How to Use Social Media to Market Your Online Store

How to Use Social Media to Market Your Online Store
How to Use Social Media to Market Your Online Store
by Square May 13, 2015 — 6 min read
How to Use Social Media to Market Your Online Store

If you’ve been dragging your feet on setting up your e-commerce site, it’s time to seize the day. It’s now easier than ever to get started — and get started right. Not only can you now integrate your Square account with e-commerce platform Bigcommerce, but also we have their Managing Editor, Tracey Wallace, on tap for a series of e-commerce 101 guest blog posts. Last week, she walked us through tips for increasing sales on your e-commerce site. Today, she’s tackling a crucial aspect of e-commerce marketing — social media.

It can be hard as a startup e-commerce store to build yourself a loyal following. After all, Facebook algorithms hide brand pages from user feeds (unless those pages are as engaging as Red Bull’s), and Twitter takes a lot of time to build a decent-size following (gaining a thousand followers in the first year is considered good). So how do you sidestep all of that? How do you build a social presence for your brand that will gain followers, attract potential new customers, and ultimately help to foster repeat customers and lifelong fans?

First of all, don’t discredit social. That gut feeling telling you that social is just as important for a retail brand as it is a publisher is spot on. Let’s take a look at the numbers:

Social Media Engagement Stats

 

In all, after you create your Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest pages (at the very least — you might want to explore other networks, too, based on what you’re selling), here’s how to start using your brand personality to build a following while still managing to grow your business.

Know the platform capabilities

Familiarize yourself with how the different platforms function. Below are a few tips to get you started:

OK, let’s be honest. It might take some advertising dollars to win over your target audience. And that’s totally fine. Before you blow a huge budget on social media campaigns, though, be sure you follow these best practices.

 

Take engagement tips from the bigger brands

Even if you’re a smaller seller, it’s worth taking a page from the playbooks of larger brands that have cultivated an impressive social presence. Look at companies like ModCloth, Converse, and Nike –– all of which are driving high engagement and loyalty via social. Here’s their secret sauce:

 

In all, familiarize yourself with the platform you’ll be using to drive traffic and conversions to your site. Take tips from brands or startups that have broken out of the mold to see how you can increase engagement with colorful photos, a strong stance, or whatever other social media tactic is currently winning loyal followers. And, finally, be sure to advertise a bit to get people to your page, but don’t spend all your money there.

Learn how to link up your Square account to BigCommerce

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