Your guide to social selling Essential steps small businesses can take to become savvy social sellers.

Share this: You’ve created a strong following for your business through clever Facebook posts and lively tweets, and you may have a popular that generates plenty of comments. You’ve done a little bit (or a lot) of SEO or SEM on your website. But are you turning your followers into customers?

For many small businesses, social selling is the next step in implementing a robust and up-to-date strategy. The audience is already there, interacting with you and attracted to your . So, it’s time to take the leap and transform likes and retweets into revenue. Follow these 8 steps and you’ll be a social selling expert in no time.

1 Here’s a quick 1 Build relationships, then a sales channel. Develop a following and then know when you’re ready to take cheat sheet: the leap into social selling.

2 Create a store where your customers are. Know where your followers, both current and potential, are likely to visit, and develop a social selling presence there.

3 Go shopping for a storefront app. Pick the best app for your needs.

4 Beta test your social selling channel. Test out your storefront before announcing it to followers.

5 Create enticing offers – and make sure they’re unique. Follow a few simple tips to boost your savvy.

6 Include and encourage customer reviews. Build a stronger following by letting your customers’ voices be heard.

7 Drive all traffic to your store. Keep customers coming to your online storefront with some basic strategies.

8 Track your progress. Know when social selling is working and whether your campaigns are successful.

2 Share this: 1. Build relationships first, then create a sales channel. 3 For many enterprises, even one- time. Instead, they’re having SIGNS YOU’RE READY Know person companies, relationship conversations and then providing FOR SOCIAL SELLING: building is a major business an opportunity for those when 1. Social media followers often driver, and as those Facebook participants to buy.” ask how they can buy your you’re likes and numbers products or services or PayPal’s head of social media grow, it makes sense to draw contribute to your cause. ready to David Peck says, “First and on those relationships to boost 2. Your work time increasingly foremost, social media helps you take the sales efforts. involves handling orders build up a loyal fan base and via Facebook messages leap into “Companies that are doing create long-term relationships. or tweets. social selling well are building Only then can it provide an 3. Customers at your brick- social relationships – they’re creating opportunity to turn fans into and-mortar store or your community down to a one-on- customers – and customers website comment on deals selling. you’ve mentioned online. one level,” says Jesse Ness, senior into repeat business.” manager of at Ecwid, 4. You’re expanding a product line or increasing the amount which provides an e-commerce you’re ready to sell. shopping cart plug-in for Facebook and 5. Your buzz is mounting through relationship building other websites. Companies that are doing and media coverage. “They don’t use social selling well are building social media to “relationships – they’re be selling all the creating community down to a one-on-one level.

Jesse Ness Senior Manager of Marketing,” Ecwid

4 Share this: 2. Create a store where your customers are. 5 When asked the secret of his Instead, set up a storefront that’s FINDING YOUR AUDIENCE: Develop success, hockey great Wayne on the Facebook page or blog • Use tools provided by each of Gretzky responded, “A great where they’re already interacting a social the social platforms to craft your hockey player plays where the with your business. posts and weed out those that selling puck is going to be.” Part of the aren’t engaging. For example, “Know where your audience major benefit of including a store business pages on Facebook presence is most engaged, and sell there.” have an Insights section that on Facebook or a company says PayPal’s David Peck. gives information on popular where your blog is that customers are already posts, engaged users, and the followers, on that page to peruse content, If your audience is gravitating virality of each post. so conversion into sales is that toward a particular site or • Pay attention to any links both much easier. sites, then you should, too. or content shared by users and visit those Twitter or Facebook For example, if you’re hoping When potential customers are pages. Become a follower current to sell your newest cooking asked to navigate away from a of relevant companies and gadget to 30-something comment on their posts. and page – for example, to leave a women, it makes sense to Facebook page and go to an • Research similar companies potential, concentrate on Pinterest. and take note of their sales online store – you always risk efforts: Do they sell through are. losing them as they click away. Facebook storefronts? Do they jump on new developments like Pinterest’s promoted pins? Know where your audience is most engaged, and “sell there. David Peck Head of Social” Media, PayPal

6 66 Share this: 3. Go shopping for a storefront app. 7 Pick the best app for your needs.

