Millions of small businesses have Facebook pages, but most have no idea how to use them to make sales. The page may have hundreds, maybe even thousands of likes, but without sales to match, it is not very valuable.
How can a small business turn virtual likes into real purchases? Start here:
1. Don’t Be Afraid to Post about Products and Services
Facebook is primarily about engaging with customers and forming a relationship with them by posting educating articles, photos and videos that relate to the company’s brand.
However, no business can expect to make sales if they never post about their actual products and services. Don’t always feel the need to disguise a sales pitch. Sometimes a direct message is the best way to catch a prospect’s attention and convert a sale.
2. Tell a Fun Story
Tell a story that includes the product to help get people to buy from Facebook. Connecting a company’s product or service to “fun” will always get more engagement.
The best example is the BlendTec’s “Will It Blend” series. It’s not only funny, but it made people want to buy the blender. Post a preview of your story on your Facebook page, and link it to the full version on your website to make purchase conversion simpler.
3. Connect Online and In-Store Activities
An integrated approach to online and offline marketing will drive likes and engagement as well as more visits to a physical store location. These types of posts can influence fans and consumers at the beginning of their purchasing cycle.
Make sure what is featured in the store for this month is reflected on social media. Make parallel online announcements when sales on products and discounts are offered in-store
4. Offer Exclusive Deals to Facebook Fans
Another way to get people to buy from Facebook and encourage purchase activity is to provide products that are available exclusively to Facebook fans. This could include special limited editions or new product launches that are offered to them first.
5. Offer a Subscription Tab
Add a tab on your company’s page that makes a free offer if the visitor “likes” the page and signs up for a mailing list.
This way, your Facebook friend can be converted to an email address which can be marketed to through traditional online campaigns.
6. Learn from Facebook Insights
Small businesses need to learn about who visits their page and which content is most popular. Use the “Insights” tab of your company’s Facebook page on a regular basis.
Insights makes it easy to monitor what’s working and what’s not effective. It provides information on the people who like the page and are engaged with the posts. It also enables the tracking of competitive pages for comparison on a weekly basis.
7. Provide an Incentive for Fans to Share Their Experiences
According to Hubspot, ninety percent of people on social media trust and believe recommendations from both strangers and friends.
Harness this power by encouraging fans to submit photos with their newly purchased products along with reviews, advice and where to find it. Spark discussions between customers about the service they received. Give discounts or bonuses to customers who post on Facebook after their purchase.
You can also use traditional Facebook advertising to boost posts for increased customer engagement to get people to buy from Facebook.
What tactics does your business use to convert Facebook likes to sales?
Republished by permission. Original here.
#4 is huge because it will demonstrate to potential fans why they should be liking you (and paying attention to what you post). Make them feel special and they’ll take action.
Aira Bongco
Also, it may help to just simply engage your fans with some game or something that can make them more active. Fostering a community feeling can also go a long way in getting people to buy from you.