Most marketers are aware of the advantages of using social media to reach new customers by this point. It is quickly becoming a must-have for businesses of all sizes and industries, as well as an effective tool for achieving overall marketing objectives. Its primary function is not to generate sales, but to raise brand awareness and build customer relationships. That being said, you can use social media to boost your online sales, but only if you tailor your strategy to the channel. Each platform presents its own set of challenges, necessitating a different approach. And, as with any other marketing channel, there is a learning curve to generating sales through any of them. As a result, in this post, I’ll break it down by platform and offer some specific tips for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Don’t forget that Tech Solutions Pro is a full-service digital marketing agency with clients all over the country. So, whether you require digital marketing in Nottingham or elsewhere, we have you covered.
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Facebook:
When most businesses decide to begin using social media marketing, Facebook is the first place they look. It has the most users of any social network today, and setting up a business page is simple for users who already have personal profiles. Assuming you already have a Facebook business page set up for your company, the following suggestions will help you use them to boost your online sales. Facebook introduced call-to-action buttons last year, and they’re completely free to add to your profile, so there’s no reason not to use them. These buttons appear directly beneath your cover photo.
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Twitter:
As previously stated, each of these platforms presents its own set of challenges. The main challenge with Twitter is persuading users to take action in 140 characters. Unlike other social media platforms, you don’t have much room for explanation. In most cases, linking to a specific page on your site and using the rest of your characters to explain to your followers what they can expect by clicking it is your best bet. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be dull. Here are some ideas to help you stand out:
- Link to landing pages
- Include images
- Encourage to retweet
- Pin important tweets
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Instagram:
Instagram is the only social media platform that focuses solely on images, making it ideal for businesses that have a lot of visually appealing products to showcase, such as clothing or décor. However, it is the only platform that does not allow you to include a link with every post, and its character limit makes it difficult to convey complex ideas. Nonetheless, there are a few ways to use Instagram as a powerful marketing tool.
Tools:
- Invest in quality images
- Include a link in your bio
- Use appropriate hashtags
- Research your advertising options
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Pinterest:
Pinterest, in my opinion, is one of the most underutilized social platforms, particularly for driving sales. It’s essentially a way for people to save and share items they like, and many users log in to find products to buy. Even if they don’t buy them right away, they’ll share them with anyone who follows them. Pinterest is a goldmine if you run an ecommerce store. Here’s how to get the most out of it.
- Create Pins for each of your products
- Include tags
- Make products easy to Pin
- Include non-sales content
Now that we’ve covered a few specific, sales-oriented tips for each platform, keep in mind that not all of your posts should be designed to drive sales. After all, social media was never intended to be primarily a marketing channel. If your followers believe they are constantly being sold to, they will unfollow you.. To be successful in driving sales on social media, you must also post engaging, informative content that serves a purpose other than selling to your followers.
Purpose:
- Not all of your social media posts must be directly related to your business. You can also engage your followers by sharing industry news and other information relevant to your target audience. If content marketing is a part of your overall strategy, your blog posts, videos, and other content are a great place to start. Articles from news websites, bloggers, and other online sources can also be shared. This may seem counter-intuitive if your primary goal is to drive traffic to your site, but it will demonstrate to your followers that you are a valuable source of information – and not just trying to sell them things.
- As your social media audiences grow, it’s critical that you not only keep posting content but also interact with those who follow and engage with it. This can be difficult depending on the size of your brand and the number of comments you receive. However, unless you’re a large corporation with thousands of followers, you should be able to respond to (or at least acknowledge) the vast majority of comments on your accounts. In many cases, a simple “thank you” is sufficient. This may not appear to have a significant impact on sales, but when it comes down to it, people want to buy from companies and brands that they like.
Wrap Up:
Social media can be a difficult channel for many marketers. When it comes to driving direct sales, I hope you learn how to use social media effectively to increase sales.
