #construcaocivil and #engenhariacivil, expands the reach.
Without analyzing the results, there's no way to understand whether there's been progress. Therefore, it's crucial to monitor the performance of social media campaigns to understand what's working and what needs to be adjusted.
The main metrics to watch are:
An example: a post about the difference between types of galvanized sheets A strong engagement rate may indicate that the audience has a technical interest. Based on this information, you can plan new educational posts on the topic, such as the best uses for each type of material.
Tools like Instagram Insights, Meta Business Suite, or integrated social media management platforms like mLabs and Etus help visualize this data through clear, intuitive interfaces.
It's important to create a monthly analysis routine to record top-performing content and understand behavioral patterns. This allows your store to adjust content and constantly optimize its digital production.
As we've seen, social selling is a bridge between your store and the modern customer, who seeks more than good prices: they want convenience and a good relationship with companies. By adopting this strategy, you strengthen your brand, increase your digital presence, and boosts sales.
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