Social commerce has earned plenty of buzz lately, so we brought in internet marketer Andras Deak to get his perspective on social commerce opportunities in affiliate marketing. Enjoy this article and watch for more on the subject, as social commerce has been something I’ve been wrestling with as of late.
Social Commerce is defined as the method of providing goods and services for the consumption of the general public through social. For a product or service to be successful in an increasingly connected world, it needs a network of customers who are either devoted to the goods/services rendered or need the said goods and services. There are different ways of building a network of customers which includes word of mouth and the internet.
Building a customer base by word of mouth means to spread information pertaining to a product from one person to another; this occurs when users of such items rave about a product or service to a potential customer. This kind of word of mouth has been in existence since the formation of commerce.
Today the web has become a powerful selling tool, and companies can earn a wide customer base via social networking platforms and affiliate programs.
International business organisations and small scale businesses have tried to use the system of social commerce to increase their profit margins, but in some cases these endeavors yielded mixed results. In most cases the results were negative. Use the six easy steps outlined below to maximise profit margins in social commerce campaigns.
6 Definitive Steps to Achieving Social Commerce Success
- Recognize the Power of Social Commerce: Social networks like Facebook and Twitter cater to more than a billion people, providing significant traffic opportunities for your business. Social networks do not hog their services but give business owners the opportunity to build affiliate market platforms to help them reach a wide and diverse audience. Small business owners in particular are encouraged to use these affiliate marketing programs to build a network base, increase conversion rates based on social relationships, and rake in more profit.
- Utilize Social E-commerce Tools: For example, most social sites have opportunities where companies can interact with customers and integrate their service offerings. These spaces, like Facebook Pages or promoted Tumblr blogs can be customized with an easy-to-use interface designed to draw in potential customers. Payment processing tools such as the use of credit cards should be incorporated into the blogsites to provide customers with easy payment methods. Advertising tools and storefront software should also be installed to make the E-commerce site more user-friendly so social customers can easily be attracted. Virtual carts should be provided to help customers store their favourite goods so the items can be purchased when needed, going the extra mile to provide Gift cards to deserving customers also helps foster brand loyalty.
- Brand Your Social Commerce Platform: Many businesses take advantage of affiliate marketing programs made available on social network sites. To make a particular brand or social commerce site stand out, special attention should be given to create a unique theme for your product or site. Creating a theme for your brand shows professionalism, builds trust, increases product visibility and draws in more customers.
- Manage Conversation Flow: Most people spend time on social networks to share experiences and as a result, they don’t look kindly on desperate-looking “Buy Me” adverts. Make an attempt to augment their experience rather than interrupt it by creating an atmosphere that blends in with existing conversations on social sites. For example, it’s fitting to sell sporting-related items in a setting where sports are discussed.
- Build a Social Community: It’s hard to build a community around social commerce, but it pays off in the long run because it provides a product with a steady base of people who discuss the benefits of the product with community members and outsiders. This is an unofficial form of advertising that can draw in potential customers from multiple channels in an authentic way.
- Target Your Customers: For one tried and true example of this, we can refer to one way SEO organizations have earned their customer base. Practitioners conduct affiliate network research and create useful search engine optimization articles and adverts built to attract a targeted audience.
Social commerce is a great way for small businesses to expand to meet the organization’s set goals. For help building a strong social commerce presence, contact an online marketing agency.