How to use Facebook to gain more sales
Facebook is one of the most used social media platforms in the World. It is an online space where your customers are hanging out so it is the perfect spot for you to show off your products and build your brand. Keep reading to learn more about how to use Facebook to gain more sales!
Is Facebook still relevant?
One might think other social media platforms like Instagram are starting to overpower Facebook but the data shows that not yet. As of January 2023, Facebook has 2.9 million active users while Instagram has “only” 2 million and TikTok even less – just 1 million active users. It makes Facebook the winner of the most used Social Media platform in the World, therefore making Facebook still relevant and valuable for businesses.
Sales start with the right content
Even though you can use Facebook Ads and Facebook shop to drive direct sales (And you should use these channels – more on that later.) Facebook is still a social media platform, which is meant for relationship building. Brands and companies can do that through relevant posts that resonate with their audience aka potential clients.
Engaging content
There is no one right answer for the perfect post. Audiences differ from company to company, so you should think specifically about your ideal client and tailor the content for them. When creating content, keep in mind not only your ideal client but also your company’s voice and values. Is your company’s voice quirky or serious? Do you want to educate your audience or entertain them?
Some ideas for engaging content:
- Surprising facts and numbers;
- Something unique that is rarely seen on social media;
- Memes that are relevant to your niche;
- Cute moments;
- People helping people;
- Quotes.
Good engaging content has the potential to go viral. Viral content is great because it can reach lots of people and expand the visibility of your brand, and it will cost you no extra money.
Videos are your best friends
The new era of social media is here – videos are everywhere and you should definitely jump on that train. When you create content for Facebook (and other social media for that matter) find ways how to make it into an engaging video format. Facebook and Instagram reels are something to explore. Usually, the reel videos are fast-paced, interesting to watch, and straight to the point.
Show off your products
Even though it is not advised to make lots of sales posts for your Facebook page, you can definitely sneak them in once in a while, just make them relevant. For example, it is perfectly fine to announce a sale or new arrivals. From time to time you can also just post your most liked products or something in a similar category.
However, a smart way to show off your products is to use them while creating reels and photos for your Facebook content. Are you a print on demand shop owner? Wear your clothing! Are you a tea distributor? Display the products in the background of the video! There are tons of creative ways how to show off your products while not really making a sales post.
Repost reviews
Content that interests you and your clients is product reviews. When you get a great review, especially with a picture, share it on your Facebook timeline. You can also make it a monthly or weekly thing to post reviews. It will not only show appreciation for the person who made the review, but also it will show your potential customers that you get great reviews from real people.
Here are a few tips on how to repost a review correctly:
- If the review is posted on a person’s personal page, ask for permission to repost it on your Facebook feed. If the person’s profile has permission to share their content publicly, you can just share the review on your page. In that case, you don’t have to ask for permission.
- When sharing or reposting remember to thank them for the review and for them being your clients! Write a few kind words.
Engage with your audience
Many people nowadays choose to connect with a brand or company on social media. They ask pre-purchase questions or follow the page to remember the product once they are ready for purchase. To make the sale, it is important to talk to the customer and be as helpful and engaging as possible.
Reply fast to messages
Lots of people choose to hit up companies on social media if they have a question about their products and since social media is a fast-paced environment, people expect to get fast replies to their messages. Definitely make it a habit to reply as promptly as you can to any social media messages you get.
If you want to get the badge from Facebook that you are very responsive to messages, you must reply to 90% of your incoming mail in 15 minutes or less.
Reply to comments
Make sure you appreciate people who make the time to comment on your posts. The easiest way how to do it is to give the comment a reply. You can also react to the comment with an emoji but it is best to accompany that with written text.
Seek out mentions of your company and product
Check your notification to see if there is someone who has mentioned your brand on their post. If they have, it is a good idea to go to their post and write a comment. It will make the post owner feel appreciated aka more loyal to your brand. You will also get a chance to mention your company and broaden your visibility. Also, people will notice that this brand takes an interest in its clients and that is what lots of people want – a company that cares.
You can also use specific tools to track mentions of your brand online, for example, Mentionlytics or Hootsuite.
Build a community
Consider creating a Facebook group. The topic can be created around your brand, for example, Bran’s Tee club. Or maybe choose a broader topic, for example, “T-shirt society” where people could share their favorite t-shirt prints, funny ideas, and anything else t-shirt related. Choose an idea that resonates with you and see where it takes you!
Reviews – ask and you shall receive
The first point of business is to activate reviews on your company’s Facebook page if you haven’t done that yet. And second – most of the time you need to prompt people to leave a review. There are moments when people leave a review on their own, but it is best to make it a habit to ask for a review after a successful purchase.
Facebook reviews are great because you cannot fake them – they are 100% from real people and your potential clients know that. It makes them very important and they boost your company’s credibility very well. So, make sure you put in that extra work and ask your clients for a review!
Live videos – educate and inspire your customers!
If you have the means and time, live videos can be a good option how to bring in more people to learn about your brand. It is best to invite a respectable speaker for your live broadcast. Depending on your niche it can be an engineer, scientist, or designer. Make the Live video relevant to your audience and make sure you market it right.
Direct marketing strategies
So far we have discussed strategies that are beneficial for business but are definitely more long-term. However, Facebook offers some direct marketing and sales opportunities, that can turn into sales right away.
Facebook Ads
Facebook ads are around for whooping 16 years. Facebook introduced ads in 2007 but they have surely evolved since then. Now there are options to A/B test your ads, create a very specific target audience, analyze results, and adjust an ad accordingly as well as retarget people who have interacted with your Facebook page or webpage. And this is just an overview.
When going in-depth, you can learn how to use Facebook ads to get the best results for the smallest investment. However, it might take time since you need to learn what kind of ads works specifically for your company and your audience, but it is definitely something to explore.
You can of course do Facebook Ads yourself, but it has become a separate industry so it could be wise to hire someone who can take care specifically of your Facebook Ads. It is also worth mentioning that with Facebook Ads you can manage Instagram Ads. It makes it possible for you to reach a broader audience using this tool even if you don’t hold an Instagram account for your business.
Facebook shop
Facebook shop is an amazing opportunity to sell your products directly on the Facebook platform. It is not a replacement for your e-commerce webpage but rather an extension – another channel where to reach your potential customers. It is nice because you can show off your products right on your Facebook page and people can also purchase them without leaving Facebook which eliminates some extra steps in the buyer's journey.
Conclusion
Facebook is for relationship building and that applies to brands and their customers as well. You can use Facebook to get fast sales with Facebook ads but you can also use this platform to work on long-term recognition and brand visibility. Both will get you sales. It is recommended to mix these two ways – go for some fast sales to sustain your company right now but also put in the work to bear fruits later on.
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