Have you ever made a purchase because of a post on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook? If so, you’re not alone. Customer-centric businesses use social channels to engage with potential customers to increase brand loyalty, interest level, and purchase intent.
While most websites are static, social media accounts allow businesses to express their brand personalities to offer value to their customers while increasing brand recognition and ultimately, sales. A recent article in Forbes highlights three practical ways in which businesses can boost their social media game:
- Spotlight your customers
For many people, social media posts are an opportunity to gain recognition, praise and attention (either personally or professionally). This means that your social channels should help your customers to achieve that goal, acting as platforms for spotlighting the purchases, contributions and successes of your customer base.
- Offer daily freebies
Free products, services, gift cards and counsel are always warmly welcomed — no matter the business in question… The investment of one complementary product or small gift card per day is a small price to pay for the sales we generate over time. For your business, offering daily freebies might mean regularly posting complementary and helpful tips or offering regular lotteries for visitors to “win” a valuable product or service.
- Crowdsource for advice
Your customers or clients want to feel that their voices matter. To build this sense of trust and appreciation, you must think beyond the reactionary. Responding quickly and politely to customer questions and concerns is only part of the process… For your business, crowdsourcing for advice might mean involving your social media followers in decisions such as where to host your next big event or the color of your revamped company logo.
Compared with the typical recommendations for business growth, implementing these social media practices require a relatively low level of investment, in terms of staffing and financial resources. When considering the potential payoff, this is an easy decision to make.