In the past, people used social media to connect with their loved ones. You could search, connect and begin having a conversation.
Today, social media has grown so much that brands have started using it as a big part of their marketing strategy. One of the biggest reasons for this push is because so many consumers are now online and can be found on these social networks.
This is especially true since the majority of consumers nowadays look towards social media when it comes to helping with a buying decision.
Yet despite its popularity, many ecommerce businesses have still not taken advantage of the potential that comes with social media marketing. If you have not started using social media yet, then you are missing out on a great opportunity to build your brand, drive traffic and bring in more sales.
The good news is that it is not too late. Even if this will be your first time delving into social media marketing, there is still time for you to start using it.
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Why Should I Use Social Media for Ecommerce?
You need to have a social media presence to succeed in marketing your ecommerce brand nowadays. There are many benefits that one can get by investing in social media marketing. Additionally, it doesn’t require a lot of time, resources, or even commitment to getting started.
Here are some of the main reasons why you should start using social media for your ecommerce business.
Reason #1: Receive Recommendations from Customers
Social media plays a crucial role when it comes to word-of-mouth marketing. Customers who are satisfied with doing business with your brand will more likely share and recommend it to others.
Word-of-mouth advertising should not be underestimated. This is especially true since most consumers would trust a brand that has been recommended by their peers.
Reason #2: To Drive Traffic to a Website
Traffic is the lifeblood of ecommerce, which is why social media is one of the best ways businesses can drive traffic to their website for conversions.
Make sure the URL of your website is on your social media account pages, whether you use Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. This is one effective way for people to find your site.
Reason #3: Knowing What Interests Your Audience
Knowing what your consumers want can be very beneficial for ecommerce brands. The good news is that social media makes doing so easier.
Through social networking, ecommerce businesses can easily put their name in their customers’ heads and produce targeted campaigns that interest them.
It’s also great for listening to your target market. What do they want? What are their pain points?
Why is it Important to Have an Ecommerce Social Strategy?
Having an ecommerce social media strategy is all about developing brand loyalty, growing your organic traffic and bringing in sales.
Most people want to interact with a brand first before purchasing from them. Since every interaction matters, you should take the opportunity to show off who you are as a company and make a good impression via your social media presence.
To succeed in social media, ecommerce marketing professionals should utilise a combination of organic and paid ecommerce social strategies.
Organic Ecommerce Social Strategies
An organic social media strategy for ecommerce brands is when traffic is being generated naturally over time. Actions where you do not need to spend money, such as by posting stories or tweets, are an organic strategy.
The higher the organic traffic you can get, the better it will be for your brand. But organic reach via some social channels like Facebook, is much harder to come by these days. However, whereas you often have to pay for reach on Facebook, there are still plenty of opportunities via other channels such as Twitter and TikTok.
Below are a few organic social media strategies ecommerce brands should use today.
Utilising hashtags is one of the best ways to show up on social media, as the channels often recommend content to users in this manner. That is why it is worth investing time to research which hashtags would be best to use.
According to a report, posts on Instagram that have at least one hashtag get 12.6% more engagement compared to those that do not have them.
Aim for relevant and targeted hashtags for your social posts on Instagram. This would be a great way for your ecommerce brand to be discovered by new audiences.
If you are just starting out, it is best to use low-volume hashtags that are more niche and highly relevant to your industry.
Publish Product Reviews
Most buying decisions are based on reviews people read online. This is because people want to see what other people experienced when they bought items from a brand they do not know.
By sharing positive reviews on social media, you are making it easier for prospective buyers to purchase your products.
The best content that you can share with others comes from your own customers. And this is great especially because 40% of consumers find new brands within their network.
People love watching unboxing reviews, ad-hoc reviews and the like on social media because it gives them an opportunity to learn about a product they are interested in. That is why you should take advantage of that.
Content made by users also plays into the positive emotions of people. When they see others liking your products, they will also want to try them out for themselves.
Paid Ecommerce Social Strategies
Compared to organic ecommerce social strategies, paid ones target users based on their intent, interests and past interactions with your business. These strategies require you to spend money directly such as with influencer campaigns and paid ads.
