One of the main parts of an eCommerce business is customer acquisition. When you first start, you’ll be bombarded with suggestions to work on your social media marketing strategy. Yes, it’s super important, however, it’s hard to know where to start when every source is telling you different things. Why do you need social media and what channels are actually worthwhile?
In today’s article, we’ll run through the main benefits of having social media for your business for both organic and paid promotion. Then, we’ll explain why Facebook and Instagram are the only social media channels you need to have, especially in the beginning stages of your eCommerce business, and go through ways to use them.
What are the advantages of having social media for your eCommerce business?
Social media is a great tool for building your brand and attracting new customers to your eCommerce store. Your social media accounts will likely be one of the first things potential customers will look at when considering if they want to buy your product. With digital marketing and eCommerce trends constantly evolving, social media helps you stay ahead of the curve.
The main advantages of using social media include:
- Show off your brand and what you’re all about
- Reach new customers through sharing and advertising
- Reach your specific target market
- Get more traffic to your eCommerce website
- Create a loyal customer base through engagement
- Improve your SEO rankings in Google
How to use Facebook to market your eCommerce business
Facebook is currently the most used social media platform in the world with around 2.5 billion active users every month. It’s a great starting point for the majority of eCommerce businesses regardless of if you’re selling a physical product, digital product or service. Make sure to create your Facebook page and double check that all your information is correct.
To build up your Facebook engagement organically, you can start by posting your own content. Generally, visual content, particularly videos, perform the best. Share products, announcements, information on what you sell and other things that might get people to follow your page. Posts that get more likes and comments will reach more people.
One of the most powerful ways you can use Facebook is with targeted ad campaigns. No, this doesn’t mean boosting or promoting your posts. Instead, you’ll want to create dedicated ads that are visually appealing and highlight your brand’s unique selling points. With Facebook ads, you can choose who you want to target based on demographics, interests and more.
Facebook ads are also great for lookalike audiences and remarketing campaigns. Lookalike audiences are essentially people that are similar to your existing customers. By targeting these people, you have a better chance of finding a new customer. Remarketing campaigns allow you to target people who have visited your site in the past.
How to use Instagram to market your eCommerce business
Next, you’ll want to have an Instagram account for your eCommerce business. Instagram is particularly useful for people who sell physical products since it’s a visual platform. Start by creating a profile with a clear profile picture and a concise description that explains what your eCommerce business sells.
Next, you want to figure out what type of content you want to share. Posts on Instagram could include product shots, happy customers, behind the scenes photos, and infographics. Make sure everything is consistent and in line with your branding. Planning out what you’ll be posting in advance can help by giving you a clear idea of what people will see on your profile.
With Instagram being owned by Facebook, you can actually run Instagram ads through the Facebook ads platform. Facebook actually automatically serves ads on each platform depending on how they perform for you. Hence, Instagram also allows you to make the most of targeted ads, lookalike audience and remarketing campaigns.
Another paid form of marketing that is popular on Instagram involves partnering with influencers. For eCommerce businesses that are just starting out, reach out to micro-influencers that are relevant to your business. For example, if you’re selling stationary, you might want to reach out to influencers who talk about studying and have a follower base of a few thousand.
What other social media channels should you consider?
Of course, there isn’t a one size fits all marketing strategy for every eCommerce business. There are a few other social media channels that you might want to consider using depending on your business type. Remember that each new channel that you add to your strategy will require a lot of time and effort for it to be successful. Don’t bite off more than you can chew!
Other social media channels for your eCommerce business:
- Pinterest is ideal for creative, visual or products-based goods such as jewellery, stickers and knitted scarves
- Twitter is a great place to start conversations, answer questions and build relationships
- LinkedIn could be ideal for B2B businesses or for those looking to make connections with other brands
- TikTok and Snapchat are both ideal for eCommerce businesses with products targeted to those in the 16 to 24 age range
How do you get started with social media for your business?
To get started, you want to figure out what your target audience is and where they would most likely be spending their time. Create visual content that both looks appealing and generates engagement. Make sure to have a detailed content calendar. Then, you can consider paid methods such as running ads and working with micro-influencers. Good luck!