Nothing feels better than having a solid partner by your side who supports and encourages you. This sentiment also rings true in business. Drawing from our own business development, we’ve discovered that partnerships can play a crucial role in working toward goals and becoming more and more successful. 

Our last two blog articles featured our collaborations with TiE Atlanta and the Atlanta CEO Council. This edition will focus on the Advanced Technical Design Center (ATDC), a dynamic partnership that embodies innovation and entrepreneurship. So, let’s get ready and learn more about this unique organization!

Meet the Advanced Technical Design Center (ATDC)

The Advanced Technical Design Center, or ATDC, is a beacon of technological innovation and entrepreneurship in the heart of Georgia. As the state’s technology business incubator, ATDC is on a mission to assist entrepreneurs on their path from idea to commercial success. Founded in 1980, ATDC has earned a global reputation for its pivotal role in fostering technological entrepreneurship. Forbes has even recognized ATDC’s impact by naming it on its list of “Incubators Changing the World” in 2010 and 2013, standing alongside esteemed names like Y Combinator and the Palo Alto Research Center.

ATDC operates with several key features that set it apart:

While you know the basics about ATDC by now, it’s exciting to take a look at the different features that make this organization so unique. 

• State-funded and equity-free: 

One remarkable facet of ATDC is that it is state-funded, meaning it takes no equity from the startups it supports. Membership fees are kept reasonable, making it accessible to a broad range of entrepreneurs.

• Access to Georgia Tech resources: 

Located by Georgia Tech in Tech Square, ATDC offers unprecedented access to the resources of one of the nation’s leading technological institutions.

• Comprehensive curriculum: 

Entrepreneurs within ATDC’s ecosystem benefit from a proven startup lifecycle-appropriate curriculum.

• Expert coaching: 

The entrepreneurial journey at ATDC is guided by a world-class staff of seasoned entrepreneurs and subject matter experts, supplemented by a community of experienced volunteer mentors.

• Ecosystem building: 

ATDC’s focus extends to capital creation and the development of a thriving ecosystem of entrepreneurial individuals.

• Local engagement: 

In collaboration with the Greater Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, ATDC hosts local events that provide complementary tickets and invaluable connections to entrepreneurs in its network.

This partnership brings us invaluable connections that help us work around our limited resources for sales. It’s a government-run initiative located near Georgia Tech, where innovation seamlessly meets business. The ATDC’s Innovation Lab is a platform to create a future state of business, and its emphasis on capital and ecosystem building perfectly aligns with our goals.

Our intentions with the ATDC partnership:

ATCD offers opportunities, know-how, and resources for various companies and business people. A set of clear intentions drives our collaboration with the ATDC. Let’s take a closer look.

• Consistent visibility: 

Through this partnership, we can consistently be in front of the right people, sharing our vision and solutions with those who can benefit the most.

• Community involvement: 

Being part of the ATDC community allows us to become a constant part of the Atlanta community. This involvement extends beyond business, fostering relationships that go beyond the boardroom.

• CEO connections: 

The partnership connects us with other CEOs who share our commitment to innovation and growth. These connections are invaluable for mutual learning and collaboration.

• Resource infusion: 

Our collaboration with ATDC opens the door to new resources and fresh ideas. We believe in the power of collective knowledge to drive innovation and progress.

• Business insights: 

Being part of ATDC enables us to tap into a rich pool of business insights. The exchange of ideas and experiences within this dynamic ecosystem propels us forward in our journey.

As we mentioned, this partnership helps us significantly on multiple levels, especially by enabling us to work around our limited sales resources. On the other hand, many of our clients talk to us about their struggles with limited budgets for social selling. If you have a hard time finding funds to get your company’s social selling program off the ground, read on to learn about effective social selling tips that work even with limited resources.

Social selling with limited resources: a strategy for success

In a world where resources for marketing and sales are often limited, companies can still excel in their endeavors through social selling. But let’s first take a quick look at what social selling is exactly. After all, social selling is more than just a strategy; it’s an art. To be successful with your social selling approach, you need to understand its core elements.

