Social media has a wide-reaching and significant impact on how online users react and respond. The number of active users is increasing day by day and so is the time they spend on social media platforms.
Statistics show that, on average, internet users worldwide spend about 144 minutes per day on social media.
Moreover, social media is no more just a place to broadcast content, communicate with other people, or share ideas. It has matured far beyond that.
Businesses are using social media to basically increasing brand awareness, creating a community, driving website traffic, generating leads, and sales.
Some of them intend to improve customer engagement and serve as a customer support channel.
There are myriad different ways. The company’s main goal is to reach potential buyers and existing customers to increase sales.
According to a study carried out by Inc. 500, the potential of social media is tapped by the fast-growing firms of the US. This is helpful in building the brand’s image and promoting sales.
However, on the other hand, you will be amazed to know that 50% of small businesses aren’t using social media to promote their business. More alarming is that 25% don’t even plan to use social media in the future either.
Apart from this, the advent of e-commerce has transformed the idea and concept of shopping worldwide. In this technological era, shopping has become easier with the click of a mouse.
Moreover, the use of social media has been working as a catalyst in the process.
Have a look at the statistics to know the importance of using social media for your ecommerce business,
- 30% of online shoppers prefer purchasing products from social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, or Snapchat.
- Recommendations on social media have a role to play in 23% of online shoppers.
- Before purchasing stuff online, 84% of the shoppers in the US read reviews on social media platforms.
- Out of all the social media sites, businesses get 85% of their orders from Facebook.
It is, thus, right to say that social media is playing a vital role in enhancing the e-commerce business globally.
Here are some social media tips that can give your ecommerce website an edge over others.
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Social media tips for e-commerce website
E-commerce websites are brimming in this global village. Individuals with different requirements are able to get what they are looking for while shopping online.
People of all age groups while away their time are on various social media platforms. The major ones are,
- YouTube
There are a few more trending platforms these days such as Tik Tok, WhatsApp, WeChat, Tumblr, and Snapchat.
All of these collectively provide avenues for your brand communication that would eventually augment sales of your ecommerce website.
However, it is best advised that you start from a few platforms you think your target audience is on.
Here are the social media tips which will undoubtedly help you nourish your social media marketing campaigns and stay ahead with customer behavior.
1. Do Not Underestimate The Power of Influencers
Bloggers and influencers are at the peak in this digital era. With social media marketing, influencers have gained considerable importance over time.
Engaging with bloggers and influencers helps improve the brand experience while making the purchases simpler for the potential customers.
There are narrow chances of customers paying heed to advertisements that don’t seem to be authentic. They would believe the words of a real person instead of a brand.
Building this trust is of utmost importance. Because customers are likely to stop purchasing from a brand that does not seem to be genuine.
People all over the world find word-of-mouth and suggestions made by close friends and family to be more trustworthy. It is way better than other ways of marketing and it has been seeing an upsurge.
That is probably why influencer marketing is the in-thing now and one of the best social media tips to follow.
- 92 percent feel that it is a great way to market a product and the effectiveness has been attested by marketing agencies.
- 88.5% of marketers feel that influencer marketing is of immense value in the overall marketing strategy.
However, choosing influencers cannot be random. The influencer has to be relevant to your brand. If your products don’t fall in the influencer’s niche there will be no point at all.
You need to find a person who connects with the target audience and at the same time echoes with your brand.
You can opt for micro-influencers rather than going for big names. These are people with 1,000 to 1,000,000 followers and well-versed in their niche.
Also, they are more budget-friendly than famous personalities and those with millions of followers.
Though there are a number of platforms for influencer marketing, you must choose the one that is perfect for your brand and product.
You have to analyze which platform is used and trusted the most by your target audience. Most often the first platform that comes to one’s mind is Instagram but even other platforms are good enough.
Let’s look at the cost involved,
- You will be charged less than $500 by 97% of the micro-influencers for one promotional post on Instagram. It is usually calculated as $10 for every 1000 followers.
- The cost is less on Facebook with 97% of micro-influencers charging below $100 for a post.
- On Twitter, it is $150 per tweet and 96% charge below $100.
- The average cost for a promotional video on YouTube is $20 for 1000 subscribers.
- On Snapchat, influencers charge $10 per 1000 followers for a post.
Once your ecommerce website or brand is able to establish a connection with an influencer, a huge part of your marketing battle is already won.
