Is making sales through social media the way forward?

Social media’s an easy way to get your business in front of customers and connect with them at little cost, but did you know you can sell directly over it too? If you’re already using social media to promote your business, products or services, chances are you’ll have started to build a dedicated following, who are interested in engaging with or buying from you. Once you’ve taken this step and have begun building awareness of your business and capturing the interest of customers, you can use these very platforms to start making sales through these channels as well. Here’s how...

Which social media platforms are set up for making sales?

The opportunity to sell on social is coming to more and more social channels, but a few options are still the most popular.

Instagram is among the top picks, as it lets you easily turn posts into sales opportunities with Instagram Shopping. With its own in-app checkout and customisable Collections (where you can list products and group them by theme), it’s designed from start to finish to create an easy online shopping experience.

Facebook is quickly following in Instagram’s success with its mobile-first shopping experience, Facebook Shop. As the digital equivalent of a physical shop, it’s designed with businesses in mind – and it even has customisable features to help your shop stand out. The best thing about it? You can answer customer queries directly through the platform, by connecting your shop to WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram. You’ll need to set up a free Facebook for Business page to get started, though.

Pinterest TV offers a self-contained shopping experience too. Running from Monday to Friday, creators can share videos throughout the week, before letting viewers shop products at a discounted price on the Friday. Not to mention that it’s rolling out shoppable Pins for one-click shopping on everyday images, as well as better catalogue management, so you can share more product information in-app. Watch this space!

TikTok Shop is also growing quickly in the UK, with discounted products selling at speed. This is becoming especially common as a result of creator promotion. The authentic nature of the platform lets creators quickly and easily put together impactful promotional videos, which link directly to product discounts and one-click purchases. Although this live shopping experience isn’t currently available across Europe, if you’re outside the UK, it’s still worth keeping an eye on this platform’s updates in the months to come.

Tips on how to start selling more on social

Once you’ve chosen which social media channel (or channels) to started selling on, you need to set yourself up for success from the very start. Here’s a breakdown of our quickfire tips to help get you on the right track:

- Make sure your images or videos stand out. If it isn’t interesting, you won’t grab attention.

- Get creative; think of your social media channels as a digital shop window.

- Focus on excellent customer service. Be present on your social channels, answer questions as quickly as possible, and create a great impression every time.

- Offer amazing deals with promotional offers to draw people in.

- Pair your social channels with your website. Buying through social media won’t be right for everyone, so make sure your website is easily accessible too.

- Consider spending a little on sponsoring social media posts to get your business in front of more potential customers.

- Team up with micro-influencers to help bring more people to your page. Whether you pay their fees or offer free products in exchange for their support, this can be an inexpensive, impactful way of increasing sales.

Social commerce shows no signs of slowing down, and since it’s free to get involved, there’s no better time to try it out.

Aren’t sure which social commerce platform makes the most sense for your business? Check out our guide on easy ways to make the most of social media marketing.