In a market where an omnichannel strategy is quickly becoming the new go-to, eCommerce store owners now need to know how to run a social media store as well as their web store.
Previously, we already talked to you about the importance of implementing social media as a part of your business marketing strategy, but now it goes one step further: Today, your social media is a part of your online store.
Social platforms help you connect with your customers, increase awareness about your brand, and bring in more leads and sales. But with the emergence of Facebook and Instagram Shops, Pinterest and Snapchat shoppable content, and TikTok Shop in the pipeline, you have the opportunity to own an online store with sales channels in every major social network.
Getting the most out of social selling
Using data and market analysis about your customers, you’ve decided that your community spends time and values content on social media. So how can you capture and convert them through social media shops? Let’s get started:
1. You can start by developing a social media campaign which includes both marketing and selling. Decide whether to emphasize a product, service, or promotion, then encourage your consumers to actively participate in the campaign using engagement techniques. This could include asking questions, offering prize draws in exchange for engagement, and producing highly shareable content.
2. Advertise time-sensitive promotions, discounts and interesting offers. Reaching out through sponsored, shoppable content will work more effectively with a bit of friendly pressure, and you will get more sales. Analyze what wording, audiences and visuals are working best and change when necessary. Make use of features like the “Buy” or “Shop Now” button to keep the shopping experience clear and simple.
3. Start to upsell and cross-sell your products by offering additional products or services in your social media store. For instance, if you are in the web hosting business, you can start offering packages from Plesk’s catalog of 150+ extensions to add to your standard web hosting offers.
Top Tip:
Now on offer is the new Plesk eCommerce Toolkit which allows store owners to sell online, through social networks, on mobile or in-person. The all-in-one solution provides all you need to easily set up your website store, sell your products online, scale your business, and monitor your success. Best integration of an online store tool in any website builder, guaranteed! Find the package for you here.
If you are a Plesk partner you can get the eCommerce Toolkit from your partner portal or by contacting [email protected].
Upselling on social media allows a customer to learn about better or more complete versions of products that they are already interested in. You may solve a problem that users didn’t know they add, all while browsing their favourite social network.
4. Simplify the purchasing process on social media. Make sure that your products and services can be purchased in the most simple possible way – without going through many steps, registrations – and a bunch of other unnecessary actions. With features like Facebook Shop, and Instagram shoppable posts, getting these sales directly through social media has become much easier in recent years. Users can browse through a catalog of products without having to leave the comfort of their social media feed. Always bear in mind which practices to use for listing products on different platforms: for example, Instagram is all about using engaging aesthetics that feature products, while Facebook audiences are more interested in clear-cut product listings.
5. Cultivate social proof. We all know that online reviews impact our purchasing decisions, and as a platform built on user-generated content, this is particularly true for your social media shop. That’s why providing proof on social media is one of the most important parts of your marketing strategy (on social media and elsewhere) which can boost your sales and ROI. For example, request and promote positive reviews of your products and services, and mention your customers’ success stories on your website and social platforms. And behind the scenes, don’t forget to build a strong brand on your owned social media pages so that you are able to demonstrate a trusted client base to hesitant buyers.
6. Social media monitoring is a very useful (read: indispensable) tool for tracking the success of your store. Using the business tools available for all social media shop owners, you can gather the data you need from sales today so that your sales tomorrow are more effective, engaging and efficient. If you are using an extension (like the Plesk eCommerce Toolkit) to add products to your social media shops, then make sure you also keep an eye on the extension’s analytics too!
7. Staying on top of trends and tracking events that are relevant to your brand can be very helpful, as this will allow you to respond in a timely manner to comments and questions from your audience. It will also reward you with valuable information about how people feel about your products, and will give you insights into new social media shopping features and trends. By connecting with potential buyers, you gain their trust and gain a positive attitude towards your brand.
8. Know the difference between your online store and your social media stores. Though you can seamlessly manage all channels from one management platform, it is also valuable to be aware of how social media users behave differently from deliberate shoppers. While publishing products across your sales channels, use incoming data to personalize sales techniques and styles to each location. An Amazon customer is not looking for the same thing as an Instagram browser or a website visitor. Get to know each of them!
Think of it this way: your shop has a type of POS everywhere. And when customers reach the social media point of sale, they have certain needs and expectations that need to be met. Not only do they know this platform better than they know your site or shop, but you are also competing against other retailers in the same space at all times. So it’s imperative that you optimize your social selling strategy as you would your website.
Want to manage your social selling in the same place that you manage your web sales? Take a look at the Plesk eCommerce Toolkit for an easy solution, and learn how it integrates with multiple channels here.
If you are interested in knowing more about how you can use Plesk extensions to promote your brand and support your customers, contact us on: [email protected].
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