Social media 101: Tips to grow your eCommerce business

Are you a savvy entrepreneur ready to scale your eCommerce business? Small to medium enterprises (SMEs) have a powerful marketing tool that shows no sign of slowing down: social media. With 4.65 billion social media users (over half the world’s population), it’s no surprise that social media sales and marketing is the go-to choice for connecting with consumers and building a brand — often for free.

Whether you’re new to social media or you’ve played around a bit with creating accounts, set your eCommerce business up for success with the following tips.

Identify your target audience

Social media marketing is an excellent resource for scaling your eCommerce business. However, it isn’t always practical to maintain a presence on every platform. You may unnecessarily stretch your time and resources between Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Twitter. Instead, narrow your focus to options that best target the demographics of your audience. If you’ve already run market viability tests, you’ll have the majority of the data you need to select which social sites you should spend your time on.

Explore the major social media platforms and their individual perks

• Facebook is excellent for building your brand. By using this social media giant to share photos, videos, product links, and relevant blog posts (from your website, if you’ve been working on your SEO ranking), eCommerce businesses can build their brand and increase their website traffic.
  
  
• Instagram offers quick and easy photo and video sharing. ECommerce businesses can post products quickly, connect with influencers, and use popular hashtags to gain a larger following.
  
  
• TikTok captures a younger audience. This video-sharing platform offers a creative way to connect that allows eCommerce businesses to reach consumers and influencers. TikTok is also highly collaborative, keeping people on it for longer — 50 minutes on average.
  
  
• Twitter excels in sharing information. Though it has a lower percentage of users (just over 8 percent of the global population), Twitter is still a solid platform for sharing ideas and information. Though this isn’t the best choice for direct eCommerce sales, it can still serve as a building block toward creating your brand.

‍Keep your content consistent and focus on quality

Along with choosing the best social platforms for your eCommerce business, SMEs can get ahead of the social media marketing game by creating and delivering professional quality content.

• High-quality photos and videos are a must. Stock footage can be purchased for optimal quality when creating advertisements or campaigns. Photo and video editing programs are also great options for companies who want to personalize and customize materials completely.
  
  
• Play toward your platform’s strength. Your social media sites don’t need to share the same content. In fact, by adjusting your online presence to meet the demographics of specific platforms, you’ll create a more unique and organic experience.
  
  
• Don’t forget to connect with customers. While selling products through social media platforms and driving customers to your website may be your primary focus, connecting with your audiences is crucial. Quick and easy ways to do this include responding to comments, asking for feedback, answering product questions, and sharing customer stories.

Paid advertising can help scale your eCommerce business

After establishing an online presence and developing your brand, eCommerce marketing strategies may benefit from implementing paid advertisement options through Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Tools like sponsored campaigns and boosted posts connect eCommerce businesses to consumers who wouldn’t otherwise see their product. Google Ads are also an excellent way to generate new customers. Or, if you’re searching for more of a collaboration, working with influencer marketing can create brand awareness and increase sales.

Secure global payments

Scaling your eCommerce business through social media means opening your doors to a larger audience and increasing international sales. The reputation you’ve built on your social media profiles is important. Don’t run the risk of throwing away your hard work with a flood of negative comments from poor or insecure payment experiences. As you gain audiences in new markets, build safety and security into your transactions by working with a global payments partner like LianLian Global. Your reputation will remain intact if you and your customers have a smooth — and secure — payment process.

Start growing your business today with LianLian Global.