Using Social Media to Drive Sales
By Ginger Abbot
Understanding how to sell a product or service is a nuanced career that requires ongoing learning. People change how, why and when they spend their money based on ever-changing factors. Social media apps have become the latest way for consumers to get what they want, resulting in 76% of users buying products they saw in a brand’s social media post.
Anyone can learn how to use social media to drive sales by diving into these critical factors that improve any brand’s virtual presence. They’ll increase interest and click-through rates by changing how social media marketing teams understand their audience.
1. Locate Your Audience
Millions of people use social media apps every day, but most users have a preferred app. Businesses using social media for sales strategy planning should identify their primary consumer base, then find research that proves which apps their consumers prefer.
Brands with older millennial, Gen X or baby boomer consumers would have less success on Instagram than Facebook. Recent research shows that people in those generations use Instagram 13-48% of the time, whereas they use Facebook 50-77% of the time. This information will guarantee social media sales success because you will meet your target audience where they spend most of their time.
2. Use a Conversational Voice
Informational commercials or print ads can be convincing because they use flashy statistics in an authoritative space. Social media has a laid-back community atmosphere, so using a professional voice as your company’s tone will seem out of place and drive consumers away.
The most effective social media voice will base itself on your value drivers, like your brand's emotional foundation or message. People are more likely to make emotionally driven purchases than purchases based on data. A conversational voice that connects with your consumer's feelings while they're on specific social media sites will drive sales more effectively.
3. Check Your Link Usability
No one can buy a product if they tap on a posted link and the link doesn't work. It's also frustrating to want a brand's product, but the company website doesn't work well on mobile because the setup only had desktops in mind.
While learning about using social media to drive sales, double-check that your brand’s website is mobile-friendly and that every link works before the posts go live. Ease of use will keep followers engaged and ready to consider your products before checking a competitor’s profile for similar goods or services.
4. Lean Into Flash Sales
Everyone refreshes their feeds at least a few times per day. They’re looking for the latest posts and newest trends, so time-bound sales will fit into their social media use. Flash sales generate more revenue because the time limit converts indecisive followers into customers, mainly if those sales apply to your most in-demand products. Posting these sales a day in advance and reminding followers of the count down during the sale will boost revenue without in-person word of mouth or traditional marketing.
5. Create Contests for Followers
Contests are another form of using social media for sales strategy. A photography business could offer a grand prize of one hour with a family portrait photographer for free. To enter the contest, followers would have to like and share the announcement post and tag three friends. Even though the winner wouldn't have to buy their prize, the entry method increases brand exposure, creates new followers and drives long-term sales by getting more eyes on posts regarding services or products.
6. Share Consumer Content
People understand that celebrities sign endorsement deals and promote products they may not actually use. It’s why the average consumer will trust reviews by someone without a significant following or celebrity status. Businesses can share or repost a positive comment by a recent consumer and build more brand loyalty with their followers by demonstrating how well they serve the average consumer. As brand loyalty goes up, repeat customers and increased sales will follow.
Using Social Media to Drive Sales
Consider implementing these marketing strategies to improve your digital presence now that you know how to use social media to drive sales. Meeting your consumers where they spend their time, achieving the best tone of voice and assigning specific intentions for each post will improve any company's revenue.
About the company...
At Social Hire, we don't just do social media.
Do you have a desire to increase the engagement of your business by utilising digital marketing, but can't work out how to begin?
Our group of specialists are an organisation that helps our clients boost their social media marketing by offering social media management services on a monthly basis.
You might like these blog posts Crafting Social Media Posts for Multiple Audiences, Necessary Technologies for New Business, How to Use Social Media to Engage With Your Clients, and 9 Ways to increase conversions using social media.
