Online shopping is a phenomenon that’s been on the rise for years, and no one expects it to quiet down any time soon. If you’re a retailer, you surely have an online presence. Social media in E-commerce is something that you should definitely pay attention to if you want your business to succeed and stay on top. We’ve talked about this in our blog post, so keep reading to learn all about it.
What is the Importance of Social Media in E-Commerce?
In this day and age, whenever you need to buy something, the chances are that you’re going to check if you can buy it online first. Who likes to shop in person anymore, right? E-commerce is a huge field, with countless online stores, and they all need to show consumers that what they offer is the best.
But how to reach those customers and increase sales in the sea of competition? Of course, the journey starts with digital marketing. One of the crucial aspects of that is social media (SM in further text). But what does it represent for E-commerce businesses, and how can they use it to boost sales and improve their brand awareness? Let’s start from the beginning.
Social media in E-commerce is a common practice of using platforms for marketing purposes of an E-commerce store. This practice can focus on advertising, building brand awareness and reputation, or even selling a product directly via SM platforms. There are numerous benefits to this business approach – let’s talk a bit about them.
Expanding Reach and Ensuring Your E-Commerce Brand Is Shared Online
This one doesn’t need much explanation, don’t you think? People spend very much time on socials. It’s only natural that any business that wishes to be heard and seen must have a great presence on these platforms. Due to the nature of socials, you can easily gain more consumers simply thanks to your current customers sharing your posts and profiles.
Reaching Target Audience and Engaging With Users
It makes a lot of sense to try and find your target audience where the vast majority of them spend their time. With socials, you can’t go wrong. While optimizing your website and running PPC campaigns is always a valuable advertising technique, we must not overlook the importance of a natural way to reach people.
By people, we mean those users who are looking for a product and service that your business offers. SM represents just that. It also gives you plenty of opportunities to engage with your actual users in a comfortable way. You can help them learn more about what you offer and strengthen your bond with consumers.
Building Brand Awareness
Awareness is important for increasing your business growth, but building it is surely not a short process. It often takes a lot of time and effort, but trust us when we say it’s more than worth the struggle. If you want people to talk about your product or service, you need to have a quality advertising plan for each SM platform.
The voice and visuals should be unified, and posting should aim to showcase your values and personality that will help users resonate with you and remember you. When they need to buy something and can’t decide among countless brands out there, your socials will remind them of you and how much they liked you. Of course, you can’t be liked by everybody, but it’s important to focus on your target audience and create an online presence that will appeal to them.
Advertising and Selling a Product Directly
Not only will you work on awareness and reputation, but you can also boost sales at the same time with well-targeted advertising that will focus on your target audience. All you need is a good content marketing plan. One of the magical things about socials is that some platforms even have built-in social commerce tools that allow businesses to directly sell from them. This includes Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are a few examples.
Which Platform to Focus On?
Getting started on socials is easy – the hard part is actually following through with a well-thought-through advertising plan and attention to advertising trends. Hopefully, you will have help from a professional social media management agency! So, where to begin? Most people would say it’s wise to start with the most popular networks, and that is true. Still, keep in mind that it’s better to focus on networks that your target audience uses regularly instead of just opening accounts on a dozen popular platforms.
This means that, if your target audience is Gen Z, for example, you should put more effort into getting views on TikTok instead of Facebook. This doesn’t mean you should ignore it completely, but it’s important to know what your customer would prefer. Understanding the people you’re trying to reach is the key – after all, advertising requires an understanding of human nature. So, let’s take a look at a few of the most popular networks and what they can do for brands.
Facebook – Starting Point for Any Advertising Strategy
This platform has been around for a while, and it’s still among the most popular ones in the world. Opening the business page is the first step, and it’s free. Facebook has about 1.5 billion active users, so you’ll definitely be able to reach some audience that will translate to new customers.
The good thing is that most users spend plenty of time on the platform each day – usually more than 30 minutes. There are plenty of options when it comes to the form of content. You can post anything from photos of your product to a sale announcement. If you have a budget for targeted ads, you can do that as well.
Instagram – The Best Platform for Visual Representation
Everything about this network is designed to support visual representation, so you should definitely use it to your advantage. There are many creative ways you can showcase your products or services. Instagram is also a great place to connect with your audience and give them an inside scoop into your business.
TikTok – A Powerful Network That’s Becoming More Popular With Each Day
While brands are often skeptical about the value that a TikTok account can bring to them, the reality is that this platform can do so much more for you than one would think. With the number of users increasing with each passing day, TikTok has become a pillar of every good advertising plan for E-commerce businesses.
What’s the appeal? This network is way less formal than others – it allows you (or your SM manager) to be as creative as you want. The rules are simple – stay consistent with posting quality content, and your hard work will be rewarded.
Tips for a Quality Social Media E-Commerce Marketing Strategy
Now that you have a general idea of why socials are important for sales and brand awareness, it’s time to get to work and create a quality strategy that will take you where you want to go. Of course, this is easier said than done, and advertising techniques can vary from brand to brand depending on countless factors. Still, there are some universal tips that help everybody. We’ve shared the best of them here with you.
Be Yourself – Customers Want to See the Personality Behind the Brand
When posting on socials, you have to remember that people don’t want to see perfection – they crave authenticity and unique content. If your brand doesn’t have any personal touch or an interesting detail that sets it apart from the competition, it won’t catch anyone’s attention. You’ll be just one of the many.
That’s why you need to put your personality into your content. Don’t be afraid of behind-the-scenes. Everyone loves to see that kind of content from their favorite brands. It gives an impression of being reachable and relatable, and that’s what drives people to buy from a certain business.
Put Focus on Video Content and Post Often
It’s no secret that video content is the most influential form of content on socials – that’s why Instagram and TikTok are widely popular. Videos are the most convenient for showing products – they can give a customer the most realistic representation of what you offer. In addition to that, users mostly prefer this form of advertising – short, engaging videos can easily grab attention and stay somewhere in the back of the minds of your viewers.
Collaborate With Other Brands and Influencers
Influencer advertising is one of the most powerful tools in a digital advertising arsenal. It helps you expand your reach and provides you with real reviews that attest to the quality of your products. Partnering with influencers is one of the best ways to market products – it’s the perfect way to persuade people that you’re worth their money. Furthermore, collaborating with other brands in your niche is a technique that has been proven successful. When you partner up with someone who has a similar audience, you are both promoted to a wider audience.
Remember That User-Generated Content Is Vital
It’s not just influencers that can provide you with organic content – reviews from your new customers are an excellent way to build your reputation. Whether it’s reviews or unboxing of products, this kind of content is valuable because it’s the most real thing you can post. It also helps your buyers feel connected to you, and let’s not forget – this is essentially free content!
Don’t Be Afraid to Reach Out to Social Media Marketing Agency for Help
If we can give you one tip, it would be this – don’t try to take care of your SM presence entirely on your own. No matter how talented and skilled you are in this type of advertising, having professional SM managers by your side has plenty of benefits. A good advertising agency will emphasize the uniqueness of your brand and provide you with a custom-made strategy that will help your business grow.
Use All the Help You Can Get to Promote Your Business – Reach Out to Made Online for a Social Media Strategy
Looking for a reliable social media agency that will curate a great SM strategy for your E-commerce business? Look no further than Made Online – our talented team is here for you. Don’t hesitate to reach out and use our experience and skills to your advantage. We’re looking forward to helping you grow your online presence!