7 Simple Ways to Increase Online Sales Through Social Media
Did you know that sales teams and professionals who use social selling get nearly 40 – 50% more new business than their non-social selling counterparts? Despite this, according to HubSpot, only 31% of salespeople use social platforms to increase sales through social media.
Social media no longer plays a supporting role in your sales funnel; it is an active part of your buyer’s journey directly affecting their decision-making. An actionable strategy curated around your business, whether a home-run bakery or an e-commerce giant, is vital. However, how do you stand apart in a highly competitive market?
This is where your social selling strategy comes in. The right techniques can convert your leads and boost your business’ revenue. This blog explores seven simple yet effective ways to increase sales through social media.
Why is Social Selling Good for Your Business?
Before we dive into the strategies for businesses to increase sales through social media, let us first understand why it is profitable for your business.
Social Media Sales are Impactful
One simple truth is that social selling creates an impact. People now spend more time online assessing and scouting new things than they have ever been before. Social media holds the power to make an impact that is often tied to immediate action by your target audience.
Salespeople who partner with their marketing teams to create a social selling strategy are nearly 51% more likely to reach their sales goals. A strong strategy can shorten the sales funnel by encouraging audiences to make purchase decisions quickly. This will cut down your sales cycle and get you faster results.
Build Audience Relationships that Matter
Social media has given everyone an individual stage to express their opinion. 55% of consumers learn about a new company or brand via social media. This means your target audience is already active and conversing about the products they want to see. By using social listening and analyzing your audiences’ thoughts, your sales team can connect with them at their desired touchpoints.
Observe what your audience likes, their behavior online, the language used, and the content they enjoy. Then, help your sales team create brand messages that align with these trends and connect with your target audience. Your audience is already seeking authentic brand connections online. So, listen to their needs and form real connections with them.
Your Audience Uses Social Media to Find You
More than 40% of people use social media to find new products. Since the global pandemic, consumers depend heavily on social media to find new businesses and interact with new ideas. According to Statista, nearly 77% of people said that social media inspires them to acquire new information about products and exposes them to services they otherwise may not have thought of.
SourceThis means businesses that use social media to highlight their products and services have a higher chance of getting discovered sooner. They can also support their target audience in their buying journey, easing the process from discovery to purchase.
7 Top Ways to Increase Sales Through Social Media in 2023
Statistics predict that 6 billion individuals will use social media by 2027. In the internet age, this is an opportunity for businesses to increase their social media footing and reach their target audience worldwide.
Here’s a list of simple but effective techniques to boost your social media strategy and increase sales. These techniques will not just generate direct revenue but also create brand loyalty and an organic following.
Engage and Educate Your Audience with Your Content
This is a simple step that several brands fail to follow. Selling your products through your posts is easy, as developing a sturdy social selling cycle is your end goal. But social media is not like other marketing channels. Here, enticing, educating, and engaging your audience is necessary so that the target customers organically take an interest in your brand.
Your audience uses social media to learn new information passively. Highly promotional and sales-heavy messaging can cause them to turn away from your brand.
So, entertain and engage them. Let them take an active interest in your content. Curate a brand identity they resonate with. You can analyze your content and followers using Hootsuite, Nexalogy, Buffer Analyze, or in-app social media tools.
You can run giveaways, tweak your storytelling, provide accessible resources, and much more before you position your product as a solution to the audience’s pain points. Focus on the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ to hold your audience’s attention.
Focus On Where Your Audience Is
Theoretically, nearly 410,000 new users sign up for different social media apps daily, equating to 4.7 people each second. Users spend an average of 2 hours and 24 minutes on social media platforms daily. Hence, identifying where your audience is, can boost your sales revenue exponentially.
Suppose you are a B2C or a D2C company selling graphic garments or luxury perfumes, then LinkedIn would be the wrong marketing platform for you. Similarly, it would be vain for B2B businesses to sell their products on Instagram because not many working professionals use it for business.
Therefore, selecting a platform that hosts your ideal target audience is crucial. This will not only help you find your target audience easily but also help build connections with them via a social platform they comprehend. Connecting with them directly will lead to improved conversion rates and sales numbers.
