Social media has become such a huge part of the internet that it’s no wonder that so many businesses are trying to use it for marketing purposes. According to the LinkedIn Marketing Solutions Blog, social media is a “hotbed for small to medium sized business growth”. Companies use a variety of means of reaching out to potential customers through social media. Some turn to Sherwood Integrated Solutions for business bartering opportunities. Some go full force into social media while others stick to the basics.

The problem with social media marketing is that it is not truly effective unless you can turn the investment into a profit. Striving to get more followers, likes, and fans is not enough. Anybody can have a bunch of likes.To be successful, you must turn those followers into customers and continue interactive with them so that they will continue buying in the future.

Here are some ideas for doing just that:

Approach each follower personally – Use follower/fan notification news and initiate contact with each new follower by sending them a simple, call-to-action message with low-commitment. Begin the message that mentioning something about that new follower that interests you, whether it’s their goals, location, interests, etc…. Make the message about them, not about yourself.

On Twitter, offer exclusive promotions and coupons – While you don’t want to spam your followers, you should offer some special coupons every now and then. Many people love discounts and freebies – especially if there is an expiration date, as it ignites a sense of urgency. It may simply take a little incentive to turn a follower into a customer.

Use Twitter to showcase your products intelligently – While you never want to outright spam, you can still showcase your products or services in a way that will tempt users to want to know more. Add a subtle click-to-action with each product showcasing. Etsy is an excellent example of a company that knows how to showcase items on Twitter. Use the “50-30-20” rule for social media content: 50% of the content should be informative, 30% should be value-added content concerning topics relating to your industry, and 20% should be about products, services, promotional offers, etc.

Make it easy for them to actually buy – Maybe the reason why you have a low conversion rate is because the path to your checkout page is long or confusing. People tend to be fairly lazy, especially if they don’t plan on buying anything in the first place when the sign into their Facebook or Instagram account. You can also use Messenger Links and Messenger Codes in marketing channels, ads, and on your blog or site to reach out to followers directly. There are other ways you can use messaging for marketing purposes as well. Facebook offers a helpful tutorial.

On Instagram, spruce up your product descriptions – To increase conversions, SHOW followers the product they can have.Instagram is a visual platform so don’t make your product descriptions boring. Be creative with the photographs themselves and don’t be afraid to experiment with filters and colors. For the description, add a few relevant emojis here and there. Not only are they useful for breaking up copy, they also draw attention. Optimize the description so that it shows up in audiences’ searches.

ALWAYS follow-up – Once you’ve finally converted some followers into customers, be sure to follow up with them through messaging (or even a shout out) to ensure that they are happy with the product. If they see that you care about their experience, they will be more likely to buy again.

It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to run a social media campaign, but it does cost a lot of time, participation and interaction. If you need help with your digital marketing efforts, you might find a corporate trading solution with SherwoodIS.com.