Leveraging Social Media Marketing — Your Business for Sale
There are nearly five billion social media users in the world. Though many believe that social media platforms are strictly for entertainment, many go to these platforms to search for their next purchase, including business investors.
Still, with such a vast array of audiences, it can be challenging for business leaders to know how to leverage social media to market a business they have for sale. Consider the following tips to help you take advantage of social media marketing to showcase the best of your business and build relationships with potential buyers.
Building an Online Presence
The purpose of social media marketing is to introduce your business to the world in a way that captivates and connects with your potential audience. A few ways to do that on any social media platform include:
- Understanding and showcasing what potential buyers are looking for
- Posting consistently to ensure you stay top of mind for buyers/li>
- Using hashtags buyers may be searching for so they can find your posts/li>
- Engaging with the audience through comments and direct messages/li>
Remember, the social media profile you build is an asset that can ultimately be turned over to the buyer as a valuable part of the deal. Consequently, you’ll want to ensure your online presence is always on brand and your messaging is seamless.
Additionally, it’s important to make sure you choose the right platforms for selling your business via social media. This means going where potential business buyers are.
Many of them can be found on LinkedIn, which is dedicated to business professionals. The platform is excellent for showcasing great news about the business and joining groups to connect and network with buyers.
X is another platform where business buyers abound. The platform tends to focus on trending topics so potential buyers can stay up to date on what’s going on in the business world.
Finally, consider Instagram. This platform allows for visual storytelling and building a loyal following.
Highlighting Business Strengths
Though having raving fans can serve as social proof for potential buyers, remember that your ideal audience also includes business buyers. In addition to showcasing products and services, buyers may also be interested in:
- How your business has grown over time
- Business awards you’ve won
- Endorsements from prominent personalities
Not only should you be bragging about your milestones and achievements, but you can also create content about the star employees who have contributed to this growth. This can help paint a more robust picture of your business’s strengths and value.
While creating behind-the-scenes content or revealing facts about your business growth, make sure you avoid including any information covered by confidentiality contracts. This can result in reputational damage and a loss of business opportunities.
Engaging Potential Buyers
One of the best aspects of social media is that it brings a human touch to what might otherwise be a faceless business entity. It’s important to ensure that you’re maximizing the potential for connection and engagement when selling your business by facilitating ongoing conversations between you and potential buyers.
You should respond to any comments they leave on your posts and engage them in direct messages you receive, as this positions your team as approachable. As you engage with potential buyers on social media, you can use Sunbelt’s business valuation calculator to help you understand that value and negotiate fairly.
Showcasing Your Business’s True Value
Ultimately, selling a business is about ensuring your company’s true value shines through. If you’re in the process of learning how to properly market your business, consider working with a business broker.
In doing so, you’ll get access to expert advice about how to showcase and sell your business. At Sunbelt, we work with small and medium-sized businesses and can help you market yours the right way to both social media and pre-qualified prospects.
Contact us today to learn more about our creative solutions to sell your business and how our success-based compensation model ensures we get results for our clients.
