The Social Media world can be a tricky one to say the least. I manage several accounts daily and with the ever-changing platforms, it can be difficult to keep up and make sure your business pages are getting the content and exposure needed to help grow the business.
That said, each platform has it’s own rules and it’s own ways that can help you convert your followers to buyers if you use them properly. Here is a breakdown of the top 3 social media platforms and my tips for getting your loyal following to buy your products:
There is a new addition to Facebook, which you may not have heard about, the Shop! Yes, you can literally list your products in it’s own Facebook Shop where your followers (or anyone) can purchase your products directly just like on your website. Set up the shop just like you would your regular store and let your followers know it’s there by posting about it on your page, and sharing on your personal pages as well (to drive friends who should be supporting you the most). Take a look at my Bijouxx Jewels Shop for reference, which currently holds our top sellers.
If you have an advertising budget (even $5 per day!) you should allocate it toward promoting your products that are top sellers. For example, if you sell earrings and the Blue Sapphire Gemstones sell the most, take your $35 budget and set up an ad to strictly promote that particular product for 7 days at $5 per day! This will increase your product views, which will in turn increase your conversion rate (how many people see the product vs. how many people buy it).
With Twitter, your best strategy is to use calls to action. When you are creating the content for your brand, picture yourself as the follower, or buyer. What do they want to hear? Why should they listen to you? What action do you want them to engage in? Most importantly, why should they buy?
Creating content with that mindset will will result in two things:
- Grab the attention of your followers and potential followers.
- Give them a reason to look at the product or service you are promoting.
I do also encourage the Twitter Ads as well. They are set up in a very smart way that allow you, as the business, to really target the audience of customers you are looking for and the cost varies to accommodate your personal budget.
We all know that Instagram is 90% based on images rather than words. Use this to showcase the products to your audience of followers! Post regularly (at least once per day) with gorgeous photos of your products (lifestyle images that show your product being used/worn by a person as such an important investment) and be sure to include a great description. Additionally, utilizing hashtags efficiently (Think Creative Collection has a great post + infographic on how to use hashtags) will gain extra traction for the post to further help spread the word, leaving your following longing for more of your content and wanting to buy the product for themselves.
Another great way to gain some action on Instagram is to team up with bloggers who run giveaway campaigns on Instagram. Yes, you will give away one item but you will also gain a larger audience, which will help you bring in buyers in the long term. Do use caution if you’re drawn toward participating in loop giveaways though. Loop giveaways are different from a collaboration with a single blogger and can come up spammy and inauthentic if you’re not careful. On her experience with a loop giveaway, Lauren Hooker the inspiring creative behind Elle & Company Design shares, “In the end, the giveaway was beneficial for gaining followers, but I’m still not sure exactly how beneficial it’s been for making a return on my investment.”
My recommendation is to really sit down and set up a strategy for converting followers specifically tailored to the tendencies of your followers. Consider including it in your social media strategy as a whole for the month and get started! Then, analyze, tweak, and repeat until you find a formula that’s effective for your unique business! If you need help with your brand or have a specific question for me, tweet @nickisband for advice!