As a social media expert, I often get asked whether what I do is marketing or sales. The answer? It’s marketing, not sales, but let me explain it in a way that makes sense.
Imagine social media is the driver of a very special party bus. Not just any bus, this one’s has a experienced driver, knows the best routes to take and is full of personality and very creative. The driver’s job is to travel round, picking up people who have a ticket to the party. But not just any people, only the ones who are the right fit for the event social media is driving to.
How does social media know who they are? Because their ‘ticket’ matches the destination, your business. Perhaps it’s the type of content they engage with, their interests or demographics, or the questions they’re asking online. Social media picks them up, make them feel welcome on the bus, and drives them all the way to your doorstep.
That doorstep could be your website, your shop, your inbox, or even a phone line. Social media’s job, the marketing, is to attract the right people and deliver them safely to you.
But once they’re through the door, it’s no longer social media’s job. That’s when sales, the party host takes over.
Your customer enters the party and it’s the party host’s job to encourage them to stick around. Maybe they’re greeted with a strong call to action on your website, a helpful chatbot, a friendly voice on the phone, or a warm welcome in your shop. That’s the moment that determines whether they buy the drinks, hit the dance floor, or decide to leave early.
If the party host, sales, doesn’t align with the bus driver, social media marketing, the party won’t be what they expected. They will be out the door, and even the best bus driver won’t be able to bring them back.
So, here’s the distinction: marketing (social media) gets the right people on the bus and brings them to you. Sales is what happens after they arrive. The experience they have once they’re in your world is entirely down to your systems, your follow up, and your customer experience.
Social media can do a lot, but it can’t make someone buy if your landing page doesn’t work, or your callback takes three days.
If you want to make sure you’ve got a great bus driver, the bus route is solid and your party is ready for guests, please get in touch.