Creating a storefront in social media WordPress, Facebook, , and Other apps include Storefront Social, spaces is simple and quick, and there mobile devices. Cashie Commerce Boosket, Storenvy, and many others. are multiple apps that do most of the also offers easy export of customer Let the app developers handle the work for you. data into services like QuickBooks for technological complexities so you can accounting or Stamps.com for printing concentrate instead on refining your social For example, Ecwid lets users install shipping labels. selling techniques. and set up a store with just a few clicks. Plus, the app offers storefront translations “Social commerce tools need to be for multiple languages, support for several Social commerce tools extremely simple and easy to use,” says payment methods, and automatic syncing need to be extremely Sridhar Nagarajan, head of strategy and between a company’s Facebook store, “simple and easy to marketing at Ecwid..“Small merchants want mobile site, and website. use. Small merchants a solution that gets them up and running want a solution that in about five minutes.” Cashie Commerce, which enables quick gets them up and running setup of social, mobile, and online stores in about five minutes. and supplies online “shopping cart” Sridhar Nagarajan Head of Strategy and Marketing, Ecwid technology, allows businesses to sell ” across multiple platforms such as CHOOSING THE RIGHT APP FOR YOUR BUSINESS.

8 Choosing the right app for your business.

• Free trial period: A free trial lets you • Expansion potential: As your Here’s what evaluate the look and feel of a particular business grows and thrives, your storefront, without investment online store should be able to expand to look or commitment. easily, as well, by letting you add new product categories, new service • for when Low or no transaction fees: Many offerings, and other new content. apps require only a flat fee and selecting a have multiple tiered plans tailored • Multiple ways to pay: More options to smaller businesses, so your often lead to more sales. Look for an app storefront costs will be more predictable. that lets you include several payment methods, such as credit cards and PayPal. • Multiple layouts: An online store app: selling merchandise for a craft brewery • Easy product and information upload: shouldn’t look the same as one that Adding products or services to a offers office supplies; the audiences are store should be super simple, so find different, so the layouts should be, too. an app that lets you upload files or input products and services manually. • Centralized inventory management: Nonprofits should be able to upload Making sure that your inventory is information about campaigns, events, controlled across multiple stores (website, or products just as easily as a retailer. eBay, Facebook, etc.) is crucial for better product management.

9 Share this: 4. Beta test your social selling channel. 10 As PayPal’s David Peck says, on – before customers are FIND YOUR STORE’S Test out “Social selling is tough. It coming to your store. Ecwid’s STICKING POINTS: won’t happen on your first Setup Wizard enables you to your • Is the sales process try.” A major misstep for preview your storefront and streamlined or clumsy? storefront many businesses is quitting place a test order to ensure • If you navigate away from the too early because they don’t a smooth launch. before page and then come back, are see results immediately. Be the items still in your shopping Double-check the customer announcing diligent, creative, and most of cart? If you don’t click back in, experience by approaching does it generate an email or all, patient. As you build your your online store or other sales other trigger that reminds you it to online relationships and refine channel as if you’re a customer. about completing your order? your tools, the results followers. Come to the storefront • Does the payment go through will follow. through a personal (rather properly or is there a delay? A good method for kicking than business) social media • Do you receive a off a new sales channel is to account and then make a confirmation email or other follow-up message? test out the storefront before purchase. Don’t feel you announcing it to followers. have to go it alone. Enlist • If you submit a return, does it show up in your The time to catch glitches friends, colleagues, and inventory correctly? and usability issues is early family members to try the social selling All of these questions and channel and ask more should crop up as you’re Social selling is tough. It won’t working through the trial period for feedback. happen on your first try. of an app, making it easier to We recommend “David Peck compare one app with another. Head of Social Media, PayPal getting three ” to five different opinions.

