E-Commerce & Social Media: Tips and Tricks for Retailers

This is a guest blog post by Enlightened Digital contributor, Amada Peterson.

So you’ve noticed a slight decline in users engaging with your social media pages. Or you’re looking to attract new customers from your social channels to your e-commerce site. But what do you do when you can’t think of a new way to tackle these problems?

Don’t worry, here are a few pointers below that can help get you back on track. From turning to your customers to recalling the basics, we’ve got your back. 

Consumers are a Key Resource

Your customers are a gold mine of social media material. User-generated content is a great way to showcase e-commerce products on your brand’s social media page. Plus, user-generated content can build goodwill between you and your shoppers.

Ask consumers questions on your social media channels. Play a round of ​“which product consumers like best out of two”, host a poll on their favorite essential product, or quiz them on what new offerings they want to hear more about. These results can provide insight on what to improve on your site or what information to post about on your social channels.

Reviews on your social media channels shouldn’t be ignored. Good or bad reviews provide insights into what your brand is doing right and wrong. This feedback is a great source of information that can guide what to post on your own social channels. In a poll, 71% of consumers who have had a positive experience with a brand on social media said they were likely to recommend the brand to their friends and family. Providing reviews especially when they’re positive, as a resource to your prospective customers can often encourage them to make a purchase.

Become the Place for Product Information

Customers are turning to social media for researching new products. Global Web Index reported that 54% of social browsers use social media to research products. A goal for your brand should be to become the top resource of information about your product.

It might take more than 250 characters to explain your products and its uses. Luckily, blog posts allow for long explanations and opportunities to link to multiple product pages. Think about what blog posts might interest your consumers or provide the information they’re looking for.

Live videos are another way to teach people about your products. Host a ​“how-to” or unboxing session to attract new customers or social followers. This style of video also gives people an inside look at you and your team, which helps build consumer trust. 

Remember the Little Details

Sometimes it’s the smaller things that catch us out. It’s easy to do in a busy season or a chaotic sale period. But take a moment to step back and think. Are you linking to products in your post? Do you have a schedule in place for posting on social channels?

Aside from content, consider the technical aspects as well. Each social media platform has a different set up for shoppable links. From Instagram to Pinterest, each site has its own way of allowing you and your site to place links. Bookmark these guides for your team’s easy access.

When creating content for social pages, keep the changing seasons in mind. Spring is a good time to tease new summer products, likewise for the fall transition into winter. Although Christmas in July can work, this might not hold true for other holidays or events.

Track your data and results. It’s rather useless to run a paid campaign or discount promotion and not pull in any stats on how well it performed. Follow the trail of which social channels brought new customers to your website. These insights can help with your brand’s future plans.

Social media is a great tool for bringing in more consumers to your e-commerce website. As long as you recall these tips, like using consumer-generated content or becoming an expert source for your product information, your social channels will be a success.

Want to learn more about how to harness the power of social media to better your brand’s online reputation? Learn more about the new technology REVV by Rallio as introduced by iQmetrix integrated partner, TracPoint. 

Located in New York City, Amanda Peterson is a software engineer and regular contributor to Enlightened Digital. In her free time, she enjoys visiting record stores and Netflix binging with her Puggle, Hendrix.