The Selling Power of a Solid Social Media Strategy

Social media is so much more than just a community platform for socializing. Its origins may be founded there, but it has morphed into a means for brands to create awareness of their products and services, and as a way to sell directly to consumers.

To effectively sell to your potential customers it’s necessary to understand how they are making their purchasing decisions. Social media is not just an effective way to reach your target audience; it is also a valuable discovery tool to understand your customers’ online buying behavior.

How Buyers Buy

Potential buyers are no longer relying on advertisements to influence their decision-making. The 21^st century buyer is savvy to traditional marketing and advertising tactics. What has evolved is a resurgence in word-of-mouth marketing, in a digital forum.

Let’s face it. Users consult their peers before making purchasing decisions, whether that is through reviews or direct contact with brand pages. Some social media sites like Twitter and Facebook are even beginning to experiment with incorporating native buying capabilities directly into their platforms.

So what does that mean for you? Customers are talking about your brand, and listening to what other users have to say as well. That means it’s important to maintain a social media presence to monitor the conversation that is taking place about your services. These conversations play a major part in a customer’s decision to buy into what you are offering, or to turn to your competitor.

One of the Golden Rules of Effective Marketing cites that it takes seven points of contact to convert a customer into a buyer. It is much easier to reach active users seven times with Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. than it is for a potential customer to be impacted by traditional marketing materials like billboards and television ads. Not to mention the cost effectiveness!

How Would You Rate This Product?

A huge part of what customers consider relevant when interacting with brands online are the reviews that other users leave, both in the review sections and on a ‘wall’ or posted to a company page. A good review can do wonders for a business’s online persona; they add credibility — from an actual consumer’s standpoint.

According to Bazaar Voice, “the number of reviews and average rating on a product correlate closely with conversion to purchase”. Consumers spend more time online researching before purchasing, so:

• Hitting the right note with reviews
• Maintaining a presence
• Moderating discussions

will result in more of those customers seeking you out when it comes time to buy.

Additionally, this same Bazaar Voice article goes on to share a ringing endorsement of the power of reviews and “why” to manage them: “After seeing a brand response to a review, 71% of consumers change their perception of the brand.”

So whether a review is good or bad, responding can enforce brand loyalty. Pay attention to what your current and potential customers are saying and they will reward you with a click on a shopping cart or a swipe of a card.