Liz Gulsvig is the Copywriter at Forte Payment Systems. Liz currently writes their blog, where you can find all kinds of glorious nuggets pertaining to the electronic payments industry and small business. You can also find her on Google+ and LinkedIn. Email her at liz.gulsvig@forte.net or find her on Twitter @LizGulsvigForte.
Many retailers keep the spheres of sales and social media fairly separate, hoping that by simply engaging in social media they will earn conversions and boost profits. But the link is kind of mysterious. Somewhere in that lonely corner, someone posts clever quips on platforms. In another corner is the magical dance of sales, where your trusted pied piper drops hints to the marketing team about the most effective layouts for ads. Maybe social media and sales intersect, but it’s not deliberate. Or maybe the connection is intentionally there, but it’s just not really effective.
You need explicit, actionable tips for using social media to power your eCommerce profits. Luckily, we’ve got them.
Here are five perfect ways to use social media to boost online sales:
1. Post hot sales and specials
Don’t let a single sale or special happen without a crafted post. Be sure that you manage it across all of the social media channels you are using. This is the modern version of the wacky-waving-arm-inflatable-tube-man, and it works. Blast it across.
Extra hint: Use paid promotional posts for even more exposure.
2. Offer discounts and coupons to followers
By offering certain deals only to social media followers, you naturally entice customers to follow and stay updated through the platforms. Once customers know to expect good things from following you, they will stick around and also be more likely to interact. Stay consistent with your offerings and earn loyal followers that can help generate buzz.
3. Use hashtags to link to your products
Hashtags associated with products, key words or key phrases can help customers hone in on what you have to offer. It can also boost discussion and awareness, which further generate sales by initiating excitement and chatter. It’s a searchable way to organize your products and incite trending.
For example, imagine you’ve got this dress for sale on your website…
A good post that includes hashtags for this item might sound like:
Magical, flirty dress with cutout back. Perfect for full moons. #whitedress #fashion #indie #fairytale
4. Integrate a checkout solution that embeds social media buttons
A checkout solution is basically a payment solution linked to an online shopping cart. It’s pretty necessary that you get yourself hooked up if you don’t already have one. Even smarter, customize your checkout solution with embedded social media buttons. We all tend to get pretty excited about our purchases. If customers are checking out, let them instantly share, provide feedback or follow you. Let the good feelings roll. You’re likely to get new followers and fresh links, and a little delightful mimicry could arise if a friend sees another friend check out with an awesome new item.
5. Give them more than closed-end FAQ
While it’s important to address potential concerns in an FAQ page, it’s likely that you might not touch upon everything. By placing links to social media prominently, or even integrating live updates on your website, you can gain more customer engagement by encouraging them to reach out via social media platforms.
Just be sure you manage them well. Answer each and every question with care and concern in a timely manner. A strong, considerate social media presence and response can do wonders for instilling trust in your customers. With trust often comes the confidence to make a purchase.
In the end…
With these five ways to use social media to boost online sales, waste no time getting the party started. Clear, actionable steps can have you tweeting, sharing and posting like a pro – all while raising the volume on your bottom line.
Photo Credits: Flickr users dmatos and davidtalley
