How to Turn Followers into Dollars
You’ve been working hard to make your social media channels seen and heard. You post consistently with relevant content, you’ve increased your followers and their engagement is up. They are “liking” what you post and even sharing it. We like this. This is a good thing. But there’s no point in having a million followers if it doesn’t translate to more business, right? You want to make your social media actionable. That means getting customers away from their devices and into your store. You can do that.
Compelling Offers
There are three pillars of social media: Information. Content. Advantage.
Information: Consumers are looking for simple facts, which should be front and center on your website and social media profiles. Address. Phone number. Hours. What you do. In social media posts, include links to your page frequently and show them how to get to your brick and mortar store.
Content: You’ve started fleshing out your business profile with content you find, create, and share. Use your FAQ page as a resource: this is what your customer base wants to know more about. As you find out more about who your customers are, show them the human side of your operation in a way that appeals to them.
Advantage: Finally, give them a reason to follow you, to find your feeds and keep coming back. This brings us to compelling offers, strategically placed.
Offers should occur naturally, like great swells in a placid ocean. Your fans should believe they are following you for a good reason. Give them deals that show that they are special, that their loyalty is being rewarded and that continuing to be engaged with you online will bring them benefits like discounts and pop up sales specific to those in the know. It’s an old media strategy made new again – the possibility of a golden ticket. Promotions like cards for frequent users and deals that are limited and time-sensitive will ensure the public is watching and waiting for you to make your next move. It’s a fun way to reward loyalty. Being able to track results, to see what works in terms of online engagement and sales, is one of the great advantages of Facebook and other social channels.
Invoking Immediacy
Remember clipping coupons and cutting out rebates forms from newspapers? Now we have coupon codes and clicks that can capture numbers and critical data – who is acting on what, and when. You can use that information to provide your customers with what they want. Find out what they respond to and you can give them the right deals in the right moment.
Use your Facebook page to SELL something NOW. Tell them that an offer ENDS TODAY to create a sense of urgency. Many of your best prospects are always connected, so your messaging is immediately seen and heard. You can ramp up sales when you need them most, while increasing trust and goodwill among your fan base. This is more than just sales: social media has the power to cultivate a beneficial relationship between audience and provider, buyer and seller, fan and influencer.
At Dream Local Digital we watch community trends in the social sphere. We’ve been tracking what happens and what works for small businesses. Contact Dream Local today and we can show you how to craft not just posts but a long term plan to increase sales and turn “likes” into money in your pocket.
