These days, having a strong social media presence is an essential component of any good e-commerce marketing strategy. It’s one thing to have a social presence, but how do you leverage it to drive sales?
Here are some tried-and-true strategies for optimizing conversion rates with social media.
1. Post regularly.
You can’t develop a loyal following by only posting sporadically. People will stop checking your page if the content is stale – and conversely, they’re more likely to return to your page if they know there will be new content every time. Hook your audience by being consistent.
2. Make sure you post at strategic times.
Don’t forget, in social media, timing is everything. Make sure your posts are seen by the biggest audience possible by posting at strategic times of day. Take out the guesswork by using a tool like Buffer, which automatically schedules your posts at strategic times for optimized views. To learn more about the nuts and bolts of content scheduling, check out this article on The Science of Social Timing.
3. Don’t underestimate the power of Pinterest.
Many companies figure they don’t need Pinterest. They already have Facebook, Twitter and Instagram so why bother with yet another social media channel?
Well, because the data speaks for itself – Pinterest encourages the highest average sale price of any social media platform.
The usership of Pinterest is predominantly female, so if the target demographic for your product is mostly female then your business needs the be using Pinterest – regularly. Other social media channels should include links to your Pinterest boards to encourage maximum conversions.
4. Add social share buttons.
As often as possible on your website and in newsletters, include social share buttons (“Pin this” “Tweet this” etc), making it easy for customers to spread the word about your store.
5. Don’t skimp on (good) images.
The psychology behind this is pretty simple – photos are more visually interesting than plain text, and lead to more clicks. Tweets with images encourage 313% more engagement than those without.
Ensure that photos you use for social media are high-resolution and well lit. There are lots of free photo editing programs available online to help make your photos look their best, such as Pixlr, BeFunky and PicMonkey.
Another useful resource in the ever-lasting quest for good visual content is Canva, which makes it easy to create all kinds of awesome graphics for your posts.
6. Offer incentives to customers for telling their friends about your product or store on social media.
Incentives can include perks like being entered in a contest, giving a discount off the customers’ next purchase, etc.
7. Share great reviews.
When it comes to online sales, the importance of social proof is paramount – after all, 70% of people say that they trust consumer opinions on the web.
Don’t just tell your audience how great you think your product is, show them how great other people think it is! This might be as easy as sharing a Facebook comment or email quote from a customer (just don’t forget to ask for their permission first before sharing their review).
8. Remember that social media is a dialogue, not a monologue.
Don’t just talk at your audience, get them engaged. Get off your sales pitch soapbox and encourage conversations. Take the time to answer customer questions thoughtfully and always respond quickly to complaints.
Have patience! Rome wasn’t built in a day, and nor will your social following happen overnight. But with consistent and strategic effort, you can use social media to develop a loyal following and boost your sales.
Learn more:
Which Social Media is Best for Business? via seoplus+
5 Common Mistakes Ecommerce Businesses Make with Social Media via ECommerce Rules
How to Cultivate Loyal Customers with Social Media via Social Media Examiner