2. Create Brand Recognition & Awareness
As an ecommerce website owner or a brand owner, you must be aware of the importance of brand recognition. The reason behind this is the fact that most shoppers want to purchase products from brands they recognize.
But, how can you make your brand get recognized? Simple, with social media! It lets you build your brand faster than traditional media.
The strategic placement of your logo on your social media handles is obviously great for creating brand recognition. However, ensure that you don’t go over the top with it.
In addition to that, you can use social media to let the audience know about the goals of your ecommerce website or brand.
One of my favorite social media tips is to share your stories to help improve your image. Sharing the positive feedbacks of those who have used your product will undoubtedly show that your brand is good enough.
In addition, consider adding a call to action so that potential customers feel like purchasing your product. Make the social media messages attractive enough.
There is a need to be genuinely connected and engaged with your audience. Whether you are promoting your product or service or sharing your daily activities on social media, it is important to be conversational.
Try to make the audience feel that they are interacting with a person and not a business entity. At the same time, it is essential to show how different you are from your contenders.
3. Retarget Your Audience
The reality is that only 2% of the people will make their first purchase when they pay a visit to your ecommerce website. In order to convert the remaining 98% into buyers, you need to leverage the power of retargeting.
When people visit your site, cookies get placed in their browser. Upon visiting a social media site, they get to see your ads with the help of a retargeting service.
In this manner, your site and the products you sell will be brought to the forefront. And, there are higher chances that the user might go ahead and make the purchase.
There are some businesses that feel that retargeting is an interfering marketing tool but it is not so.
25% of consumers seem to enjoy seeing retargeted ads and getting reminded of a purchase they did not make.
In general, consumers usually check out many sites and consider taking several opinions before finalizing the product they want to buy. By placing ads strategically, you can attract them to purchase your product or service.
It is looked upon as a great use of social media for ecommerce websites to boost sales.
Retargeting makes customers 70 percent more likely to convert. It also keeps the relationship intact with shoppers even after they leave the site.
So, though not commonly followed, make retargeting ads one of the important social media tips for your campaigns.
4. Monitor Your Competitor’s Social Media Behavior
With every passing day, there is an increase in the competitors of your e-commerce website. In fact, there is the mushrooming of new e-stores selling products similar to yours.
Thus, you need to start monitoring your competitors and gauge what their strengths and weaknesses are. Also, gauge what their strengths and weaknesses are. This will help in setting you apart from the rest.
Social media has a number of different use-cases within e-commerce stores.
You might be using social media to interact with your customers, for customer support, or even to generate new business. However, it’s important to see what your competitors are doing and how they’re using social media for their own businesses.
Analyze which social media networks they are most active on.
Look at what questions, problems, and concerns their customers are having. This way you can check and make sure you have those same issues sorted for your own customers.
Analyzing the data of competitors is also important. You can maintain a spreadsheet and note down all the data collected from the social media handles of contenders.
Keep an eye on these important points about your competitor:
- When did they post the last time on social media?
- How often do they post?
- What kind of response they get from visitors through queries and comments?
- How well they respond to those comments and queries.
Apart from social media accounts, you need to have a close look at competitors’ blog content too. Are they publishing quite often to keep the target audience engaged?
You can get an idea of how your own blogs should be and develop content that is built around similar lines.
Getting inspiration from your competitors can help you chalk things out and stand out in the crowd. Keep looking around and try your best to constantly learn and improve as a brand with these social media tips.
5. Keep Up with Customer Engagement and Exceptional Customer Service
Social media is all about connecting, networking, and building relationships in order to leverage great goodwill and reputation.
It’s advisable to scan through the comment section as ignoring it could cause an adverse effect on the brand’s image.
The turnaround time of how quickly you address the grievances and complaints of the customers decide your fate. These days, customers want their requests and complaints to be handled via social media.
Not giving importance to your audience on social media can damage the reputation of your brand.
If you get positive feedback or comments, it is an opportunity to thank them. On the other hand, if there is a grievance, you must support the customer and handle the situation.
It should seem as though there is a person at their disposal and not a robot answering their queries. This will give help improve the image of the company and make customers feel valued.
Here is what all you can do:
- Involve your audience by getting them to answer your questions
- Ask for product feedback
- Mention and praise the companies you have collaborated with.
Doing the above on social media will help you know what people feel about your brand. Consider it as one of the crucial social media tips for your ecommerce websites.