The main advantage of the paid approach is that you can get results faster compared to organic techniques, which require more time. Paid strategies are also more targeted. This means that your ads and campaigns only show up to specific users depending on the data you have on them.
Here are some of the top paid ecommerce social media techniques you can start incorporating.
Utilise Targeted Paid Ads
If you already know who your audience is, then you can use Facebook ads to target them. This is because Facebook makes use of data such as engagement and site visitors to bring your ads to your target users who will most likely find them interesting.
But if you are just starting out and do not know much about your current audience, then no worries. Everyone has a starting point and it is good to understand your target audience before running any paid ad campaign.
There are many online apps right now that let you learn more about your audience. These apps can provide you with the information you need to run targeted paid ads on social media.
Consider Strategic Influencer Campaigns
Making use of the popularity of celebrities and micro-influencers has become a trend these days for ecommerce brands. These influencer campaigns can be very effective word-of-mouth advertising as well as social proof to affect buying decisions.
However, you should choose the influencers you partner with strategically. If it is not relevant and true to your brand, this campaign will not work.
For brands that are direct-to-consumer, it is highly suggested that you work with micro-influencers. Although these individuals may have fewer followers, their community is more niche and engaged.
When you work with micro-influencers who have highly engaged audiences, you can increase the awareness you have of your brand and drive more conversions.
Tips on How to Use Social Media Marketing for Ecommerce
Not all businesses use social media with the same techniques. For ecommerce, the primary goal here is to drive relevant traffic to your website or improve the visibility of your brand.
Here are five of the best tips to follow when you start social media marketing for your ecommerce business.
1. Avoid Overdoing Self-Promotion
You want to use social media channels to sell your products while giving back value to your target consumers. Going overboard on your self-promotion can put you in a bad position that can result in loss of engagement and followers.
The best advice here is to find other people who will sing your praises on your behalf. Since social media is a great platform for socialising, effectively engaging users here can influence them into being your advocates.
2. Know Your Target Demographics and Their Content Needs
Not all social media platforms are made the same. Each of them has different purposes with unique types of users. After all, you do not want to waste valuable resources for social media content that no one would want to consume.
By looking into analytics reports from social networks, you can access a wide range of data to get an in-depth breakdown of your current audience. This is an excellent way to gather important information on who you are targeting.
3. Try Other Less Known Social Media Networks
Avoid falling into the trap of going for just the popular social networks today. There are many online customer review websites that are quite social and users trust one another there. You can use this to your advantage by adding it to your social strategy.
But does that mean you should not invest in other platforms as well? Definitely not. This simply means that you should also try review websites aside from popular social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Review websites offer ecommerce brands advantages that cannot be found elsewhere so take advantage of that.
Also look for upcoming networks and get in early. TikTok was always seen as a network for a young audience but the demographics are changing fast and a number of brands are getting in early and taking advantage of its huge organic reach potential.
4. Know the Content Needs of Your Customers
After choosing the social platforms where you want to start building a community, the next thing you need is to learn what your prospects and customers want. One way you can do this is by asking them directly. You can also look into past conversations on social media websites.
When you know what type of content your consumers are looking for, you can easily create content that is relatable and interesting to them. This improves your brand’s image and engagement with your target audience.
5. Follow an Integrated Approach
When speaking of an integrated approach, this means incorporating social buying options within your social media pages. This is a great way for your ecommerce brand to improve sales while monitoring client behaviour.
These buttons on your social pages minimise the time your prospects learn about your brand, inherently increasing your conversion rate. A single click on the “Purchase Now” button and your consumers will be on their way to buying a product from your store.
Conclusion
Social media without a doubt has become a crucial tool in the digital marketing toolbox of ecommerce brands. When you understand the needs of your consumers, you can create content that is both unique and valuable to them.
People will be more likely to interact with content that is useful to them compared to just going for blatant self-promotion.
Finally, you should also look into the strengths and weaknesses of each social media platform to see which one can give you the best outcomes for your ecommerce business.