1111 Share this: 5. Create enticing offers – and make sure they’re unique. 12 PayPal’s David Peck notes are in a physical store, so make THREE PROMOTIONAL Follow that there’s an easy rule for sure your app allows you to TACTICS: successful social selling: highlight certain products a few 1. Use a as a Make sure your offer to or emphasize sales, says Neil Facebook or Twitter cover simple the customer is unique Beadle, VP of product at photo. For example, your and valuable to them. Cashie Commerce. image might include an item tips to on sale or a fun graphic about “A simple rule of thumb “Promotions and discounts how time is running out to boost is ‘first, best, or only,’” buy. If you have a nonprofit, are very useful for marketing he says. “If your offer is not you might feature a volunteer products, and they can have a your one of those, don’t post it. holding a sign that announces huge viral element if you share a big event or wearing one of Remember, you are in their promotion them across multiple social the organization’s t-shirts that personal space, so if you are for sale in the online store. platforms, like Twitter and savvy. want them to buy something, Pinterest,” Beadle says. 2. Go cross-platform by make sure they feel special.” announcing the offer on your company’s blog, Facebook Discounts and page, Twitter feed, and limited-time A simple rule of thumb is ‘first, Pinterest board. Put the offers are just best or only.’ If your offer is not Facebook cover photo one of those, don’t post it. on Instagram to create as enticing “ more buzz. in the online David Peck Head of Social Media, PayPal 3. Use a “secret discount code” realm as they in a status update to make ” followers feel rewarded for paying attention.

13 Share this: 6. Include and encourage customer reviews. 14 Social media is driven by products or services that may GENERATE MORE Build a people sharing their opinions, have been overlooked. The BUZZ FROM stronger and that natural tendency to more specific feedback, the CUSTOMER REVIEWS: weigh in is easily harnessed better. Also, thanks to the • In order confirmation emails, following by within an online store. ubiquity of online customer provide a link to a review page. Although some businesses reviews, many shoppers now letting • Encourage customer reviews and organizations are expect that info to be handy. by offering random giveaways your hesitant to use customer or prizes. “Customer reviews make a reviews for fear of seeing customers’ huge impact when it comes • Set up an automatic email negative feedback, many follow-up a week after a to purchase decisions,” Anjali voices be who’ve taken the leap have product is due for delivery or Cameron, marketing lead at a service is performed. This seen significant benefits heard. Cashie Commerce, says. gives the customer time to try rather than continuous out the product and prompts “We’ve all seen them on griping. It can also highlight them to leave a review while Amazon, so why not for a your quick response in case the experience is fresh. smaller e-commerce shop? of negative feedback. • Highlight reviews on Facebook It really builds loyalty and Twitter by turning them into Adding a customer review and engagement.” status updates and include field or a star a company reply in the comments field. rating system Customer reviews make a can provide huge impact when it comes • Create a rating system for each product. You can often do this a boost for to purchase decisions. “ easily within a storefront app. Anjali Cameron Talk to your app vendor about Marketing Lead, Cashie Commerce customizing the ratings based ” on your business; for example, a cosmetics business might use lipstick icons to measure customer happiness instead of stars. 15 Share this: 7. Drive all social media traffic to your store. 16 Once your storefront is up or “members only” specials KEEP A STEADY STREAM Keep and running, concentrate on Twitter or Facebook, write OF CUSTOMERS: on getting more customers a series of blog posts about customers • Include a link to the store beyond those already visiting what’s new and include a link in every company email coming the Facebook page, blog, or to the store, or ask an industry and in your Facebook and to your other social space. influencer (blogger or media) Twitter profiles. to review your product or • Send periodic emails to past Similar to using multiple online business and have write-ups customers highlighting current social media sites to highlight specials and giving them include a link back to deals, generate interest by “secret discount codes” to storefront your store. announcing new products reward them for shopping. with some • Purchase online ad space on social media sites on a limited basic basis to see if it drives traffic to the store; if it does, consider strategies. investing more heavily in online ads.

• Share customer photos on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram; ask permission to tag them, which will entice their friends to check out your business.

• Occasionally offer freebies – complimentary products always spike interest and can be handed out on a very limited basis. For example, offering 10 free “gift items” could result in hundreds of new likes for

a Facebook page. 1717 Share this: 8. Track your progress.

