From Followers to Fortune: Mastering Social Selling to Supercharge Your E-commerce Sales
Have you noticed how social media has genuinely evolved these days? Before, it was commonly used for communication, sharing updates, looking for news and trends, and even playing games!
But today, it has escalated a new feature that has opened opportunities for different brands. And that is social selling.
It’s not about making sales on social media; it’s about building relationships. Instead of calling random people, think of it as making friends who might become buyers in the future.
This is where it becomes relevant to e-commerce.
In a nutshell, it’s making friends online who might buy something.
You don’t try to sell things on social media; instead, you build trust and are helpful.
Think of helpful tips, interesting articles, and being seen as an authority. This puts you in touch with the right people and makes it easy to buy things, like having a helpful friend tell you about cool stuff.
People will buy more from you, be more committed, and notice you in an online store of products.
Don’t worry. We will discuss how you can improve social selling to boost your e-commerce business. We will look at the social media landscape, how to master social selling, analyze and iterate insights, and future trends in social selling.
Let’s begin.
Imagine using social media is like attending parties and hanging out with people who might buy from you. Try to analyze it like someone who has a logistics management degree to get a more strategic understanding of each platform. The vibe and crowd on each platform are different:
- Facebook is like a big family reunion. Many people are there, some of whom you know and some you don’t. It can be noisy, but it’s good for showing your face and sharing news.
- There was a stylish party on Instagram where everyone tried to look good and be in style. It is ideal for showing off your goods in a way that looks good.
- TikTok is like a high-energy dance club where short, funny videos can become famous. It’s great for getting people’s attention and making a fuss, but not for giving specific information about a product.
Identifying the right platform for your business
Like picking the right party for your business.
- Who is welcome? Figure out the age, interests, and internet hangouts of the people you want to reach.
- Why are you doing this? Boost sales? Awareness of your brand? Create relationships?
- Similar to the mood: Visual goods? Instagram has beautiful pictures.
- Quality of time and abilities: Could you run the platform? Do you have a team to make content?
- Practice and test: Like a DJ at a party, start small and see what works. Then, change your plan as needed.
For each platform, you can consider each of the following:
- Facebook: suitable for general chat
- Instagram: shows products in a unique way
- Tiktok: fun, short videos for grabbing attention
Based on the statistics from Statista, the most popular social networks globally are ranked based on their monthly users.
Facebook was the first social network to have over one billion registered accounts. It now has more than three billion monthly active users. Facebook (the leading platform), WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram are the four most prominent social media sites that Meta Platforms owns.
Each has more than a billion monthly active users. Facebook said that over 3.8 billion people used its core family program every month in the second quarter of 2023.
With that said, start with just one or two platforms, be friendly and helpful, and enjoy yourself. Remember that good friends (followers) are more important than many. Pick places to shine and connect with the people you want to reach.
Don’t try to sell something; instead, make friends.
That’s the main idea behind social selling. Awkward calls are over. Now, there are natural connections that lead to real deals. We’re discussing helpful information and tips and becoming the expert your audience wants to trust.
Ready to turn people who follow you into people who buy from you? Let’s dive into the following tips and techniques:
To make social media work, you need to know your friends.
- Who likes you? Think about their age, what they like, and where they scroll.
- Make plans like a pro! More fans? Visits to websites? Please be clear!
- Not just sales; share cool things. Hints, stories, and a funny cat image.
- Post like a clock, not like a cuckoo. Often, but quality over number.
- Talk to your team! Reply, chat, and hold events. They really enjoy it.
- As a social media expert, you should learn from the numbers. Try different things and see what works.
Remember to be honest, helpful, and fun.
Engage and grow your follower base
Growing your audience base is a good start to expanding your network for business purposes.
Don’t try to sell something; be a friend. Talk to your friends, share cool things, and have fun. They’ll love you and follow you because of it.
Do you want more followers? Add events and team up with friends to keep things interesting. Data is your secret tool; keep track of what works and make more of it!
Another great way to meet people for your business is at trade shows. These corporate events are where about 5 to 20% of customers are found. Also, professionals say that meeting suppliers (48%) and prospects (43% of them) are the main reasons they go to trade shows.
Remember, fun is more important than amount.
Turn your friends into followers
Social selling works when it turns fleeting followers into loyal buyers. Here are some tips on how to start that spark:
- Display your items: Show off what makes your brand great (pics, stories, or tips).
- Show them you can do it: Making them feel respected and helping them with their problems is essential.
- Treat them like VIPs: Try offering secret discounts, early entry, and special deals.
- Make it easy to buy: Click, buy, and be happy. The simpler the buying process, the better.
- Help them out: Talk, listen, and answer. Try to hang out on social media.
Remember that it’s not about making sales but about making friends. Have fun and trust each other.
Analyzing and iterating
Here are some things you might opt to consider to ensure success in social selling:
- Make people happy so you can make more sales.
- Apps that track your progress (free ones like Facebook Insights).
- Your scorecard: the likes, clicks, and sales that show you’re doing well.
Now, here are your Key Performance Indicators (KPI):
Engagement Rate: This number tells you how many people liked, commented, or shared your work. A high rate means that the crowd is responding well.
Click-Through Rate (CTR): This number shows how well your content is at driving traffic by showing you the number of people who click on your links from social media posts.
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): This number shows how much it costs on average to get a new customer through social media. You want the CAC to go down over time.
Return on Investment (ROI): This is the best way to measure progress because it tells you how much money you made from marketing on social media A positive ROI means that the plan is working.
Remember to keep track regularly, carefully examine, and change your strategy based on your learning. You can improve your social selling plan and enormously affect your business goals if you track and understand your performance.
Always keep in mind that social selling is not a quick sale but a race to make friends. Show your readers you care by giving them helpful information, funny stories, and valuable material. People buy from people they like, not salespeople who sound like robots.
Keep these facts close to you:
Don’t try to sell something; be a friend. Talk, answer, laugh, and do it again. Wallets can be opened with trust and like ability.
Quantity doesn’t matter; quality does. Make content that people will want to read, not endless posts that don’t say anything.
Data’s your friend. Track, look at, and change. This is what internet sellers use to get ahead.
Experiment. As you bond with your fans, try new things, and don’t follow the crowd.
So, social fighters, go out there. Take over the digital world now that you know how to do it. Remember that real connections and worth are the best ways to get a lot of loyal customers.
Moshe