Social media is one of the essential promotional tools for ecommerce brands. It gives a chance for ecommerce businesses to share their story, reach new customers, and hopefully guide potential customers down their ecommerce marketing funnel.
Social media platforms are constantly evolving. Some of the most popular platforms are virtually non-existent today (think, MySpace), while others seem to emerge out of nowhere and become the next big thing (think, TikTok).
Leveraging social media paid and organic channels is imperative for ecom businesses to build an audience and increase ecommerce revenue. Fortunately, Jess McPhail, Nogin’s top Social Media Manager, dives into how ecommerce brands can use social media to grow their business and create positive customer experiences.
Top 5 Social Media Marketing Strategies for Ecommerce
Whether you are a luxury e-commerce brand or launching a dropshipping venture from scratch, adopting the right D2C e-commerce growth strategy can amplify your success. Here are Jess’ top 5 social media strategies to boost your brand’s growth:
1. Understand the Goals of the Social Media Platform You’re On
Each social media platform has unique characteristics, but most algorithms favor content that retains visitors. For e-commerce businesses, this can be challenging because the primary goal is often to direct users away from the platform to shop on the brand’s website.
It’s also more challenging for brands to get data on their customers after the iOS update. If you want to run paid ads on social media platforms, understand that your reach will be lower, and the customer acquisition cost may be higher when you direct customers outside the social media platform.
To reach customers and get the most ROAS on their paid efforts (if you aren’t familiar with that lingo, check out our top ecommerce KPIs guide), make sure to incorporate tantalizing offers to make it worth your viewers’ while to check out your store. Leverage scarcity and urgency to drive them to take action.
Offer discount offers, use gated content to capture their contact info and continue communication through email, or use captivating product photography or leverage celebrity collaborations to make an impression. Experiment with old-school advertising strategies and product listing strategies to hook customers and get them to convert.
At the same time, don’t saturate your social media presence with pure sales content. Incorporate compelling brand stories, testimonials, or fun posts for your audience to enjoy. Remember, people scrolling on social media want to be entertained, not sold.
“The biggest challenge is understanding the goals of the social media platforms and seeing where they conflict with what we’re trying to do and then finding creative workarounds. The goal of any social platform is going to be to keep them on the platform. Our goal is to get them off the platform.” – Jess McPhail.
2. Focus On Messaging and Connect With Your Customer
Social media allows brands to communicate with their customers directly. Having dedicated team members active across social media platforms to chat with customers, respond to comments, and interact with them can increase brand presence and equity.
For instance, MESOA offers premium skin care products to men. They utilize TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to educate men on their products. For many cosmetics ecommerce brands, simply telling them some of the ingredients in their products and conveying the market superiority and differentiation is sometimes enough to make a sale.
“I think the most important thing that most people don’t think of when they think of social media is messaging related, so getting into DMs, getting into comments, that is where you make real connections with your customers. The reason that brands struggle with it is because it’s hard to do it on a mass scale in a genuine way.” – Jess McPhail.
3. Stay Active on the Top Three
Social media platforms all reward consistency. Brands will receive higher reach as they post regularly on social media platforms. Stay on top of your social media channels and subscribe to a social media management tool like Sendible to schedule and send posts to all your channels from one location. Also, make sure to respond to comments and interact with your audience.
“The three top ones right now are Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. You’re going to get the most discovery on TikTok, and ad spend is probably a little bit better there right now too. Facebook ads used to be the gold standard, but now with the iOS updates, it’s really hard to target customers, so you’re seeing your return on investment that return is going down and investment going up.” – Jess McPhail.
4. Follow the Kids
You can always count on the kids to know the next big thing. Younger generations will gravitate towards new, cool social media platforms months before older generations even know they exist.
Actively research the latest ecommerce trends, and social media platforms teens and young adults are on. Although they may not have enough money to shop, it will indicate the next big platforms for advertisers to reach customers. Best of all, the newer the social media platform, the easier it is for brands to have higher reach, engagement, and affordable ad costs.
“You have to follow the kids. It’s not just because the younger generations are spending that money, but it’s because if they’re going there, that will be the next thing, and then the older generations follow, the people with pocketbooks. In addition to that, it’s a more relevant space. It’s good to see what is relevant to the next generation because that’s your future customer; even if they’re not your customer right now, that’s your future customer. So knowing what is important to them, knowing what kind of content they like to consume is key to any brand that wants to survive.” -Jess McPhail.
5. Follow Your Competition
When it comes to business, it’s always important to monitor what the competitors in your space are doing. Whether it’s their marketing strategies or the keywords used for their product pages, brands can take the best approaches and incorporate them into their social media efforts.
Follow your competitors on social media and monitor what posts receive the most shares, likes, and engagement. See what your competitors are doing and take the winning strategies and incorporate them into your social media strategy.
“Research what other people in your space are doing. Follow your competition and see what’s hitting for them.” -Jess McPhail.
You Need Help Socializing?
Plug into our intelligent ecommerce platform to gain the tech and expertise you’ll need to reach your customers on social media. We have the tools and people to provide outstanding social media marketing to deliver a superior brand experience across the platforms that resonate with your target customers.
If you are unfamiliar with Commerce as a Service (CaaS), learn why it’s the best option for mid-size ecommerce retailers to scale their business. Find out how you can compete with Amazon, what Intelligent Commerce is all about, and download part two of the Coresight Research report for free about the evolving state of ecommerce.
If you want to check out more excellent ecommerce expert content, click on a link below to become an ecommerce master:
- Celebrity Collaboration in Ecommerce
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- Retail Markdown Strategies
- Marketing Analytics Guide
- DTC CPG Ecommerce Strategy
- Customer Retention Strategy
- What is EDI Software Integration?
- What is a Headless Ecommerce Platform?
- User Experience Strategy
- Keyword Research Guide for Ecommerce
Ecommerce Social Media Marketing FAQ
How to sell on social media without a website?
You can sell directly on social media platforms using features like Facebook Shops, Instagram Shopping, and TikTok Shopping. These tools allow you to create a storefront on your social media profile where customers can browse and purchase products without leaving the platform.
What is the difference between e-commerce and digital marketing?
E-commerce refers to the buying and selling of goods and services online, while digital marketing involves promoting products and services through digital channels like social media, email, search engines, and websites. E-commerce focuses on the transaction, whereas digital marketing focuses on attracting and converting potential customers.
What major benefit did social media give to e-commerce?
Social media has significantly enhanced brand visibility and customer engagement for e-commerce businesses. It allows brands to reach a broader audience, build a community, and engage with customers directly, which can lead to increased traffic and higher conversion rates.
What is social commerce in social media marketing?
Social commerce is the use of social media platforms to promote and sell products and services directly. It involves integrating shopping features into social media platforms, allowing users to make purchases without leaving the app.
How do you sell on social commerce?
To sell on social commerce, set up a storefront on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok. Use features like product tags, shoppable posts, and ads to showcase your products. Engage with customers through comments, messages, and live streams to build relationships and encourage purchases.
What is the difference between social commerce and ecommerce?
Ecommerce refers to the broader concept of buying and selling goods and services online, including through websites and online marketplaces. Social commerce specifically involves transactions that occur directly on social media platforms, leveraging their social features to drive sales.
How can social media be utilized effectively in ecommerce marketing?
Social media can be utilized effectively in ecommerce marketing by:
- Creating engaging and visually appealing content.
- Using targeted ads to reach specific audiences.
- Leveraging influencers and user-generated content.
- Running promotions and contests to drive engagement.
- Providing excellent customer service through direct interactions.
- Analyzing metrics to refine strategies and improve ROI.
