6 Best Practices for Selling Products Through Social Media
Whether you’re trying to make a quick sale in real estate or you’re launching a new business venture with an entirely new line of items, social media can assist you in many different ways. Here are just a few.
Whether you’re an established operation or a brand-new startup, social media can supply a wealth of knowledge, resources, and profits for your business. One of the most worthwhile ways companies can use these networks to improve their performance today is to sell products.
Capitalizing on your various social profiles when you’re looking to move product is one of the best ways to make a sale.
1. Use the Right Platforms
Certain platforms tend to perform better than others, depending on the product you’re selling. Real estate, for example, has done best on Facebook, while clothing typically moves fastest on such sites as Instagram and Pinterest.
It’s all about reaching the right audiences. Evaluate the followers on each of your social profiles on the basis of age, geographical location, other consumption preferences, and various metrics that will help you develop a strong customer profile.
Then it becomes the easiest matter to market your products where they can do the most good.
2. Incorporate a Clear Call to Action (CTA)
On social media, visitors aren’t necessarily expecting to see things for sale. So when you present them with an advertisement or commercial, tell them what to do about it.
You might direct people where to go next in order to learn more about your company or obtain more specific details about the product so they can make a more informed purchasing decision.
Only rarely will you present a product on social media with a price tag and move the product immediately. More generally, you’ll need to present it in a way that offers some kind of value to potential customers, then direct them to do something with it.
The kind of CTA you use will depend on the type of business you’re running and the goal you’re trying to achieve. Real estate agents with the goal of building client referrals, for example, may encourage their clients to like and share their company Facebook page.
Clothing retailers with the goal of increasing page views might encourage customers to retweet a certain fashion image. Catering to the customer base in your genre is the best way to achieve effective results with a good CTA.
Use questions to lead into your CTA: This may trigger more clicks and questions are so engaging! Text Optimizer is an unlimited source of questions you can ask on your site and social media to generate more clicks and conversions:
3. Use a Sense of Urgency
Saying things like “on sale this week only,” and “limited time offer,” can foster a sense of urgency that makes customers purchase quickly before they can talk themselves out of it. Social media is a fairly fast-paced environment, which makes it the perfect place to post these time-sensitive offers.
Consumers often look for instant gratification when they surf their news feeds, and if your offer sports a time limit, consumers get it.
4. Offer Exclusive Deals
Try promoting certain coupons and discounts on social media that are specific to that page and not just your website. This will do a couple of things.
First, it will make your social followers feel as if they’re getting a really great deal, which can increase their loyalty to your page. Second, it can boost the following on your social page, particularly if you offer a reward when consumers “like,” “share,” “retweet,” etc.
People are always attracted by good deals, so they can do wonders for promoting your business.
5. Prioritize your Own Site
While social media is a great way to generate sales, your own website is your long-term asset which should be your priority. Too many businesses rely on social media channels too much. There are businesses that failed to set up their own websites.
Social platforms come and go but your own site is something that will always be with you, grow and bring in consistent sales.
If you don't have your own website yet, use Namify to find a brand name that triggers positive niche associations and that's still available on social media profiles.
Also, here's a detailed step-by-step guide on how to set up a Wordpress blog.
6. Keep Things Current and Relevant
Part of the process of selling on social media is branding, so your profiles must be current and relevant in order for customers to feel like they’re dealing with a reputable business.
Visitors are often skeptical, due to the scammers and con artists one encounters on social media, so a great profile is a must.
Include an updated profile image, your company logo, company contact information, and anything else a stranger might find relevant and reassuring. Post new material to the page on a regular basis to show an invested presence, which can promote the items you have for sale and make casual visitors more interested in doing business with you.