It’s no secret that social media is an essential tool to help promote small-medium sized businesses. But as brands look to drive revenue growth and gain a competitive edge, many are now turning to social media as an end-to-end business driver through social selling. Harry Lowes, Director Mid-Market at Meta ANZ, explains the three essentials of social selling to level up your business’s growth in 2024

“Social selling,” is the process of using social media platforms to engage with potential customers and sell products directly, which has since emerged as a game-changer for many enterprises. Social selling is not only a way to drive short-term sales but can be a means to genuinely build a customer pipeline and reach untapped markets in ways that traditional media placements alone cannot offer.

3 social selling essentials

1. Get your social presence right

Success starts with having a strong social presence. Think of your social media channels as your virtual shop window. Invest time in creating content that will appeal to your customers and feel social-native. 

For instance, consider using vertical or short-form videos to entice new customers by highlighting product features, customer experiences, and brand value. Aim to post consistently and authentically, which turns the transactional nature of sales into a more relational experience that fosters consumer loyalty and trust. We know Gen Z, in particular, values authenticity and creativity more than any other customer market and as many of them are prepared to spend big with brands they support, now is the time to step up your social presence to help reach these markets.

An easy and simple way to get started is by setting up a Facebook Shop or Instagram Shop with high-quality images of your products and detailed descriptions to help push customers through to the final purchase decision and create an overall seamless on-platform shopping experience. Tag products directly in posts and stories, enabling users to explore and purchase items without ever having to app-hop. How good?

2. Think beyond borders

A recent global Meta survey revealed that more than three-quarters (82 per cent) of shoppers said they would be interested in buying products from other countries. Today, Australian businesses that have unlocked the potential of expanding their sales beyond our shores are now reaping the rewards of this appetite by taking advantage of social selling.

Look at your existing social media platforms to see how each manages international selling. For instance, the Meta Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns take all the heavy lifting out of online advertising because you can choose the international markets that are right for your business and reach valuable audiences with less set-up time and greater efficiency. International shoppers can discover, explore and purchase with just a few in-app taps. 

Another way you can get your business ready beyond your own borders is by considering how to make your other digital touchpoints appropriate to your international audiences, such as a foreign language feature or making the shipping policy information easily available on your website.

3. Keep it personal

The survey also revealed more than 70 per cent of respondents expect businesses to understand their specific demands and expectations, as well as 62 per cent believing businesses should anticipate their needs. It’s no surprise that personalisation will be one of the social selling trends in the coming year. 

We also know that people want to interact with businesses in the same way they interact with their close family and friends, so what does this mean for your social selling game in 2024? As digital revolution reshapes decision-making processes, the era of linear purchase phases is vanishing. Customers expect interactions to be personal and intimate when it comes to buying online, so consider ways you can implement this for your business. For example, offer personalised ecommerce experiences or implement a live chat feature, which deals directly with customers in a speedy and responsive manner to help them feel personally connected to your business.

Now is the time for businesses, of all sizes, to unlock the power of social media to supercharge their selling game. Acing your social selling game also doesn’t need to happen overnight, it can be about incremental changes that make shopping with your brand better than anywhere else. 

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https://www.kochiesbusinessbuilders.com.au/ar-is-the-next-big-thing-in-social-selling-how-to-use-it-in-your-business/