Putting in efforts in building a healthy relationship with your customers will benefit you in the long run. Your first thought should be to keep your customer satisfied.
If not, they will move to your competitors and tell people about the not-so-good experience with you. That is definitely not what you would want as a brand, do you?
Statistics reveal that 48% of people who had a bad experience with an ecommerce website or brand told more than 10 people about it.
Moreover, 12 positive reviews/experiences are required to remove one unresolved negative experience.
With social media, it is possible to respond to any issue right away. Most people use social media when they want to ask a brand about their product or services.
It has been estimated that, at the end of 2020, social media will be used for customer service by 90% of the firms.
Therefore, it is obvious that your social media customer service strategy should be solid.
Apart from that, it is essential to keep your customers up-to-date with the happenings in your brand. Use social media to tell them about new services, updates, expansions, and product launches.
6. Pledge to Give Back
Customers are the assets in the long run and they decide if they want to continue with a specific brand or not. By offering regular customers free products and special discounts, you show that you value them.
Not every business does this. So, staying ahead will help you retain and turn buyers into loyal customers. Get in touch with customers and build brand trust by taking their suggestions.
Here is what all you can do apart from giving discounts,
- Offer additional discounts to high-spending customers
- Give a reward for every introduction and referral
- Arrange trials to your new products and services for customers
- Provide loyalty cards
By giving incentives to customers you will earn their goodwill and it is highly likely that they will stick around.
As per the research carried out by Virtual Incentives, 75 percent of customers will choose a brand that will give them incentives.
Currently, keeping the existing customers happy is as important as acquiring new ones. You have to make the experience enjoyable for customers so that they spread the word around.
Statistics say the following:
- The expenditure involved in attracting a new customer is 5 times the one involved in retaining an existing customer.
- Also, the worth of a loyal customer is 10 times as much as the first purchase made by them.
Not only this, it’s important to give back to society as a social obligation. Corporate Social Responsibility is the need of the hour by giving 2% of the average profit for a certain cause.
Socially responsible companies are more likely to be known compared to those who don’t indulge in such activities.
7. Use Analytics Tools
Social media analytics is looked upon as the collection of data from social media platforms to help in developing a marketing strategy for your business.
Therefore, it is important to keep a watch on your social media analytics. Doing so helps you analyze how far you are from your social media goals.
In my recommendation, there are two major social media analytics tools you should not miss.
1. Google Analytics
It is an essential tool for social media analysis. It gives you are a breakdown of the social sites that bring traffic to your ecommerce website.
You can find out which network works best for you and which one is just a waste of time. This way you can channelize your energy to the network that brings in results.
2. Facebook Insights
Facebook Insights is the right tool to get a closer look at the statistics of your posts on Facebook. It lets you know about their engagement as well.
You will come to know about the demographic and geographical details of those who are engaging with you. The engagement metrics for every post will help you find out which kind of content is ideal for your page.
There is a special place for hashtags in the world of social media and ecommerce marketing. It is an immensely powerful tool for increasing the reach of your brand.
Adding a hashtag to your post makes it easy to search for a particular topic on social media. It will help your business get the exposure it needs by linking your product or service to something that is currently trending online.
Talking of Twitter, the tweets that have 1 to 2 hashtags are 55 percent more likely to be retweeted.
Using the right kind of hashtags will help you in your marketing efforts.
However, going overboard with hashtags can sometimes sabotage the strength of the post. Thereby, it is important to know where to stop.
Decide to use them for words that will get you the maximum mileage.
Conclusion
It is imperative to comprehend that the major goal of social media is directing revenue and sales in the long run. Social media engagement can do wonders if social media tips are followed properly.
One can get in touch with the present and prospective buyers at a human level. A brand can conduct surveys to identify the prevailing market scenarios using different digital media tactics.
Having said that, you need to take your followers in confidence. This will make sure that they don’t switch to the competition. Don’t divert yourself from the focus of “conversion”.
Keep in mind what you want to achieve and work for it. If adopted properly, these social media tips can play a significant role in maximizing profits.
Moreover, it is essential to stay ahead with the current eCommerce trends.
Also, it is important to ensure that you are investing your time, money, and efforts on a social media platform that is giving you returns.
If something is not working, you need not pursue working on it. Focus on the ones that are giving you results.
Take your pick!
