How can an online store thrive? Advertising and acquiring new leads is just part of the game. Customer experience now lies at the heart of profitable trade. The better it is, the higher chances you have to prevent visitors from going to your competitors. One of the ways to improve it is working on eCommerce search implementations to make finding a product smoother.
Another crucial aspect of eCommerce success is retaining customers and building relationships with them. Communication with clients should find its place in your retention strategy. Why do brands need to keep in touch with their consumers? It helps them create stronger bonds with purchasers and convert them into loyal customers who will frequently buy from the store and advise their friends to do the same.
That’s where social media help brands. What are the ways to connect with your audience through social media? Let’s discuss three strategies to be closer to your followers and customers.
1. Share user-generated content
Gone are the days when polished commercials were the only channel to convince consumers to buy something. People have gotten used to them and don’t respond as eagerly as before. The thing is, advertisement lacks the human touch. How can you implement social media to connect with your customers?
Cut back on these ineffective videos where company representatives just praise their products. Today it is real-life experience that matters. Here I’m talking about user-generated content. It combines videos, images, text, and everything else clients create and share with the audience. According to statistics, 85% of customers will rely on visual UGC rather than brand content when deciding on a purchase.
Explore the platform where your audience is the most active and ask for permission to repost their materials to your business profile. You can organize the search process by introducing a particular hashtag. People will tag their posts to be easily discovered by the brand. User-generated content also works as social proof indicating the company’s popularity. This strategy will develop positive associations with the brand and bring more leads to your online store.
Pay attention to the screenshot below. Lenox invites their followers to post their photos under the hashtag #athomewithlenox and tag them. When you click on the hyperlink, you go to the collection of posts. You can see the brand’s following and want to get into this community of happy customers.
2. Gamify communication with social media features
Social media is all about gamification. We hunt for likes, comments, and positive reactions. It’s like playing a game and receiving a reward. So why not engage followers by using social media to their fullest potential?
Many companies are picking up their game by offering customers an even more enhanced shopping experience on social channels. As such, many brands create their own Instagram masks and beautification filters. This is an excellent opportunity to expand brand awareness since the more people enjoy your filter and use it in their Stories, the more often Instagram users will see the mask’s name featuring the brand.
Check out how L’Oréal Paris applies the virtual try-on masks on their official Instagram account. Users can choose shades of lipstick or put on mascara on Instagram stories.
3. Deal with complaints and praises and use the feedback to improve
Social media platforms are the venue for various activities:
Directing communication
Leaving comments
Sharing experiences (positive or negative)
They bring another opportunity to connect with the audience. Encourage clients to rate and review your goods or services on the platform. They may not be ready to compound a review on dedicated resources such as Yelp, Google Customer Reviews, Foursquare, etc. It requires additional effort to go to the website, register there, and do other time-consuming steps. On the other hand, a comment on social media will take a few minutes, provided they have an account.
Are you scared to receive negative feedback? Consider it an opportunity to show your determination to resolve issues and improve. Negative comments are unavoidable, and how you respond to them can either turn the situation to your advantage or make it significantly worse.
Below is an illustration of how the Victoria’s Secret team addressed a customer’s problem with the website. They checked the store, provided advice, and showed their positivity and openness.
Final Word
Today, we can use our social media accounts for many things apart from sharing photos or chatting. These channels help us connect not only with our friends and acquaintances and with our favorite brands. And social media is continuously expanding its reach and capabilities!
It means that missing out on having accounts on social media platforms is missing out on potential sales. Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and even TikTok are not only a good place for brand presence but also for obtaining new customers; as the past year and a half, these social media channels have grown the number of shopping features.
Since the boom of the pandemic, we can see more Facebook Shops and product tags on posts in the feed. Due to the numerous advantages for businesses and users, I believe social media will be a significant eCommerce trend in 2022 and beyond.
About the Author
Kate Parish, chief marketing officer at Onilab with 8+ years of experience in Digital Marketing and website promotion. Kate always strives to stay in pace with the ever-advancing online world, and the sphere of Magento PWA development. Her expertise includes in-depth knowledge of SEO, branding, PPC, SMM, and the field of online sales in general.
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