How to Use Social Commerce to Maximize the Results of Your Social Media Marketing

Tuesday March 20, 2018 comments Tags: Marketing, Lead attraction, Client attraction, Content marketing, Customer Service, Public relations, Business planning, Lead nurture, Social media

 
If you or your target audience are frequent social media users, advances in social commerce can be a huge blessing for you. Social media can help you to educate your audience about your products, give them an easy way to buy from you, and offer quick and convenient customer support.

It also helps your clients to research your products, so they can be confident about their buying decision.

Today, Josh Wardini is sharing an article and infographic that will help you to understand what kinds of social commerce tools are available to you, and how to use them to get more clients through social media. Enjoy the post!

Hi, my name is Josh. For introverts such as myself, the new era of social commerce has been a huge gift.

Social commerce is the brainchild of electronic commerce and social media platforms. It combines social media and ecommerce, encouraging customers to research products, give ratings and reviews, and make purchases through social media.

It's never been easier for customers to buy without any direct human interaction, and sellers can see a boost in revenue by promoting their products on social networks. But that's not to say social commerce takes all the interaction out of the purchasing process; if anything, it makes it quicker, easier and more convenient for your clients to get the interaction they need in order to make a purchase and get the best use out of the product.

Potential clients will often want to learn about your brand and products online, and will gather all possible reviews and comments before making a purchase. Once they have this information, they can consider their purchase justified and keep looking for more things they'll like. Once they've bought a product, they can recommend it to friends if they're satisfied, or demand justice or customer support in the comments section if they aren't.

71% of online shoppers buy products referred by a friend on a social platform, so these recommendations are invaluable for your business!

Apparently, 99% of top companies have a Facebook profile, and 58% of Americans prefer buying online. Considering how most of us can be easily labeled social media addicts, it's no wonder that there are so many online shoppers clicking on Shop Now buttons, or browsing on Facebook looking for Nike offers and other deals.

How can you stay on top of your social media marketing game, and get more clients through social commerce? 

Here are a few social commerce tips you can start using right away:

1. Choose a platform that works best for your product and for your desired audience.

For example, Instagram tends to be the playground for the younger population, while Facebook is for the more serious buyers, and LinkedIn is geared specifically toward businesspeople.

You don't have to overwhelm yourself by being active on all social platforms; start with the ones your target audience uses the most, and expand your reach with time.

2. Nurture relationships with your followers.

Listen and respond to your audience's praises and criticism, and answer their queries. It's especially important not to let negative reviews or requests for help sit unanswered; when you do that, it tells your audience that you don't care about their problems, and if they encounter difficulty with your product, you won't be there to help.

3. Post high-quality content.

Don't just bombard your followers with sales pitches. Most of your posts should be educational or entertaining images or videos, because those are more interesting and tend to get much better engagement than text-only posts.

4. Don't leave your followers wondering what to do next.

While it's important to consistently post the kind of entertaining or informational content your clients want to consume, it's also vital not to leave them with without a way to act on that information by buying your products. Your social media profiles should include links to your website, and some of your posts should tell your clients about the products you offer. Aim for a ratio of 7-10 information/education posts for every promotional post.

If you'd like to know more about how social commerce works and how to make the best use of it, check out the infographic below:



About Josh:

Josh Wardini is an Editorial Contributor and Community Manager at www.16best.net. With a preliminary background in communication and expertise in community development, Josh works day-to-day to reshape the human resource management of digitally based companies. When his focus trails outside of community engagement, Josh enjoys the indulgences of writing amidst the nature conservations of Portland, Oregon.