If you’re running an e-commerce business, the odds are high that you already know how to use social media platforms like Facebook, even if only for personal use. Given that, you might be thinking that social media marketing is a piece of cake. The truth is, it takes a lot of time and effort to get a successful social marketing plan up and running so that the conversions start rolling in. Identify Your Purpose We all want to bring in revenue, but to make the most of social media marketing, … [Read more...]

The latest installment in our social media for ecommerce series will focus on one of the most powerful visual channels: Instagram. Instagram is hot property at the moment, as the network recently upgraded its facilities to include video posting. However, if you’re new to this social media platform, it’s wise to get the basics right before you start experimenting with its recently added capabilities. Like Pinterest, Instagram gives ecommerce businesses the opportunity to showcase your brand … [Read more...]

The whole world was divided this week by a picture of a dress. To some, the garment appeared to be blue and black; to others it was white and gold. This issue sparked a global media debate, with the hash tag #TheDress trending internationally on Twitter. But while the argument over color was solved when the manufacturer confirmed it was blue and black, the challenges for the creators of that dress were only beginning. Coping with a huge spike in sales You see, whenever an item receives … [Read more...]

In the third installment of our social media for ecommerce series, we’re going to look at the business benefits of reaching out to potential customers through LinkedIn. While you might have a personal account on LinkedIn, it’s important not to ignore the potential of your business as a whole via the social network. Setting up a company page is a great way to raise your profile, as well as include information and updates that may not be appropriate for your own profile page. Once your … [Read more...]

Facebook is arguably the founding father of social networks, so you might find it strange that we didn’t start our social media for businesses series by looking at how ecommerce retailers can utilize its capabilities. The simple truth is that it’s taken Facebook a long time to perfect its B2B offering. Developments such as the launch of company pages and the growth of advertising have enabled it to get closer to fulfilling a commercial destiny, but the vast majority of companies still aren’t … [Read more...]

In this second edition of our social media for ecommerce businesses series, we are delving into the growing business opportunities that Twitter presents for online retailers – and how to optimize your profile for sales conversions. Of all the social networks, Twitter is the platform that is becoming increasingly appealing to retail organizations; just last November, Twitter announced the introduction of a ‘buy’ button, to encourage ecommerce transactions. Even buy button aside, Twitter has … [Read more...]

Consumers have got social media communication down to a fine art, but the same can’t always be said for brands. Establishing digital conversations with online shoppers is an on-going challenge for most ecommerce businesses – which is why we’re launching a series of blogs packed with tips for creating engaging, exciting content. The first blog in this series is going to focus on one of the less utilized social networks: Pinterest. Many retail businesses dismissed this platform as ‘yet another … [Read more...]