Social media platforms are important to the success of the majority of online stores and companies. If you have a certain product or service you would want to sell, you would need to let your potential customers know you`re out there. This is a need that the social media addresses, making it pretty much the norm in any enterprise.
Because of the current trends in doing business, it is absolutely essential to know how to make compelling shopping posts. These kinds of posts showcase your product or service in the best possible way and will entice your customers to click on your link and buy your product. Making your posts more attractive and marketable to your followers will significantly lead to an increase in sales. Here are 5 useful tips to make that happen.
#1 Personalize Your Posts. Know Your Target Audience.
In an article by HuffPost, writer Jon Clark states that “personalized content” is big in digital marketing. This pushes companies to make better connections as people are given due attention when it comes to their needs and wants. Personalizing content involves creating posts based on various factors about their audience like where the audience lives, how and when do they consume content, and finally, on which device do they access such content. The more detailed information on the target audience is made available, you will be creating more valuable content.
Social Media Specialist for PickWriters, Anthony McGregor, gives the right perspective and advises that “You should always try and bring yourself in the position of your potential followers. If you see something that speaks directly to you, then it’s far more likely to catch your eye.” So, you want your posts to stand out, be sure to have your target audience in your mind. Answer their need, give them what they want, and resolve their problems.
#2 Link products to your website and make sure to tag your products accurately.
Whatever social media platforms you are using, be sure to link that shoppable post to your website. This will bring an increase in traffic to your site which will kickstart your sales. This increase in traffic means that your target audience is very much interested in the products you are offering.
Hootsuite recommends tagging multiple products in just one shopping post. This entices your followers to explore your store. Having more to see in a single post also gets you a lot of significant opportunities to engage your would-be followers.
For example, if you have a post with a person wearing the apparel you are selling, all put together for an OOTD, your followers will be able to check out what you have that they may not necessarily be looking out for primarily. Someone might just be looking for a handbag, which they will still find in your post. But once they see the OOTD ensemble, they will also be able to take a closer look on that pair of shoes that go perfectly well with the handbag, as well as all the other pretty nice things that strike their fancy. Instantly, they get interested in more things you have on sale and may actually hit “buy” to more than one item.
Another good thing about tagging more than one product is that your followers can easily click on inviting links like “Also Featured in This Post,” leading to even more opportunities browse and buy, plus boosts the visibility of the items you tagged.
#3 Don`t make your posts look like an ad
The reality is people do not like ads, at all. Usually, what is seen in ads are not interesting to your followers. This is why it is important not to frame your shopping posts as advertisements. In other words, they should not look like ads. What you do want is to make your shopping post look natural.
To make posts look natural, post images of faces or people who showcase the product. Sotrender explains that including actual people in your post is “humanization” and that there are real people behind it. Seeing faces not only means your post is not an automated profile, but it also calls attention effectively. So, start posting natural and high-impact posts with the same theme, color scheme and palette This creates a sense of continuity that is pleasant and memorable. Seeing this eases your followers into the ”ad” that is really not an ad. You made sure of it, right?
#4 Be absolutely sure you maintain an attractive aesthetic through product photography
Shoppable posts have a lot to do with aesthetics. According to Shopify, perception is everything if you are selling products online. Once people look at your site, you have less than a fraction of a second, 50 milliseconds to be exact, to make a good first impression. This is why it counts to make that impression unforgettable through the quality of your images and the site’s overall personality.
There are different types of product photography depending on the featured product. The team at ExpertPhotography narrowed down these types to ten. You have simple studio product shots for static products and white background photographs that appear on product catalogs and online stores. Sometimes the photographs use a scale to show the product`s actual size. Product grouping shots are also taken to give buyers options. Moving towards more in-context product photos, lifestyle action shots are used to feature how the product is used and what they were made for.
Product Photography also uses studio setups like the famous “lay-downs” where apparel are literally laid down where the shot is taken from an angle where the camera is looking down on the featured items. 3-D perspectives are also capitalized here. Sometimes there is also a need for non-traditional product images which appear more staged, set up and lit up beautifully. Non-Traditional product images sell an idea rather than the product.
No matter what type of product photography you use, remember that product images substantiate the quality of the products you have in your site. It, more importantly, creates transparency and trust. So be especially particular.
#5 Host a contest or giveaway campaign
Contests and giveaways are an excellent way to boost your sales and overall online presence. The idea is simple — give your followers the chance to win or have something in exchange for preferring your brand, which ultimately makes visibility of your brand greater.
Shopify gives suggestions on how and when to pull these campaigns off. One is to host contests or giveaways during special events, holidays and seasons. You can have things like “win-an-e-gift-card,” “share-your-story,” or host a photo contest in which participants can participate in to win something. You can even ask for nominees they think also deserve to win the said contest.
There are also charitable contests to allow your customers and employees to give back to the community through a fundraiser. For any campaign type, it is recommended to collaborate with a social media influencer or someone famous. This makes the venture all the more attractive, especially if turned into a social media contest.
A word of caution. Before you do run a contest or giveaway campaign, be aware that there are guidelines and legal issues to consider. These rules depend on the kind of promotion you are going to run and which platform you will use. It is best to be familiar with these details.
With all these expert tips, you’ll have something significant to work with that would bring your closer to a successful shoppable post. When done right, you can definitely increase your site’s likeability and shareability. You can even include your brand’s corporate hashtag to get your name out there. However, you want to do it, choose a set of actions that will suit your promotional needs.
Author’s Bio:
Kristin Savage nourishes, sparks and empowers using the magic of a word. Along with pursuing her degree in Creative Writing, Kristin was gaining experience in the publishing industry, with expertise in marketing strategy for publishers and authors. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter.