Social media disconnected from sales: the silo mistake

Key takeaways

Social media not aligned with sales is a silo mistake: the person posting does not know what sells, and the people selling never see the enquiries social media brings. Leads fall between the two. A weekly 15-minute check-in and one agreed handover route for enquiries close most of the gap.

• 15 minutes a week between whoever posts and whoever sells is enough.
• 1 agreed route for social enquiries stops leads going missing.
• Sales questions from customers are the best post ideas.
• Report enquiries and won work, not just reach.

What is the social media silo mistake?

The silo mistake is running social media as a separate activity from selling, with different people, different goals and no shared numbers. Social media chases reach while sales chases deals, and nobody is responsible for the enquiries that arrive through comments and direct messages.

• The most common social media marketing mistakes small businesses make
• Who handles social media enquiries? Fixing the handover

What does the disconnect cost?

The disconnect costs enquiries that are never followed up, posts about things that do not sell, and missed chances to answer buyers' real objections. It also makes social media look worthless, because the sales it starts are credited to the phone or the website.

• Not knowing which enquiries came from social media

How do you connect social media and sales?

Connect them with three habits. Agree one route for social enquiries into whatever system sales uses, with a named person and a reply time. Hold a short weekly check-in where sales shares common questions and objections. And report enquiries and won work from social media monthly.

• 1. One handover route for every social enquiry.
• 2. A weekly list of buyer questions from sales.
• 3. Posts that answer those questions.
• 4. Monthly report of enquiries and won work.

Does this apply to a one-person business?

Yes, in a smaller way. The owner who posts is also the seller, but the two jobs still happen in different moods and moments. Keeping a note of every question buyers ask, and turning those into posts, does the same job as a weekly meeting.

How do you spot the silo in your business?

Spot the silo by asking two people two questions. Ask whoever posts what sold best last month. Ask whoever sells how many enquiries came from social media. If either answer is 'I don't know', the two jobs are not connected and leads are probably falling between them.

• The poster does not know what sells.
• The seller does not see social enquiries.
• No shared list of buyer questions.
• Reports with no won work in them.

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: social media run by a marketing assistant, sales by the owner, and Instagram messages read by the assistant but never passed on. Adding one rule, every buying message goes to the owner's CRM the same day, often surfaces enquiries that were being lost every week.

• See client work
• Social Media Marketing for UK businesses

Alignment checklist

• Agree one route for social enquiries.
• Name who replies and how fast.
• Share buyer questions weekly.
• Turn the questions into posts.
• Report enquiries and won work monthly.

• An inconsistent brand voice on social media
• Seasonal social media mistakes: peaks and quiet months

Next step

Ask whoever sells: 'How many enquiries did social media send you last month?' If they do not know, the handover route is the fix.