Use Social Media to Increase Store Traffic

There’s no denying the power of social media. With information now readily available at our fingertips, more and more consumers have taken to social networks to engage with brands, discover new products and make decisions on purchases. These platforms allow businesses the opportunity to promote content in a unique way while at the same time encourage meaningful connections with customers and strengthen brand identity. On top of that, social media won’t drain marketing dollars as it’s an inexpensive way to offer an extra interaction point with customers and expand audience reach.

A strong social media presence can raise consumer awareness to who a business is and what they have to offer, and in turn, can bring immense amounts of foot traffic into a store. If your business isn’t reaping the benefits of social media yet, what are you waiting on? Check out some tips below on how you can use social media to increase store traffic and boost sales today!

Create content that is helpful.

If you want your social media pages to be effective in driving sales you have to create content that is relevant and informative to the consumer. There are so many companies utilizing social media that if your page does not provide the customer with the information they are looking for, or doesn’t entice them to learn more about your business, they will go somewhere else. Consumers look to social media for recommendations, referrals and promotions so it’s critical that your content answers buying questions for your customers. Not only does this improve the purchase experience, it builds awareness and improves customer engagement.

Take advantage of social media analytics.

Many social media platforms offer analytic features that can help you target the right customers and drive the right traffic to your store. Every online interaction that consumers have with your business contains useful information that allow you to better understand your audience and better strategize your approach. Instagram Analytics^® is an example of a social media platform that shows tons of metrics of who is engaging with your content and how they are engaging with your content. This access to demographic insights allows for extremely granular targeting and can be used to optimize your posts for greater impact. Social media platforms evolve as consumers evolve so it’s critical that you continue to look for ways to enhance your marketing strategy through the use of these tools.

Run offers that are exclusive to social media.

What’s the best way to motivate someone to act? Incentives! Convert online leads into actual foot traffic by offering exclusive deals on your social media that can only be redeemed in store. Examples of this could be offering someone a 10% discount for following your page or offering a coupon to someone for sharing your content. With clear calls-to-action to entice customers, you can capitalize on your online users and drive physical sales for your business. Show some love to your online community by offering rewards for engaging with you online and they’ll show you the love back.

Utilize different platforms.

You’ve heard the phrase, “never put all your eggs in one basket.” Well, this applies to social media too. Different social media platforms have different strengths and weaknesses and what might work for one business might not always work for another. Yes, there are the big dogs like Instagram^® and Facebook^® that are hubs for social promotion but if you’re putting all your resources into just one channel, you’re missing the opportunity to cross-promote your business and expand your network and influence. Adopting an omni-social-channel approach ensures you’re hitting up every segment of your potentially fragmented audience.