Building a personal brand: 

CEO, executives, salespeople, and other employees have the power to leverage social media to craft a robust personal brand that radiates credibility and trustworthiness. According to LinkedIn, 92% of B2B buyers are more likely to engage with a thought leader. This number indicates that personal branding is pivotal in building trust and establishing a strong presence within the industry.

• Engaging with the audience: 

The heart of social selling lies in consistent engagement with the target audience. Offering value, insights, and solutions through regular interactions is the key to fostering trust. A survey by Sales for Life found that 72.6% of B2B salespeople using social media as part of their sales process outperformed their peers. This statistic highlights the critical role of engagement in social selling’s success.

• Creating authentic connections: 

Authenticity is not just a buzzword; it’s the cornerstone of successful social selling. A study by Edelman Trust Barometer found that 81% of consumers need to trust the brand to buy from it. Building authentic connections beyond superficial transactions is the essence of this trust-building process.

• Leveraging knowledge and insights: 

Staying informed about industry trends and insights is crucial in a rapidly evolving business landscape. Sharing these insights can establish your company as a thought leader within its industry. Research by LinkedIn revealed that 64% of B2B buyers appreciate companies that share their industry insights. This data underscores the significance of knowledge sharing in social selling.

• Collaborating for growth: 

Collaboration is a driving force behind business growth, and social selling can facilitate this process. A study by IBM found that collaboration in the workplace leads to higher success rates. Collaborating with like-minded professionals, such as our partners at ATDC, can amplify your reach and drive business growth.

Social selling doesn’t have to be expensive to be effective.

Since you understand the basics of social selling now, let’s peek at the best practices we suggest for a high-quality but low-budget social selling starter program: 

• Get your team set up on LinkedIn:

Your team only needs a basic LinkedIn account, which is free of charge, to get started with social selling and position themselves as thought leaders within their industry.

• Provide content via email:

You want to make sharing content as easy as possible for your team. If you don’t have a budget for a dedicated social selling tool, share content for your team to post via email. 

• Repurpose existing content:

Leverage your written content. Turn blog posts, articles, or whitepapers into visually appealing and shareable snippets for social media. This practice maximizes the value of your existing resources. You can simply share the links and a short social copy via email with your team.

• Curate relevant content:

Share industry news, trends, or interesting articles from others in your niche. Doing so not only adds variety to your team’s feed but also positions your brand as a valuable source of information. Again, share the link to the article and a short pre-written social copy with your team via email.

• Focus on authenticity:

Capture behind-the-scenes moments, showcase your team, or share candid snippets. Authentic content often resonates well with audiences and doesn’t require a hefty budget.

• Design visuals in-house or use free stock images:

Create simple graphics using free or low-cost design tools. Canva, for example, offers templates for various social media formats. Design engaging visuals to accompany your copy. Another option is to explore platforms providing free stock photos, videos, and illustrations. Unsplash, Pexels, and Pixabay are good places to find visuals that enhance your social media posts without breaking the bank.

These simple tricks will help you get started with social selling and enable your team members to position themselves as thought leaders without a significant budget necessary. And if you have partnerships, you can think about ways to include and leverage that partnership in your content as well, like we are doing with this blog article that we make available to our employees in a social post, too.

The power of collaboration

Our partnership with the Advanced Technical Design Center (ATDC) is a testament to the power of collaboration, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Together, we foster an environment where ideas flourish, connections are made, and growth is inevitable. 

As we continue to explore unique partnerships, we are dedicated to shedding light on how these alliances go beyond business, creating a positive impact on our community and the broader business landscape. Stay tuned for more insights and stories of partnership in our upcoming articles, where we’ll feature the unique mission of the Peace Harmony Joy Alliance.

Photos by fauxels, Thirdman, and August de Richelieu on Pexels