The Life of a Social Media Post—And How It Eventually Leads to a Sale
It can be hard to believe sometimes but every social media post has the potential to lead to a sale. Oftentimes it takes a few steps, and sometimes the conversion is almost immediate, but in either case, understanding the theoretical life of a social media post can help. From awareness to looking at reviews, to checking out your website, to filling out a form, to reading an ebook, to contacting your sales rep, to completing a purchase, and everything in between, consider the strategy behind making sure each step leads to another step below. Remember that as long as the person is in the funnel, you have a potential sale.
Awareness & Engagement
It is important to understand the impact that social media has on exposure to new products and services that would otherwise go undiscovered. According to Oberlo, 54% of social browsers use social media to research products. That is an incredibly impressive number and it really speaks to the sheer impression that social media has on consumers. Further, not only are audiences just being reached—they are converting and making the purchase. 90% of people buy from brands they follow on social media, and half of these purchases are made within one week of engaging with the post.
In other words, it is clear how engagement can lead to brand awareness, and ultimately the sale, but the key is making sure that you do not lose people further down the pipeline.
Reviews and Product Feedback
Once people become interested in the product and brand you represent, one of the first things they are going to do is get searching for reviews and feedback for those who have come before them.
Positive reviews online are one of the top things people need to consider purchasing a new product or going with a new service/business that they have not used before. Video reviews are also said to be used “at least some of the time” to gather information. However, take note of the top sources that people gather information from:
- The retail websites themselves (i.e, if you sell your product on Amazon, Amazon reviews)
- The brand or manufacturer website (i.e, your company’s website)
- YouTube
- Brand Communities
- Blogs
This list helps us to see where feedback is especially important. Of course, do not discount the value of Google reviews or reviews on other sites, but definitely start focusing on building up the positive feedback you can gather in these areas.
Looking at Your Website
Once people see a social media post, like your product, and do a little investigating, they are highly likely to visit your website. This is where it is really important to make a positive impression on your audience. Even if they are ordering from a third-party site (but especially if they will be ordering directly from your e-commerce site), it is important that your website is professional, user-friendly, and …read more
Source:: Social Media Explorer
