According to the Digital 2022 Global Overview report, about a quarter of the world’s population mainly uses social media for shopping.
It is no wonder that it takes up an average of 2 hours and 27 minutes in our daily lives!
As an online store owner, you may already be aware of the marketing potential that lies within these platforms, yet you are unsure how to use them effectively.
In this guide, we will talk about proven ideas to get this epic platform working for you.
1. Use Pinterest to Showcase Your Products
Pinterest is the 14th largest social network in the world.
And according to the company, 75% of weekly Pinterest users say they’re always shopping.
How can you tap into this ready market?
You can create visually appealing boards that feature your products.
This is a great way to showcase the items you are selling and attract customers interested in what you offer.
Include product images, pricing information, and links directly to the product page on your website.
Doing this will help potential buyers see what they can get from you quickly and easily.
Pinterest allows other users to share images of your products with their followers.
As such, allowing potential customers to save or repin pictures of your items could result in additional sales as well as brand loyalty.
2. Post creative images and videos of your products on IG to draw in customers and build relationships.
WITH over 2 billion active monthly users, Instagram is a powerful tool for increasing brand awareness.
Through this platform, you can share high quality pictures of your products with captivating descriptions that will attract users’ attention.
Use creative hashtags related to your product or business to broaden the reach of your posts.
You could also create original content, such as tutorials or behind-the-scenes stories showcasing your store’s unique aspects or products.
Right now, carousels posts are doing really well on Instagram. You can use these types of posts to provide tips for using some of your products.
For the reels, provide a quick sneek peek into how the product works and give a few teasers on how it looks like in action.
3. Create YouTube short videos that demonstrate how to use your products, or showcase customer stories.
YouTube is another great platform to use to demonstrate your products and how to use them.
Considering it is the second-largest search engine, this platform is the perfect place to add some visual to your online store.
Creating short videos with tips on getting the most out of your product can help customers understand how it works and why it would benefit them.
Make sure that the videos are informative, engaging, and interesting.
Try to make them as visual as possible by showing actual footage of someone using the product or providing close-up shots of the product itself in action.
This will give customers a better idea of what they can expect when purchasing from you.
Another great way to leverage YouTube for your online store is by creating tutorials on using certain products or features that may otherwise be confusing or intimidating for customers.
AND it doesn’t stop there?.
Repost these YT videos on TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram!
One piece of content, 5 audiences satisfied!
4. Promote Your Store on Facebook
You must have heard this one a million times already!
But since you are hearing it again, it means it still works!
It needs a twist.
That’s polls and contests can be a fun way to engage with customers and potentially draw in new ones.
Getting people excited about participating or winning something will help spread awareness about your business and get more people interested.
Use these tactics as a way to gain insight into what customers want from your store, so they will feel heard and valued.
Furthermore, regular updates about your store are important too!
Posting content like new product releases, discounts or sales, customer stories or reviews etc., will keep followers engaged and informed while also reflecting positively on your brand image.
5. Run contests and giveaways to generate interest
People love winning stuff!
I love free things?!
And that’s why contests and giveaways can be a great way to generate interest in your online store.
These campaigns help create buzz, build customer relationships and increase awareness of your store’s products or services.
Launching a new product line?
Run a contest!
Running a holiday campaign?
Run a giveaway!
But here’s the thing, when launching a contest or giveaway, set clear objectives for the campaign so you can measure its success.
Ask yourself what you would like to achieve – more followers, higher engagement rates or an increase in sales?
At the same time, when choosing a gift, choose something that is relevant to your store’s offerings and will appeal to your target audience.
For example, if you deal with laptops, you can giveaway a coupon code, laptop bag, etc.
You should also create rules about how people can enter the contest and the prize.
Don’t forget to promote the contest on all of your social media channels so that as many people as possible have a chance to participate.
Won’t be helpful if no one participates, will it?
6. Reach out to influencers in your niche and ask them to promote your store.
In 2022, influencer marketing spend jumped from 3.69 billion to 4.14 billion in the U.S.
But why is that?
Well, 50% of Millennials trust product recommendations from influencers.
And 92% of marketers believe that influencer marketing is an effective form of marketing.
So, to grow an online store’s visibility, connecting with influencers can help.
Influencers are those who have established a strong presence on social media, and they often have a large following of dedicated fans.
You can start by first pinpointing influential people in your niche.
