On any given day, social media can seem like an overwhelming, never-ending puzzle – the second you place one piece, the picture has changed. WHAT?! We understand. Selling through social media can be even more confusing so, today, let’s go through some tips to make life a little easier.
First things first…
Find out where your audience is and go there
You may be thinking, how do I do that online though? Unfortunately, much as we wish it were possible, our customers aren’t sitting at our fingertips as soon as we sign up on social media. So, what do we need to do? Go where they are.
It’s all about…
💥 Knowing your target audience
💥 When your audience is online – insights should be able to help you here!
💥 What times work best – experiment a bit, see what works and what doesn’t, use that to help you
💥 Using hashtags to appear in the right places
💥 Not getting complacent – as we said, social media changes all the time, we have to adjust things as time goes by
User-generated content
If applicable to your business and when possible, user-generated content is one of the very best ways to make sales. Why? Social proof! If you can prove that customers use and love your products, others are more likely to think ‘ah, wow, this looks like a good company’.
Also, yay for free content! Especially given the number of users who are taking truly amazing pictures these days!
Ads, ads ads!
As simple as it seems, ads are one of the most straightforward ways to reach the right audience. Get that targeting specific, add some budget and start testing! Remember, ads don’t usually hit the stratosphere on the first go so it’s all about adjustments as you go. Trial and error is the name of the game!
Make use of testimonials where you can
This is great for both product- and service-based businesses! Ask some of your repeat customers to write a short review, provide a link to your Google My Business listing for reviews or create a custom page where they can leave a short remark. Anything goes! Creating a nice template for when you share can go a long way too.
Our top tip: make it easy enough for them to do and thank them afterwards!
To influence or not to influence, that is the question
The answer? It’s really up to you. Often, influencers can do great things for your brand recognition and to reach a larger audience…but are they right for you? Is it something you really want to do?
Our recommendations:
✨ If you’re going to do it, be 100% sure it’s the right person and that you have a contract stipulating what each of you expect
✨ Check if they align with your values
✨ Ask for examples of previous collaborations they’ve done
✨ Meet up if possible (a zoom works too!) and just chat, you’ll get a feeling of their vibe
Get platform-specific
Are you using more than one social platform? If the answer is yes, make sure you’re customising for each of them. This is specific to image sizing, hashtags, and links. Of course, we’re not saying you can’t reuse content, just make it fit for purpose.
Do your best to stay on top of trends and use the ones you can – particularly in terms of reels and TikToks. Look at trending songs, dances, challenges etc. and make them unique to you.
Quality over quantity
Always! It’s so easy to get overwhelmed with the whole ‘you need to post at least X times a week or else’ but the truth is, if you can manage a few GOOD posts a week, it’ll be far more beneficial than lots of average ones.
P.S: The same goes for stories
Don’t focus on sales!
We know you may be thinking “I’m sorry, WHAT?! That was the whole point of this blog?” but hear us out, okay? Have you ever read a post or seen an ad and thought ‘ugh’? Maybe it’s too direct, too cringe-worthy, just trying too hard and it puts you off. For those of you who speak Love Island, too ‘Factor 50’, ‘laying it on too thick’. Try not to solely focus on that.
On Instagram in particular, people are there to connect, to ‘like’ and to engage. You can 100% still talk about products and service, but make it engaging, pop it at the end of a post that offers value, there are SO many options.
Also, the more we hyperfocus on something, somehow, the more it evades us! Well, there we have it! If you’re looking for more tips, tricks and handy-to-know’s, join our Facebook Group for all of our new guides.