Commerce in social media: Social Commerce

Commerce in social media: Social Commerce

Isn’t it an excellent idea to turn social media channels into sales channels to increase e-commerce income? According to Backlinko’s data, compared to the previous year, social media usage increased by 13% in 2021. Users of social media approximately spend 2 hours and 25 minutes each day. This means it refers that users spend nearly an entire day of their week on social media. Social media usage is widespread in Turkey, too. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that it plays a huge supporting for increasing ecommerce sales. So, what are the ways that brands can manage their social media accounts to generate more sales?

Best starting point: Instagram stores

Let’s start with the most important question: Do you have a store on Instagram? Facebook has announced that the percentage of people using Instagram is %70 to discover new products. We’ve collected our tips and tricks that you can apply to Instagram for guide the consumers easily reach your brand and purchase your products with the help of photos and videos.

  • First impressions are important. In order to create a positive first impression, be sure to add a description of your brand along with your website address and contact information. 
  • Tag your products in the photos and videos that you share. So, users can see detailed descriptions and price information of products when they interact with your content. This will help them proceed into the purchase step easily.
  • Add links to your products within the Instagram stories you share. Moreover, actively using story highlights let the discovery of your brand and products easier for users. 
  • You can put forward your best posts using the Instagram Guides feature. So, you can speed up the decision-making process of users with useful content such as “5 products that’ll make your life easier when camping” or “7 best gifts you can buy for your eco-friendly friend”.
  • One of the simplest means to reach hundreds of people who don’t follow you is using hashtags. Well, how many hashtags? Although there’s no definite answer to this question, Hootsuite’s research reveals that posts with an average of 10 hashtags get more engagement.
  • Use the social media proof strategy. To do this, you must simply include posts of your customers expressing their thoughts and experiences concerning your products on your Instagram account.
  • Keep your brand well-updated by following ecommerce trends on social media and experiencing innovations yourself. For instance, shopping via Reels, IGTV, and Instagram Live are some of the prominent innovations of Instagram. Recently, TikTok also announced the Marketplace feature.

Product images are there to sell the products

Show off your products looking their best with high-resolution photos and videos can create a desire in your followers to buy your products. You will motivate users by utilizing catchy slogans and various texts, like 30% discount. You can always collaborate with a designer expert in digital marketing to prepare professional product images. However, if you decide to take action on your own, there are multiple websites that can help guide you. Websites and applications such as Canva, Piktochart, Stencil, and BeFunky offer ready-made templates for design. Being easy to use, these platforms help users prepare charming images.

Sponsored content expects you to budget

When it comes to sales on social media, it is important to have a budget for ads specific to mediums such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. These ads are not only build brand awareness but also help connect with customers. Publishing different ads to different target groups will help you bring your products to the attention of new audiences. Moreover, it is beneficial to carefully examine the statistics of sponsored content because they will pave the way for your next ads. 

There’s an influencer for every brand

Influencer marketing, especially on Instagram and YouTube, is one of the most popular marketing methods. Many brands try to increase both their sales and their brand awareness with these methods. An essential part of this is to work with an influencer that fits with the image of your brand. For example, if your brand sells organic products, collaborating with an influencer who creates content in the healthy lifestyle category will be beneficial. The influencer, followed by your target audience, can promote your brand with multiple posts and live broadcasts, and offer discounts special to the broadcast.

Believe in the power of video content 

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri states that Instagram is not merely a photography platform, but that it is a multifaceted app in which video especially stands out. Even Twitter, where you could only use 140 characters in a tweet when it first came out, now includes stories and videos. Moreover, Business Insider states that 70% of Gen Z watches Instagram stories. So, try to show with social media videos all the ways your products are used, the kind of needs they meet, and which of the customers’ problems they solve.

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