The Neglected Next Step in Social Media: Converting Fans & Followers into Customers
26th Nov 2010
Social media such as Twitter and Facebook has revolutionised the way businesses market and advertise themselves to consumers. With the evolution of social media, companies are now able to reach and interact with a huge audience, not just locally, but around the globe.
With such an easy way to reach large volumes of potential customers, it isn't surprising to learn that online sales are expected to hit new records this Christmas. However, that upward trend masks a litany of abandoned Twitter profiles and inactive Facebook pages that contribute little to a company's image and even less to their revenue. While there are many examples of innovative social media marketing, many companies, particularly small to medium sized local businesses have struggled to convert Facebook friends and Twitter followers into paying customers.
This need not be the case. Implementing some simple social media marketing strategies will help companies convert their social media followers into customers who are vocal advocates of their business that put their money where their mouth is! Here's how you can build your follower's trust in your brand, and generate sales!
Optimise Your Profiles
Want sales? Then you've got to look the part! But what does that mean? Well, if you're trying to promote your design services, for example, then
why would a prospect take you seriously when you use the default template for your Twitter profile? You've got to aim for branding consistency across
all your marketing materials, from letterheads to websites and Facebook to Twitter. Failing to do so doesn't inspire confidence in your business at all,
and without confidence sales will tend to be few and far between.
Put a Face to Your Business
Marketing researchers have found that people like to connect to a person, not just an image of digital art or a photograph of a product. Many businesses
make the mistake of using digital art or a commercial product photo as their profile image. However, humans like to know who it is they are following
and responding to. Using a headshot in your profile helps to create a connection and encourages followers to interact and ask questions.
You can see this in action with celebrity users who often upload images from backstage to help build a more intimate relationship with their fans. So at the risk of sounding like a broken record, making money from social media is all about trust and authority. Letting your followers know who's behind the account is just another way to do this.
Reach Out to New People
There's an old adage that a person must give in order to receive. By setting aside a time block each day to reach out to new people on Twitter and
Facebook, you will be proactively meeting new potential customers through social media. Taking the time and courtesy to comment on other people's blog
posts also builds followers for your own blog.
Often overlooked in favour of promotion via Facebook and Twitter, blog commenting is a powerful way to build authority in your niche - key to building trust and increasing sales. Commenting on other relevant blogs is a small act that takes only a few minutes per day that really pays dividends, spreading the word about your business where it matters.
You've Got to Be Active
Although social media makes it much more affordable and easier to reach a large number of people, ask yourself how many companies you know who took the
time to set up their profiles and then did nothing with them. No, you can't expect a pot of gold to magically appear: social media simply doesn't work
like that! If you are serious about converting those people who follow your business on Twitter and Facebook into paying customers then you've got to
take it as seriously as any other marketing channel and, above all, get active.
Announce Sales, Discounts & Events
One of the best ways to generate buzz is to inform people of upcoming or current discounts you are offering on products or services. Word spreads rapidly
online as people tweet to one another and post on their own Facebook status that such and such company is having a sale on a certain product, so use it
to your advantage to drive footfall or drive people to your online store. Another powerful way to get people talking about your business is to offer your
followers special coupons and discounts that aren't available anywhere else, a technique that will boost the loyalty of your followers.
Free Samples
Free samples are often used in the real world to draw the interest of prospective customers, and they work online too. You should take shipping a free
sample as seriously as shipping a paid order - get the shipping wrong and you could actually damage your reputation as a reliable business to deal with.
However, done right, offering free samples to your followers is a great way to get your product into more hands and build sales.
Calls to Action
You're in it for the money, so if you want people to buy something or contact you about your services then you've got to get them to do something!
You could be doing everything else brilliantly, but without a call to action you'll be missing out.
Source: Sync NI
Author: David Boyd
syncni.com