Have a Strategy, But Be Flexible
A sound social media presence and engagement require balance. You must have a clear action plan for your social selling strategy to succeed at it.
Random or one-off posts that are not cohesive with your brand’s identity or business and the target audience will not help you move forward. Decide on several touchpoints you wish to cover over a span of 30 to 45 days as a part of your strategy.
However, a well-defined strategy must not be rigid. Your strategy must be fluid to experiment with social trends and popular social media content forms, which often fluctuate.
You must experiment with different content styles, such as articles, reels, contests, long-form videos, and infographics. Your only focus here must be to add value for your readers and boost your engagement with them at every touchpoint.
Partner Up with Influencers
Almost 50% of millennials trust an influencer’s recommendations. With over 72% of Gen-Z and Millennial population following influencers on social media, it is an excellent opportunity for brands to promote their products through collaborations.
Creating a strategic plan that features your product in influencers’ videos and photos, along with your brand story, is the best way to approach influencer marketing.
Moreover, brands can partner with influencers and send them products for testing. This is followed by an honest product review, affecting the audience’s purchasing decision.
These partnerships can also be established for user guides, how-to content, and tutorials for your product. Providing an influencer’s audience with a unique discount code can also be an effective strategy to boost your sales and increase brand awareness.
Share Content Generated by Users
Sharing content generated by your current users is a solid strategy to get new customers rolling in. This technique deals with human psychology and assures new audiences that your product is high-quality.
Your prospects may see your brand’s content or an influencer’s post and organically explore your page. At this point, they may be in the middle of your sales funnel, trying to decide if a new product is worth investing in.
User-generated content is a great touchpoint for a skeptical audience at this stage. New followers relate to their fellow consumers’ unfiltered, authentic reviews and experiences. They also connect with the transparency and honesty of the brand.
Brands can also drive more sales via user-generated content by encouraging existing clients to share their experiences with a customized hashtag.
Many brands also share these user-generated posts on their social media profiles to take this a step further. This strategy effectively boosts their relationship with existing customers and enhances loyalty. Additionally, it adds credibility to the brand for potential customers to invest in their product.
Make Your Socials Your Online Store
If a lead who explores your page on social media has to visit your website and make a purchase, they may lose interest, and prospects may drop out of the sales funnel.
Integrating their social platforms and online stores is one simple step that can help brands increase online sales through social media. This great strategy triggers your consumer’s urge to buy, allowing them to act on their decision to purchase immediately.
Several social media platforms offer businesses an option to directly sell their products in-app. Instagram Shopping is one such platform that has simplified the buying process. With a seamless checkout plan, customers can explore the brand online and purchase the product immediately without leaving the app.
This allows brands to turn their online feed into a shoppable inventory and tag products in posts.
Provide Social Media-Exclusive Flash Sales and Discounts
A flash sale garners attention on social media, as it is for a limited time and immediately actionable. Unlike normal festive sales, flash sales incentivize prospects to buy your products immediately and boost sales. It also propels leads towards the middle of your sales funnel to make a decision and buy your product.
Flash sales are often announced right before the sale starts. This creates a sense of urgency in customers to shop for your products. Some businesses also notify their clients about flash sales via other marketing techniques, such as email marketing or newsletters. This creates a sense of excitement in the customers and engages them.
Pro tip: Flash sales often bring in a large batch of orders for quick-selling items. So, brands must keep an inventory check while simultaneously generating demand and highlighting that they are of limited editions. It is advisable to prepare for the sale by building a reliable supply chain, staying in touch with the customers, and notifying them when the product is out of stock.
Flash sales can also affect your website if the volume of customers is too large. Analyzing your customer numbers and new traffic and updating your website accordingly can ensure a smooth sales process.
Wrapping Up
Consistent efforts to increase sales through social media ensure that you are on your target audiences’ feed and mind.
Social selling is a powerful strategy for all businesses, regardless of their services. Use these platforms creatively to reach your target audience, forge healthy professional relationships, and generate brand loyalty.