Once you have done that, reach out to them through direct messages or emails.
Most of them usually leave contact information for business purposes in their bios.
In exchange for promoting your products on their channels and stories, businesses can offer incentives such as discounts or gifts to the influencer’s followers.
This type of promotion helps to boost visibility by reaching larger audiences that may not be familiar with the business yet.
And since customers trust recommendations from people they admire, this type of promotion will likely lead to more sales for the business over time.
7. Use targeted social media ads to reach customers who are likely to be interested in your store.
Think Facebook ads, Instagram ads, and TikTok ads, among others
These social media ads is an effective way to reach customers who are most likely to purchase your products or services.
For example, targeting your audience on a platform like Facebook with a tailored message and design content that appeals directly to their interests and preferences, can yield average ROI of 152%.
Use analytics tools to track the effectiveness of each ad campaign, so you can make tweaks as necessary for maximum results.
When it comes to choosing the type of ad that’s right for your business, there are many options available.
For example, you could run targeted ads based on demographics such as age or location.
You could also choose a more advanced approach with Lookalike Audiences (Facebook ads) which uses machine learning technology to identify users with similar interests and behaviors as those already purchasing from your store.
8. Host live Q&As and webinars.
These two strategies is a great way to engage with your customers in real-time.
It is a type of content allows you to go beyond the traditional one-way communication of posting on social media, which can help to create an interactive customer experience.
Live Q&As are a great way for customers to ask questions directly and get answers from you in real time.
Similarly, webinars are an interactive platform that lets you host sessions about topics related to your store, such as product demonstrations or product launches. Utilizing these methods can be extremely beneficial for increasing visibility and customer engagement.
When hosting live Q&As or webinars, ensure that everything goes smoothly by having a plan laid out beforehand.
Make sure that all the necessary information is gathered ahead of time so that no detail gets missed during the event itself.
9. Participate in trending conversations.
In order to reach out to more customers and boost your online store’s visibility, jumping on trending conversations is a great way to get noticed.
This can help you join the conversation that’s already ongoing and engage with existing customers or potential ones.
You can do this by keeping up with popular topics on social media, such as current events, holidays, and other newsworthy topics.
It is a perfect blueprint to stir interest for your online store’s products or services.
Tools like hashtags on Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram can help you join conversations and make it easier for people to find your posts and connect with your business.
Another great way of joining the conversation is by actively responding to comments on your own social media posts or those of influencers related to your industry.
10. Providing pre- and post-sale support to customers
Providing support to customers is a key component of any successful online store.
Pre-sale, social media can be used to engage potential customers by providing helpful information about products or services, responding quickly to inquiries and building trust with potential buyers.
Post-sale, social media can be used to provide customer service such as answering questions about product use, troubleshooting issues and providing updates on new products or services.
Customer reviews should also be actively encouraged across all social channels as these are an important tool for building trust in the brand and driving sales through word of mouth referrals.
11. Sell products directly on social media
Selling products directly on social media is an increasingly popular strategy for online stores.
Platforms such as Instagram and Facebook offer businesses the opportunity to reach a large audience with their product offerings, allowing them to bypass the need for third-party marketplaces like eBay or Amazon.
Thanks to tools such as shoppable posts, stores can add product links directly into their images or videos, making it easier than ever for customers to purchase items without having to leave the platform.
And you can target potential customers based on their interests and demographics.
A sure way to focus on those who are most likely to be interested in what they’re selling.
Taking advantage of this type of direct-to-consumer marketing can help increase sales and brand recognition while minimizing costs associated with advertising.
Related: 11 Ideas for Using Social Media to Boost Your Online Store’s Visibility
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, the most effective way to use social media to boost your online store’s visibility is to be strategic.
Think about the platforms that make sense for your business and how you can leverage them to both build awareness and increase sales.
Keep in mind that each platform has its own unique strengths, so tailor your strategy accordingly.
To maximize success, don’t forget to measure your campaigns with analytics so you can adjust as needed and ensure you are getting a return on investment.
When it comes to using social media successfully for eCommerce, there really is no one-size-fits-all solution; it takes trial and error, creative thinking, and strategic planning.
With these ideas in hand, however, leveraging the power of social media should become easy – allowing you to reach more customers than ever before!
Related: How to Drive Traffic to Your Online Store (Free Ways)