Social media isn’t just for sharing memes and cat videos. It can be a useful tool to increase your sales or get more subscriptions. Just think about it: billions of users scroll through various social media platforms daily. Knowing how to reach them will increase your sales while connecting with your audience. Would you like to know how? Just read on!
Let’s take a quick look at the benefits before diving into it How. Because there are lots of them! For example, social media is a cost-effective way to reach your audience across multiple platforms. You don’t need a big budget to have a successful social media strategy.
According to 68% of consumers, social media is also the preferred platform for most people to receive news about your new products or services. And one of the reasons for that is because social media feels more personal. The lines of communication feel shorter. This is important because most people say that the most memorable brands on social media are the ones that respond to customers.
1. Treat social media like a mall
Because your audience is. They are buying more and more on social media marketplaces. In 2023, sales are expected to reach $1.3 trillion gigantic. Especially compared to 2020, when sales “only” reached $560 billion.
It is clear that the industry is growing rapidly. So why not take advantage and make your products or services available on social media? Some popular ones include Facebook Shop, TikTok Shop, Instagram Shopping, and Pinterest Product Pins. And there is much more. We therefore recommend that you research which eCommerce platforms are best for you and your audience.
2. Try conversational commerce
Have you ever received a promo code or discount in your direct messages (DMs)? Or did you ask a question about a product via WhatsApp? This is conversational commerce.
So why should you try this? Because for your audience, it can feel like they are speaking to a store associate in person, except virtually. You can ask questions and get advice and recommendations. Conversational Commerce also simplifies the buyer journey. Your audience can read reviews, explore products, ask questions, and click the checkout button without ever having to go anywhere else.
Source: ShipBob
The difference between conversational commerce and social media commerce
So what’s the difference? Most often the place where the sale takes place. For example, conversational commerce is your Instagram DMs, and social media commerce happens in Instagram Shopping.
3. Don’t post on a Sunday
It sounds funny, but it’s true. There are good and bad moments to post on social media, but Sunday is by far the worst. That doesn’t mean you can never post on a Sunday – just that you’ll get more engagement if you post on a different day.
The best time to post varies depending on the social media platform, so it’s good to know these times. Otherwise, your audience will never see your content. And that’s a shame!
4. Don’t put your eggs in one basket
It is also generally a good idea to be active on multiple social media platforms. Ultimately, you want to reach as many people as possible. Not everyone in your audience uses Instagram – some could be very loyal Facebook users!
However, a large portion of your audience uses more than one social media platform. This gives you ample opportunity to interact with them multiple times a day. Just don’t make it too thin! You don’t want to copy and paste your content on every platform. Instead, it is better to focus on a maximum of three social media platforms and create good content for them.
5. Post what your audience likes
so what Is good content? In the world of social media, this means content that your audience wants to share and engage with. In general this is the case Also means: pictures and videos. Last year, for example, online videos achieved a reach of 92.3% among internet users worldwide! The most popular videos were music videos, memes and tutorial or how-to videos.
Source: Statista
Of course, this doesn’t have to be the case with your audience. Maybe they really like funny product images or customer testimonials. Just look at how many people like, comment, and share your product images compared to your other content. Is it much more? Then you should do more!
And don’t forget to make your post accessible so everyone can read and engage with your content.
Relevant content also usually performs well
If you keep up with the trends, you will never lose track of content creation and publishing. Admittedly, you should be aware of what trends appeal to your audience. For example, if you reference an exciting new change at the Lego company, it may not be of interest to your horse-loving audience.
However, global news generally appeals to many more people. By referencing a current global event, you can grab your audience’s attention while keeping your brand relevant.
Don’t overwhelm your audience
Always choose quality over quantity. If you’re concerned that quantity is your main concern, just ask yourself the following questions:
- Is that original?
- Will this content help my followers?
- Is this inspiring, entertaining or actionable?
Another tip that might be helpful is to create a social media calendar. If you plan in advance how many times you will post per week and What You post, then you don’t risk overwhelming your audience. Just keep some space aside for spontaneous contributions. For example, if a meme has gone viral and you want to jump on the bandwagon.
We hope you’ll find inspiration for how you can use your company’s social media in new ways. Maybe you want to try conversational commerce? Maybe you want to create more content that references memes. Whatever it is, just make sure you choose what fits your brand. Because in a world with millions of posts, you want your content to be unique.
Read more: Social media strategy: where to start »
Cindy is a content manager at Yoast. She writes and optimizes blog posts and enjoys writing content that helps people create better content for their website and users.
