Social Media Best Practices for Ecommerce Sellers

Technology continues to shape the way we live, and we have it to thank for the many luxuries that we enjoy today that make our lives infinitely easier. One great example is the booming ecommerce industry—gone are the days where we had to go out of our way to buy something. Ecommerce has streamlined the whole shopping experience, as everything from choosing the products to the delivery has been geared towards customer satisfaction. The customer-oriented nature of the industry is one of the main reasons for its continuous development: The Economist reports that the ecommerce industry has been growing at a rapid pace of 20% a year, which has resulted in billions of dollars in revenue across the globe.

Due to the lucrative nature of the industry, more and more companies are getting in on the action. Because of fierce competition, ecommerce businesses have had to ramp up their digital marketing efforts in order to stand out, especially since Maryville University revealed that digital marketing spending is estimated to be worth $335 billion this year. This is only expected to increase as the competition gets tighter, with more and more companies fighting for a bigger share of the market.

Thankfully, there is a way to reach your audience effectively without breaking the bank on a digital marketing campaign. Social media is one of the most efficient ways of getting your brand out there, and companies have definitely taken notice. If you want to give this a shot, read on to learn about social media best practices for ecommerce sellers.

Utilize Time-Based Content

FOMO (the fear of missing out) has mostly been attributed to social media. Knowing that people hate missing out or feeling left behind can be vital to your use of social media. The University of Kentucky highlights how the human brain stops thinking when faced with an urgent situation.

Use this to your advantage and release promos on social media that’ll expire after a certain amount of time has elapsed. This is an easy way to give you a quick bump in both sales and exposure, as people will rush to your store in hopes of getting a good deal.

Tell A Story

Content is still king in the age of social media. While aggressive social media campaigns are well and good, nothing beats a good story. Remember that you don’t always have to be selling something to engage with your customers. Sometimes reaching them through engaging and interesting content is good enough even if it doesn’t convert to a sale. Awareness is everything in the fast-paced digital world, so if you can find a way to stand out through story-oriented social media content, the scales will undoubtedly tip slightly in your favor.

How do you do this? An article on the Huffington Post points out that you have to know your audience to make this work. Find out about their hopes, dreams, and greatest fears and integrate them into your content.

Be Accessible

Lastly, it isn’t enough to make engaging content if you fail to communicate with your customers. Take advantage of the direct line that you have with your customers and reply to them on your various social media platforms. Whether their comments are positive or negative, make your customers feel like they’re being heard and good things are sure to come from it.

Twitter is particularly useful in this regard, as customers often express their concerns on this social media platform. Try not to make your replies feel too generic, as this may come across as disingenuous.

By Ria Watson