Last year e-commerce grew rapidly, and the trend of online growth is continuing as we emerge from lockdown.
85.5% of people in the UK have purchased a product online in the past month compared to 81% in 2019.
So while 2020 threw a lot of complications at retailers, the possibility of online shops kept many afloat, and if we look forward e-commerce is set to continue growing and social selling via platforms such as Facebook and Instagram will be a big part of that.
Over 50% of internet users have actively looked for products on Facebook – not bought because of an ad, gone looking for things to buy. This is huge news for retailers because it demonstrates a shift in how people are using social media; it’s no longer purely a place to build brand recognition and direct people to your website.
Having a presence on Facebook or Instagram is important for brand visibility, but having a shop is now essential for product based businesses. A correctly set up Facebook shop means when your customers are searching for a product, the number of steps for them to buy it from you is dramatically reduced. Ease and speed of purchase are often deciding factors in who gets that consumer’s cash.
Making it as easy as possible for your customers to find and buy your product gives you the best chance of making that crucial sale. Getting Facebook and Instagram shops set up has had such a positive impact on my one to one clients that I’ve created a course to help you get yours set up quickly and easily.
75% of users take an action after seeing a business post 😲 according to Facebook. That’s an incredible number and, while it’s not all sales, checking out your website or joining your email list are also important steps in building a relationship with your customer.
It’s important to recognise a win with interaction, not just a checkout. Measuring the journey to buy is an important part of social media marketing, creating a journey planned out for your customers which allows them to get to know you and includes calls to action that aren’t sales.
But, I know what it’s like running your own business, the thought of taking on one more thing, another branch to organize and manage, can seem like too much. Social media shopping is a powerful tool but it can feel like an overwhelming task to get it set up.
Who has the time between filling orders, customer service, accounts, being active on social media and trying to eat and sleep and have a life?
Once Instagram and Facebook shopping is set up though, it keeps working for you. With a correctly set up catalogue, as you add new products to your website they’re easily added to shoppable posts, stories and lives.
Brands are seeing traffic increases of 1,416% while some brands report a 20% increase in revenue, according to Facebook
130 million Instagram users tap on shopping posts every month - that’s nearly double the amount of people in the UK!
Perhaps you’ve been thinking influencer marketing would work well for your store? Influencers and shoppable posts are a match made in social media heaven. Whether people buy directly from influencer’s posts or not, appearing on the accounts of big names is a brand booster and often results in a huge increase in followers.
If you’re prioritising sales when working with influencers, focus on standard image posts and stories which garner the best results at 78% and 73% respectively (thanks to @mediakix on Insta for the stats).
The first step in the journey to serious influencer marketing is setting up your own shop on Instagram and Facebook.
Instagram is famously about the aesthetic - it’s a visual platform after all. That’s why it’s perfect for sharing your beautiful clothing, jewelry and other fashion items and, with shoppable posts, it’s a super powerful sales tool.
If you’re searching for ways to increase sales on your IG or FB, or you’ve been putting off setting up a shop, or tried and failed or got stuck going round in circles in the set up process trying to get verified for an Instagram or Facebook Shop…
I’ve got you, all in one simple to follow online course that includes all you need to know, step by step, to finally sort out your brand’s social shop accounts!
