Social media plays a significant role in the world of digital marketing, helping businesses build their online presence, acquire leads, and boost their sales. As for eCommerce businesses, having a solid social media strategy is essential for fruitful growth and success. And with the powerful features offered by social media platforms, your eCommerce store can find and engage with your target market much easier.
If your business is having a hard time finding your customers or promoting your products, social media is the perfect tool to use. Are you interested in creating a strong social media campaign? Below are some of the best practices you should take into account.
Select the right channel to use
Your amazing social media campaign would be useless if your target customers are not present in the channels you’re using. While there are numerous social networking platforms that you can choose from, it’s recommended for eCommerce to pick the right ones to engage with customers. You can determine where your targets are by sending out formal surveys to directly ask them or using user stats on channels like Facebook. You can also try reviewing keyword rankings, job postings, or backlinks of competitors.
Create short-form content
Not all types of content can be effective or suitable for a marketing campaign or product promotion. The good news is that you can always test different interactive content formats available in most social media channels today. Some of the most popular ones are Instagram Lives, Reels, and Stories, and TikTok.
If there are over 500 million users of Instagram Stories each day, just think about how much sales you can potentially generate. Regardless of what platform you use, it’s can’t be denied that many users today love short-form video content. You can use this format to host live broadcasts, new product announcements, or just to share interesting content series with your audience.
Post quality product images
Product images are often considered to be the key to eCommerce success. Shoppers these days often judge a product based on the aesthetic or look of the image posted online. If you want to present your product and tell your brand story accurately, you obviously need to have high-quality photos.
In case you lack the skills and resources to produce excellent product images, it’s better to hire professional photographers and product photo editors. Such experts can ensure your product stands out and enhance it in a way that it’ll capture more audience attention. Shop around to find the best services and rates for your requirements and budget.
Try influencer marketing
Most consumers nowadays opt to purchase items or products that their favorite influencers use. If your eCommerce business is not using this trend to promote your products, you’re losing great sales each day. Collaborate with famous social media influencers to give your brand more exposure. However, make sure to not only do this for the sake of reach. You’d also want to ensure if the collaboration suits your brand’s identity and values.
For a purposeful collaboration, you can host a live Q&A session with personalities affiliated with your brand or personally invite them to try your products and request them to share honest feedback with their viewers.
Share user-generated content
Another proven strategy to boost social media reach is through using user-generated content (UGC). A few ways to encourage UGC on social media include launching video or photo contests and creating custom hashtags for your campaigns. When asking for or receiving UGC like customer reviews, be sure to respond to them appropriately.
Aside from reviews, you can also ask your customers to share videos or photos on their social media accounts that feature your products, Doing so can help you create meaningful interaction with customers and show them that you value their input. Other benefits you can get from using UGC in your strategy include building authenticity and credibility, increasing traffic and conversions, and of course, facilitating word-of-mouth marketing.
Promote exclusive offers
If your eCommerce store is looking to increase your social media following, providing exclusive discounts and items would be a great idea. For instance, you can organize and promote a holiday contest using your social media pages like giving out special coupons to individuals with the best Halloween customs. Other types of offers you can consider include weekly coupons, free shipping, or access to pre-product release announcements.
From creating brand awareness, driving site traffic, boosting conversions, to building customer loyalty, there’s no doubt that social media can be a huge help in growing your eCommerce business. Incorporate these practices into your marketing strategy and give your brand the best available channels to grow.
