You’ve heard it a thousand times: If your business isn’t on social, then you’re missing out on potential sales. So, you did the right thing and set up your brand’s pages on multiple platforms. The good news is you’ve been able to build a pretty big following. The bad news? You can’t seem to get all those followers to buy your product or service.
Your business isn’t the only one with this problem. The greatest obstacle of social media marketing is converting followers to customers. How can you convince people to turn their likes into purchases? Before you increase your ad spend budget try out the following tips:
Define your audience
brand voice example
The first step toward converting your brand’s followers into customers is understanding who you’re talking to. It makes no sense to invest your resources in content and strategy for an audience that hasn’t been thoroughly defined.
So, how exactly can you go about analyzing your audience? Most people don’t have the time to ask every single person about their interests, needs and lifestyle – and that’s okay. Chances are this random group of followers has a lot in common. Once you figure out commonalities, you can start to build a strategy around them.
The secret to finding out more about your followers lies in the numbers. While many tools for analyzing your audience exist, one of the best ones is the Facebook Pixel. This tiny piece of code has the power to discover demographic information like age, relationship status, education level, personal interests and more. Having this basic information allows your business to create and curate relevant content.
Another way to get valuable information about your followers is by – wait for it – polling! Don’t get intimidated by the infamously time-consuming process just yet. Most social media platforms have made it easy to find out exactly what your followers are looking for with their polling features. So, whether you want to learn which of your services they need most, or what lunch special to offer this week, you can find out and provide exactly what your audience is looking for.
Focus on Providing Value
free download example
If you want your followers to engage with your brand, you have to make them feel like they’re getting something special out of it. Giving value to your brand will not only show that you provide more than a service, but also that you care about much more than just selling to followers.
Cue the power of the freebie! Now, these don’t necessarily need to be free gifts or swag bags. They can also be free downloadable guides, 30-minute consultations, promo codes just for followers and more. By providing these, you can make your followers feel like they’re getting something special simply by following you. Freebies also give a glimpse into the power of your product or service, which can lead to a purchase.
Share User-Generated Content
GoPro user-generated content
It’s no secret that testimonials are important to eCommerce companies. They build trust between yourself and the customer and give credibility to your product or service. It’s not enough for people to take your word that a product is great. They want proof that past customers think it’s great too!
That’s where user-generated content comes in. While not the same as verbal or written testimonials, content created by a customer gives a visual testament of satisfaction about your product. Think about it: if a follower has been considering purchasing your merchandise or services for a while, and see you share a photo from a different satisfied customer, then they’ll have even more incentive to buy.
Not to mention, sharing content from previous customers comes with some extra benefits. By showing that you appreciate the time a person took to post and share their positive experience, you’ll make them feel valued. They’ll likely remember your gratitude the next time they need your services.
To Wrap Things Up…
In the world of social media marketing, it can feel like you’re constantly competing for your followers’ attention. While using advertising to reach more people quickly seems like an easy solution, it can become costly.
Your brand has followers because they already see something they like on your pages. Give them a reason to take their engagement all the way to a purchase. Create content that’s directed towards your audience, provide value to your brand by giving follower-exclusive deals, and share previous customer posts as a form of testimonials. Researching your audience and showing appreciation for your followers will turn them into avid customers in no time.
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