eCommerce Social Media: How to Turn Online Conversations into Leads

The primary objective for most eCommerce businesses is to sell products, therefore the primary objectives of the marketing plan might be conversions. This can lead to eCommerce social media strategies focussing on driving followers straight to their website. However, this can be a serious error, especially for brands in a growth stage that should be looking to build their social media followings.

Oberlo reports that only 26.7% of people are using social media to actively search for new products. Most users are using it to fill spare time (36.3%), read news stories (35.1%), find content (31.6%) and keep up with trending topics (29.5%). By simply peddling the products you’re selling, you’re not really going to succeed in generating the awareness and interest required to convert social media users into leads.

When used effectively, eCommerce social media can guide people from the awareness stage down the sales funnel; converting individuals to clients or customers, and even into genuine brand ambassadors. But what is the best way of doing this?

Build a community management strategy

Having an effective social media strategy is key to any eCommerce social media success, and it is vital to consider how community management supports this strategy. It is important to reply to all comments on your post within approximately 30 mins in order to keep engagement up on your post (as the lifespan of a social media post ranges from 8 — 48 hours if it is not picked up by an algorithmic element such as Instagram explore).

Make sure to reply to all messages you receive in a timely manner, and make sure communications are consistent in tone across all channels. This aids in building trust in your brand.

Create engaging content

As previously mentioned, having content that simply advertises your product with the intent of increasing sales can be a temptation for brands; however, this is simply bad practice.

There is so much competition for attention that if you are not creating content with value (entertaining, helpful or informative) then your content will fall under the radar and will not generate the engagement to increase your reach. Have a think about your products and how you can use them to create content that people will want to comment on, share, reproduce or react to.

Post consistently

Consistency is key. This is about frequency not volume. Overposting can lead to a decrease in reach and impression; instead you should make sure that you create a posting schedule that you adhere as closely to as possible. It is quite simple: the more you post engaging content, the more your engagement will go up and the more your impressions and reach will go up in turn.

Engage with others

Have you ever seen a big brand with a top comment on a TikTok post? It’s invariably quite hilarious to see someone like Ryanair comment on a meme video, and it ends up generating huge engagement for them. Don’t just wait for others to comment on your post or message you.

Social media rewards, you guessed it, social users. Reach out to others in order to start conversations, increase your brand visibility, and build on relationships with other brands or fans of your brand. Being proactive in your communications is a big asset for a profile, so don’t be afraid to start reaching out and appearing more personable.

Need some help with your social media strategy? Kick-off your digital marketing plan today.