The concept of social media has evolved from its original purpose of connecting people to becoming a powerful sales channel for a variety of online businesses. As the platforms grew in popularity and drew more users, they became channels for brands to reach out to their customers. It is almost unthinkable for a brand to not have a presence on at least one social network these days.
Every day, consumers spend nearly two and a half hours on social media. Furthermore, according to Hootsuite‘s most recent statistics:
- In 2020, 76.8 % of global internet users purchased an online product;
- 44.8 % of global internet users search for brand information on social networks.
So, why not meet the social media buyers with brand-specific posts that highlight the products you sell?
In the recommendations below, you will learn how to keep up with new trends and what you should do to best serve your customers.
- Organic or paid social media?
A mix of organic and paid strategies is typically preferred by online retailers. Instagram and Facebook make it easier than ever to shop on a social network. Almost every social platform offers a paid advertising option that allows you to increase your visibility when organic coverage of your content becomes more difficult to obtain.
On each platform, there are also various types of promotional ads. It’s a good idea to start with Facebook targeting ads and then move on to Instagram Shoppable posts. The idea is to use each channel’s targeting capabilities to reach the customers you want and who are relevant to your online store.
- How to make an organic social media strategy
- Use product reviews as much as possible to showcase the level of consumer trust in your brand.
- In order to increase the visibility of your brand or the products you sell, use relevant hashtags.
- Create a one-on-one interaction with customers.
- Provides excellent customer service.
- Use user-generated content to promote your business in a genuine way.
- Use social listening (described further below) to improve your online store and find new customers.
- How to make a paid social media strategy
- Create paid advertisements and promote your posts.
- To target users, use audience segments similar to those who visit your online store’s website.
- Implement marketing campaigns with influencers
- Form partnerships with other brands to help your business.
- Create a referral or affiliate program.
- Distribute ads and promote posts that have performed well organically.
- Social media analysis that helps in the growth of e-commerce sales
Social listening is one of these analyses, but there are others that can help you better understand online shoppers. As a result, by constantly utilizing data from social networks, you will be able to develop a sales plan that will aid in your return on investment.
You can find a great deal of information about e-commerce by analyzing social media:
- Clicks on the website
- Profile visits
- Shares directly from the website of your online store
- Mentions received from customers
- Ads offers
- Mentions of new products or campaigns
- Some data, such as Instagram “impressions” on the Explore page, are part of an organic social media strategy. Others, such as website clicks or offers available only on social networks, are more specific analyses that can assist you in determining the return on your investment in social platforms.
Conclusion
We are all aware that social networks are an important part of many people’s daily lives and offer an excellent opportunity to reach out to potential customers.
If you own a store and sell online, using social media for e-commerce is a natural next step for your company as it grows. You can help potential customers discover your brand, check reviews, and get recommendations from trusted sources, such as current customers, by using social media.
Therefore, with an ever-changing online landscape, it is critical to constantly improve your social media strategy and examine relevant new data from the e-commerce industry. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the rapid development of brands, and those who adapt to these changes will be the most successful online.