Do you hesitate to promote your business on social media for fear of annoying your followers? You are not alone. Many UK business owners worry that if they post about their services too often, they will come across as pushy and drive people away.
The truth is, traditional, hard-sell tactics do not work on social media. People are there to connect and be entertained, not to be sold to.
But that does not mean you cannot generate sales. You just need a better approach. This guide will show you how to create content that sells by helping, not just by shouting.
The Golden Rule: Focus on Helping, Not Selling
Effective social selling is not about constantly pushing your product. It is about building relationships and establishing trust. The core idea is to provide so much value and demonstrate so much expertise that when your audience is ready to buy, you are the only logical choice. You sell by helping your audience solve their problems.
Tactic 1: Share Your Expertise with Educational Content
One of the best ways to build trust is to teach your audience something useful for free.
- Why it works: Generously sharing your knowledge positions you as a credible expert. It shows you care about helping your audience succeed, not just about making a sale.
- How to do it:
- A marketing consultant could share a weekly “Two-Minute Tip” video on LinkedIn.
- A local accountant could write a short post explaining a common tax question for freelancers.
- An electrician could create a simple guide on how to choose the right kind of LED lighting for a kitchen.
Tactic 2: Use Storytelling to Build an Emotional Connection
People do not connect with logos; they connect with people. Storytelling is a powerful way to humanise your brand.
- Why it works: Stories create an emotional bond and make your brand more memorable than your competitors.
- How to do it:
- Share the story of why you started your business.
- Talk about a challenge you overcame.
- Tell the story of a successful project (with the client’s permission).
Tactic 3: Let Your Customers Do the Selling (With Social Proof)
A potential customer will always trust the word of a current customer more than they will trust yours.
- Why it works: Social proof, like testimonials and reviews, is an incredibly powerful and authentic sales tool. It removes risk and builds confidence.
- How to do it:
- Turn a positive quote from an email or a Google Review into a simple, professional graphic.
- Ask a happy client if they would be willing to record a short video testimonial.
- Share user-generated content, for example, a photo a client has tagged you in.
Tactic 4: Go Behind the Scenes to Build Authenticity
Showing the real, unpolished side of your business makes you more relatable and trustworthy.
- Why it works: It pulls back the curtain and shows the real people behind the business, which builds a strong sense of authenticity.
- How to do it:
- Share a photo of your workspace or a “day in the life” on Instagram Stories.
- Introduce a member of your team and what they do.
- Show a small part of your process for delivering your service.
Tactic 5: Create Content That Starts Conversations
The goal of social media is to be social. Create posts that invite your audience to engage.
- Why it works: When people engage with your content, they build a relationship with your brand. The algorithm also shows your content to more people.
- How to do it:
- Ask questions in your posts.
- Run simple polls on Instagram Stories or LinkedIn.
- Ask for your audience’s opinion on a topic related to your industry.
When It's Okay to Make a Direct Offer
After consistently providing value with the tactics above, you earn the right to sell. A good rule of thumb is the 80/20 rule: 80% of your content should be valuable and non-promotional, while 20% can be a direct offer. When you do make an offer, be clear and direct. Your audience will respect the transparency because you have already built a foundation of trust.
Effective social selling is about building relationships. Sales are the natural and happy result of those strong relationships.
Now that you know how to create content that sells, the next step is to fit it into your wider plan. Read our Ultimate Guide to Social Media Strategy to learn how.
