A strong presence on social media is critical to success for retailers. Encouraging offline sales requires a solid social media profile utilized strategically to benefit your business. How do you do this? Here are 5 ways to skyrocket offline sales through social media:
1. Make Your Location Clear
If you have multiple retail locations, generating content that promotes each location is key to customer attraction. It is important that potential customers understand where they can visit your store. The only way for customers to know this is through a profile that showcases any and all of your physical locations.
2. Encourage Engagement and In-Store Visits
Social media is the best way to get customers engaged. Creating contests and giveaways for your followers will encourage customers to get involved. Most importantly, if you offer discounts to customers who post pictures of their new in-store bought items, or have customers come into the store to redeem awards from an Instagram contest, you are providing an incentive for customers to want to visit your retail shop.
3. Listen to the Online Audience
Staying engaged on social media gives you a chance to see what people are saying about your brand online. It also gives businesses a chance to tackle customer complaints and get ahead of problems people might be having with your business. Leaving negative comments unattended and unsolved on something as popular and fast-moving as social media could leave your business hurting. On the other hand, you also want to respond to and encourage all of the glowing reviews your brand is receiving. Show your customers you are listening and appreciate their feedback. What potential customers read about your brand online could be the deciding factor on whether or not they decide to visit your location.
4. Live Stream From Your Location
The ability to live stream is the most authentic way to communicate and connect with customers on social media. There is nothing like connecting with customers face-to-face, but live streaming gives customers a sense of your passion for your store and product and is the closest thing to in-person engagement. Using a live video to promote pop-up stores, giveaways, and new products that just came in are all ways to encourage customers to visit your location.
5. Partner With Micro-Influencers
Social media micro-influencers can be a huge contributor to modern-day business success. Influencers everywhere are constantly looking to promote lifestyle brands, food, and retail products. Someone well known and trusted amongst your target audience can help shine a positive light on your business and encourage new visitors.
In 2020, it is all about being creative and putting in the work online as well as offline. The combination of the two will make for a booming business!
