How to Increase Sales with Social Media Marketing
Business owners know that one of the most powerful ways to promote their products and services is through social media marketing. But many are frustrated because they’re not sure how to make the most of this tool, or they don’t have the budget to hire a team of experts to do it for them. Here are some ideas that can help you increase sales with social media marketing – whether you use them all, or choose just one or two, these tactics will boost your bottom line.
Step 1: Set up your strategies
Before you start using social media marketing, it’s important to first have a strategy in place. If your goal is getting more sales, then you’re going to need a plan. For example, if your business sells t-shirts, use Pinterest as a way of driving traffic back to your website so people can purchase your product. Use Twitter and Facebook to spread awareness about special sales or interesting new products. You don’t have to focus on just one network—try reaching out in several different ways on each platform for maximum benefit.
Step 2: Target your audience based on gender, age, etc.
Your company should have a solid understanding of what its customer demographics are. A quick Google search for age and gender breakdown by the state will give you a good idea of how your customer base breaks down. Keep in mind that social media demographics can be different than general population statistics; for example, younger users are more likely to use Instagram and Twitter, whereas older users tend to stick with Facebook.
Step 3: Write engaging content
There are several pieces of content you’ll need. Some will be generic, some specific. For example, if you’re promoting an event, your potential attendees need information on what’s going on and where it is. If you’re announcing a new product, prospective customers want to know how they can purchase it. And of course, everyone wants to know when they can get their hands on it and how much it costs.
Step 4: Use proper hashtags
While you’re looking for how to increase sales through social media marketing, try adding a hashtag that’s relevant. For example, you could use #smmtips or #socialmedia. That way, people can easily find your post if they have similar interests or concerns. It also allows them to like and comment on your post, giving you even more exposure on social media!
Step 5: Reply to comments
After you’ve posted a few articles, it’s time to interact. Make comments on other people’s blogs. Other people will visit your page and leave comments on your page, giving you something to reply to. This isn’t an excuse for being an asshole; just be polite and respectful as possible when you comment on someone else’s post. It shows that you aren’t trying to just pump out content and make money — because then you’d be ignoring any sort of engagement at all — but instead are open enough about what you’re doing that anyone can ask questions or give feedback.
Step 6: Use emojis in text messages
Don’t underestimate how much your brand can benefit from using emojis in professional texts, emails, and even on your website. Research has shown that marketers who use emojis in their content are up to 23% more likely to receive a response and 12% more likely to have their message shared. Try mixing it up by occasionally inserting a quick or after you send an email—or save one of your employee’s profiles a GIF of dancing cats. It’ll get them feeling good about what they do and raise awareness of your brand on social media as well.
Step 7: Use call-to-action buttons
Call-to-action buttons are highly clickable on social media. Buttons tell people exactly what they need to do: whether it’s read more, share, sign up, or buy. Learn more about why call-to-action buttons are important and how you can use them effectively in your marketing campaigns by reading our previous post on CTA buttons. (Image Source) In addition to call-to-action buttons, make sure that your audience knows where they can find additional information by using calls to action throughout your content. If there is a resource that you recommend that is not included in the body of your post, add a link directly after it so readers know where else they can go for more information. For example: To learn more about [X], check out [link]. You could also include links at strategic points within your content like so: What does [X] mean? (Link) Check out [link] for more info!