In 2020, ordering products online transformed from a choice into a necessity. Today in 2021, many people still prefer to shop online through e-commerce, mobile applications, and social media platforms. Our blog will cover the facts and opportunities businesses have in selling products and services on social media.
Selling through Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, or Pinterest has become a trend because it simplifies the online shopping experience for users, and it’s beneficial for the companies. There are cases where businesses are not ready to invest in traditional e-shops - either due to the cost or the amount of time involved - thus, social media shops can be an excellent solution. Social media shops are free tools that can help businesses grow their sales, and at the same time, enhance their brand visibility.
Thanks to social media, users are chatting with friends, watching stories and videos, publishing posts, and now, purchasing products online without leaving the app. That’s pretty cool, right?
For now, we’ll dig deeper into Facebook and Instagram. We’ll walk you through what Facebook Shop, Instagram Shop, and Instagram shoppable posts are and will give you some tips on how your business can strategically use shoppable posts in 2021. Let’s get started!
The newest feature on Facebook enables business page admins to create “Shops” where they can list their products, along with their prices. Users interested in your brand can click on the “View Shop” button to see more of your products, add items to the cart and make their purchases via the “Facebook Checkout” page. It is worth noting that all businesses that use the Facebook Shop feature are also allowed to sell their products via the Facebook Messenger App.
Selling through Facebook is a great way to sell your products as it is a free tool with multiple functionalities. Facebook shops can be really helpful for small businesses that want to grow their customer base without spending money on creating an e-commerce website. All you need to do is follow Facebook’s guidelines, establish your online strategy and keep your brand identity consistent.
Tip: Once you create your Facebook Shop, remember to share and promote it on social media platforms to inform your audience and attract your first visitors.
Interested in finding more on selling through the Facebook shop? Read the blog article of our partner, Hubspot - https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/what-is-facebook-shops
Instagram launched the “Shop” feature in late 2020 by replacing the “User Activity” tab.
Instagram shop enables users to navigate through multiple products. Users can make their purchases easily through shoppable posts and other supportive features (e.g., wishlist, product availability reminder, etc.). People can visit your Instagram shop through your Instagram profile, feed, or stories.
Important to know - The Instagram shop is quite similar to Facebook Shop in terms of layout, technology, and design. Having a Facebook Shop is essential for creating an Instagram shop. Also, Instagram Shop needs to be activated through Facebook Commerce Manager settings.
If you are thinking of starting selling your products online, make sure that you will include an Instagram Shop in your options. It’s free and easy to use!
Unlike Instagram Shop, there is no pre-requirement of owning a Facebook Shop for using Instagram shoppable posts. The best thing about shoppable posts is that they enable your business to accompany your product with inspiring content creation, reviews, or even demos. You can also link a post directly to a purchasing page to proceed to checkout. Thus, users can read all necessary information on a product, watch it in action, and easily buy it.
Shoppable posts have become prominent in the current market, and many companies are actively using them. If you are interested in shoppable posts, you can find below some tips to stand out from the crowd and boost your social media-driven sales.
Reaching your audience might be pretty easy, but you have to be careful enough to create natural posts that don’t shout “I’m selling my product” all over the place. Try to keep them simple with clear visuals and catchy phrases that match your brand identity and target audience.
Influencer marketing is a powerful way to promote and sell your products on social media. Users get exposed to hundreds of companies that are trying to sell online every day. As expected, they have doubts about the credibility of some products. Thus, collaborating with influencers works as a source of social proof. Branded content by influencers has been tested before, and guess what? It works surprisingly well.
Using tags on the photos with the product title and price will improve the user experience when browsing your products. Users can quickly explore your products, and it simplifies the customer journey. Carousels can even help you to show multiple products while emphasizing each product separately, as well.
Reaching a wider audience is never a bad idea. Especially when you are new to using shoppable posts - or any other way of social media shops - promoting your posts is relatively necessary. Investing in social media advertising will get you more impressions, audience reach, and engagement. That means you are more likely to get people visiting your shop, grow your fan base, and finally, your overall revenue.
Are you ready to make the most out of social media shops?