18 Increasing your sales is stellar, point often gets lost. Manage TOOLS FOR TRACKING MULTIPLE Know but how do you know if social your Facebook posts and SOCIAL SELLING CAMPAIGNS. when selling is really working? your tweets just as you would manage an email campaign. When there are several social selling “Most social experiences are strategies employed at the same time, social Collect the data in your retention opportunities, not it can be challenging to keep on top customer data warehouse selling is acquisition opportunities,” of the metrics. Here are some tools in the same fashion.” working PayPal’s Peck says. “This subtle that can help: • Adobe Suite: This and blend of products allows you to optimize Most social experiences are online marketing initiatives, measure whether retention opportunities, not key performance indicators, and be “acquisition opportunities. more efficient. your David Peck • Google Analytics: These measurement Head of Social Media, PayPal tools let you measure sales and campaigns ” conversions and also give you insight into how visitors use your site, which are could prompt fresh approaches successful. in your selling strategies. • Bluefin Labs: Acquired by Twitter in 2013, this social analytics provider uses social media chatter to measure viewer engagement with TV shows and ads, offering analysis of online marketing campaigns.

• Your app developer: Most of the storefront app creators, such as Cashie Commerce and Ecwid, build analytics into the applications, so users can keep on top of which features are working and how 1919 Share this: sales are being generated. You’re on your way!

Social media boasts powerful tools for communication, particularly between a business and its customers. Embarking on a social selling strategy takes those connections to the next level, without extensive marketing campaigns or major ad budgets.

After all, your customers are already fans of your business, so why send them elsewhere to snap up some of your products or services? Get them engaged, and they’ll get clicking.

SEE OTHER SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS IDEAS ON THE NEXT PAGE.

2020 BORROW THESE IDEAS: Author Shannon Hayes specializes in Sacramento-based design and marketing homesteading and sustainability topics, shop One Day Graphics is able to expand so her blog often features charming its geographic reach far beyond the city stories about her farm in upstate of Sacramento, thanks to social selling.

New York. In promoting her books WHAT THEY’RE DOING RIGHT: and farm products, she sells directly • The company’s bold designs inform the look of both its to her readers instead of sending online store on the One Day Graphics website and its Facebook storefront, creating cohesion between the two them to an online bookseller. selling channels. • Even though graphic design can involve a significant level of WHAT SHE’S DOING RIGHT: detail, the company’s online store channels use drop-down • Her website has tabs dedicated to her books and available menus and easy-to-use templates to make ordering easy. products. Plus, each description has a prominent “Buy Now” • Turnaround time on orders is clear and prominent. button that leads to an online order form. • Although each graphic design job is customized, • In her product descriptions, she appeals to her audience with One Day Graphics often shows off its current work in a personal tone similar to her blog postings. For example, Facebook posts so customers can get an idea of the in selling soaps, she jokingly notes that they can last longer range of design services available. than some marriages.

• Her online store is stripped down and straightforward in terms of functionality, which complements her writing style and emphasis on “the simple life.”

21 Share this: Meet the experts.

David Peck Ecwid Cashie Commerce Head of Social Media, PayPal Ecwid is a full-featured, cloud- Cashie Commerce is the An early champion of the based e-commerce platform fastest way to create and power of social media, Peck that allows SMBs to create run a successful online has been active in online professional online stores and store. Companies of all communities for more than embed them into any existing sizes depend on Cashie a decade. The author of Web, mobile, or social site. Commerce for an easy-to- the book “Think Before you Ecwid has more than 600,000 use platform that assists Engage: 100 Questions to registered merchants in 175 with online sales strategies Ask Before Starting a Social countries and is available in for multiple storefronts, Media Marketing Campaign,” 45 languages. The Ecwid including Facebook, Peck has helped build online Facebook app is the leading mobile, and WordPress. communities and develop shopping cart application social media strategy for on Facebook with more than Coca-Cola, Wells Fargo, The 40,000 Facebook stores Grammys, NPR, and many globally, and it’s used by others. As PayPal’s head of more than 300,000 monthly social media, he is focused on active users. defining the company’s voice in social media and creating stronger connections to customers through online communities.

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