Having a social media presence is crucial in this day and age. In fact, according to research done by Sprout consumers are 57.5% more likely to buy from a brand they follow on social media.
Once you’ve worked hard to establish your brand on social media and you have a following, the major question is: how do you convince your online followers to actually visit your store and buy your products for you to have a positive return on investment (ROI) for the time and effort you have put into creating your online brand?
1. Show-off your USP
What may sometime seem extremely obvious, may be the one thing that you could be overlooking: have a distinct and clear differentiation with what your store has to offer. If you own a pet shop, and market yourself online as “a pet shop that stocks a variety of cat and dog food” people are most likely to not see the benefit of visiting your shop, mostly because all pet shops sell a wide variety of food, even some major retailers. You need to find what makes your store different: do you offer a doggy bath service at your pet shop? Focus on that. Do you sell medicine at your shop? Focus on that. Are your prices the best, or your level of customer service better than other pet shops? Focus on that. Make sure your unique selling point is the main focus in your online marketing.
2. Create Competitions
Another way to increase foot traffic to your store is to make use of competitions that are store-centric, forcing consumers to visit your store with the incentive of winning a prize. These competitions can go hand-in-hand with your social media marketing strategy, or you can simply create awareness about the competition on your social media platforms, thus reaching a wide audience that you have specifically targeted through your social media platforms.
The other way you can use competitions to drive consumers to your store is to have a competition mechanic that ensures consumers have to interact with your page. A perfect example of this could be that someone has to visit your pet shop and take a picture in store of a new product and they could win a prize. A word of caution though: make sure the prize warrants the effort. Social media users prefer simpler mechanics, such as “comment on this post” – the more complex, the more enticing the prize needs to be.
3. Show-off your Promotions
Let’s stick to our pet shop example: when advertising on your page, the chances are good that people know you sell chewy toys or catnip; however, as you and I know, we all love a good deal. Therefore, when posting, focus on the amazing two for one special you have on your chewy toys. Maybe even create a deal that’s exclusive to your social media? We know that one of the major benefits of social media marketing is that it is instant – so take advantage of this in terms of your promotion, for example you can have a 24-hour flash sale: “50% discount on catnip for one day only – as seen on Facebook”.
In a day and age where online shopping is gaining popularity by the day, it may be a struggle to convert Facebook likes into feet. But with these tips, you can utilize your social media presence to drive consumers to your store and see a positive ROI on your social media investments.
Need a little extra help? The Blue Room’s Digital Marketing Division can assist: from social media strategies, to managing and implementing campaigns on your behalf. If you need further assistance, we also have a Retail Marketing & Communications team – experts in marketing in the retail sector that can help you ensure that your store is just as inviting as your social media presence. For a quote, or for more information on how The Blue Room’s integrated marketing solutions can get your business ahead, email info@theblueroom.co.za or give us a call on 021 553 0315.
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Written by Juben Matthee: Digital Marketer, The Blue Room