Debunking The Social Selling Myth – Why Your Business Doesn’t Need Every Social Media Platform
Written by: Thomas Strider, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
We've all heard it – you need to be everywhere to sell and build brand awareness in the modern digital age.
Every social media platform, every group, every community. The more your brand pops up, the more you'll be in consumer’s minds, right?
But to build your small business using social media, you shouldn’t be everywhere all at once.
That style and omnipresent approach has been a cornerstone of businesses’ social media strategy for years. Brands and influencers, big and small, have repurposed and distributed content everywhere in hopes of building massive influence. But this often leads to burnout, slower results and ultimately – disappointment.
Remember the Fyre Festival? The fraudulent luxury music event designed to promote an app for booking music talent?
It was everywhere. Every influencer on every platform was talking about it. The result? A colossal failure. An example of how being everywhere doesn't necessarily equate to success or quality.
And what matters most is the quality of your relationships and product.
The art of social selling: Depth over width
It's time to challenge the status quo with a fresh perspective: depth over width.
Instead of being everywhere superficially, dive deep where it matters.
Take Apple, for example. They aren’t on every platform, nor do they engage with every trend. They haven’t even posted a TikTok since June of 2022.
Yet, over the last 15 years, they’ve created a loyal community around their brand. They became the largest tech company in the world in 2011 and have held that top spot ever since.
They accomplished this by choosing depth. They engage profoundly and meaningfully where they are present.
Tesla, too, operates in the same vein—as well as its leader, Elon Musk.
They chose specific platforms and moments over trends and crowd-hopping. Engaging deeply and creating a ripple effect that's far-reaching.
Even before the acquisition, Elon spent all of his social media energy on one platform, Twitter (now X).
Loyal fans drive social selling success
Choosing to go deep instead of wide can catapult your business to success.
Think of it like this: Would you rather have many casual friends or a few super close ones? Who really has your back when times get tough?
In 2008, Keven Kelly stated a creative only needs 1,000 true fans to maintain a great career. A hardcore fanbase can fuel your entire livelihood.
The exact same holds true for businesses and personal brands.
To run a successful company, you don’t need to please everyone; instead, you need to talk to and understand your core users at a deeper level. You want a loyal, tight-knight group that loves and stands by your product or service.
Take a moment to imagine your local coffee shop. How is it they manage to compete against Starbucks, exactly?
It’s more convenient to order from Starbucks. Starbucks offers more flavors and customization. They offer more locations and speedier service.
And yet, mom-and-pop coffee shops stay alive. They are even thriving in many locations and cities all around the world. Why? Because their core audience, their 1,000 true fans, return over and over again.
Embrace the depth
I encourage you to break free from the illusion of omnipresence.
Dive deeper into the platforms and communities your hardcore fans love the most. The places that align with your brand vision and values. Your audience doesn’t want to see you everywhere – they want to see you in their favorite place.
In the world of social selling, choose the platform they choose. Show up daily. Don’t spread yourself thin — Become the master of one.
Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn or visit my website to continue learning more about best practices for social media.
Thomas Strider, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Thomas Strider is a business coach, ghostwriter, speaker, and agency founder. He's an expert in social selling, the act of landing clients and scaling businesses through social media platforms. Thomas spent several years consulting for small business owners within the banking industry, then branched out on his own in 2020 to build his own content marketing and coaching agencies. His primary focus is helping solo and small business owners perfect their sales funnels, optimize business operations, and position themselves to scale to 7 figures (and beyond). He is also a LinkedIn and Blogging ghostwriter for agency and tech founders.
