Social media has been a part of the international vernacular for going on 10 years now. Almost since its inception, those in eCommerce have 
been clamoring to figure out new ways to use it for profit. With billions using all the different sites and most checking in every day, this is understandable. However, some tactics work better than others.
In fact, according to a lot of the most recent research, most salespeople may be using social media all wrong. No matter the methodology, it seems most people essentially use social media to eventually present a sale. They may use all sorts of tactics, but eventually it ends with a tweet, a status update, etc. that essentially adds up to, “Click here to buy.”
There could be a number of reasons why this isn’t working. One could simply be that it’s a disjointed form of messaging people. No one is online for every single update, so they’d have to do some clicking to get every message essentially leading up to your call to action. Without those prior messages, they may likely get the sales pitch out of the blue (or so it seems) and that rarely works.
Another issue may be that people simply aren’t interested in buying things when they’re on social media. They want to hang out and talk with friends, view funny pictures and videos and otherwise relax. Research suggests people are resistant to leaving this carefree corner of the Internet for any reason, much less to spend money.
So is social media a completely dead issue in the world of eCommerce? Not with the right strategy. Obviously, there’s an argument that even if the above tactics only work 1% of the time, it may still be worth it. However, there may be a better way.
Instead of using social media to sell, consider using it to educate instead. You have the link to your site in your profile or bio, so customers can find it there. Everyone likes free information and if you can craft compelling copy, a lot of customers will eventually bite and go looking for your service. Obviously, once they’re on your eCommerce website, it’s time to apply some more traditional tactics.
If social media has been providing you with an impressive conversion rate, obviously you should keep on your current course. However, for those of you who aren’t seeing results, consider changing your method. You can always go back if things don’t improve.
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