Social media are increasingly profitable channel to promote and sell product to the final customer. They represent a simple way how to directly, or indirectly boost company’s business, and get the most out of using social networks.
The way how to increase sales through social networks and social media may be via 3 superpowers – testing, optimization and adaptation. For more info, read further.
Table of Contents
Good plan equals good start
At the beginning, you need to clarify what are main objectives of your business, current phase, and what you want to achieve thanks to social networks. Is primary goal of your company to increase sales? Building your brand from scratch? Or both? Based on your goals, you’ll then be able to better set up your campaigns and define the activities you’ll perform.
Initial segmentation of audience is the key. Afterwards, company knows who and where to target on social media. When working with social networks, it is necessary to keep in mind that company needs to work with them in more sophisticated way, and not just take them as a hardware tool.
In addition to campaigns, content published in feeds is equally important. The main goal should be to build a community. What matters is not the number of fans and followers that represent profile of company, but the quality of the content and the level of interaction that company may encourage.
Company should work to ensure that the viewer has a positive interaction and experience with the brand, because a returning customer is always cheaper than getting a new one.
Choose the right platforms
The marketing department often desires the presence of a brand on every existing social network. Logic says, the more, the better. However, this strategy only applies if company can produce enough quality and unique content for each of these social networks.
The marketing budget does not always allow this, so strategically for the company is better to choose only a few social networks and pay full attention to them.
The choice should be affected by the nature of the brand, or sold product. Company should not be afraid to experiment with non-traditional advertising platforms, which are currently very popular. For example, a new star among the social networks Tik Tok or, or good old Messenger in smartphones.
The best practice is to choose a suitable, ideally native form of advertising, that represents values and setting of the company.
Three superpowers - testing, optimization and adaptation
Testing running campaigns is crucial. Testing is the best way to streamline the performance of social media campaigns. Company is able to test ad text, graphics, or campaign targeting.
With testing, company can gradually see what works and what to avoid in the future. It would be big mistake to let the campaigns run their own life, and do not accommodate them to current situation and events.
Remove all obstacles for people to buy
It is important to make it easier for people to access company´s products and information about provided services. For example, company can tag products in posts, or upload e-shop products to Facebook and Instagram to make it easier for people to find the products company offers. Facebook even launches shopping directly on Instagram and Facebook.
Customers will no longer have to click on the order in the e-shop, but they will create and pay for it directly on social networks. Currently, this service is not available worldwide, but will be very soon.
Be consistent
Social marketing requires a dose of patience, determination and perseverance. Company does not need to spend hundreds of euros per post, to obtain stunning results overnight. Success will eventually come, if company is consistent in communication and also does not underestimate quality customer service.
Customers will then quickly get used to the fact that they can comfortably interact with company´s brand on social networks and, provided a positive experience, they will be happy to share it with their acquaintances. The best practice is to never giving up too fast, and eventually numbers in statistics will gradually increase upwards.
Authenticity
Important asset for company is being their true self. Today, people expect authenticity from a brand. Therefore content creating is worth to pay attention to. Company should show their product or service in real light. For example, instead of taking a photo on a white background, it is recommended to take pictures of real people.
Company should be authentic with customer service as well. Its necessary to pay individual attention to each stimulus and resolve it transparently.
Use remarketing
I tis known fact, that more than 95% of the site visitors do not place an order or request immediately. Therefore, it is recommended to use remarketing. With remarketing campaigns, company can target people who have been on their website, and also remind them through banners of specific products what they h have viewed in the e-shop.
There is a 70% higher chance that visitors will put this company ahead of the competition, if they are reminded about products by remarketing. It doesn’t matter what is the status of the company – B2B company or a company focused on end customers – remarketing on social networks is one of the key activities to increase company’s sales.
Automation – great time saver
Nowadays, many things and tasks can be automated. Social networks are no exception. For example, on Facebook or Instagram, company does not have to create posts and graphics for each product separately, but can take advantage of feed automation.
Thanks to feeds, you company can import products from it´s e-shop to the mentioned social networks, which will be automatically updated in campaigns based on availability in the e-shop.
Companies can also use various tools that will save them hours of work on social networks. Among the tools that are recommend , are for example:
- Boosterberg – to automate the boosting of posts on Facebook and Instagram
- Zoomsphere – which relieves company from planning and publishing posts and simplifies community management or monitoring of brand mentions
Don't underestimate the B2B target group
Many believe that social networks are not a suitable tool for the B2B sphere. But the opposite is true, it is just necessary to think about where potential clients of company are. For example, managers in IT or bank area are active daily using LinkedIn.
If company is offering goods for operations in the beauty segment, most likely potential customers, beauty lovers can be found on Instagram. No matter who the product is for, these people almost certainly have Facebook, and with expanded targeting options, company can easily reach them with proper and targeted advertising message.