The Rapid Rise of Social Shopping
Social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook have become a key part of many digital marketing strategies, and it’s not hard to see why. Facebook has 2.4 billion+ active monthly users, and Instagram is growing faster than ever.
While organic posts and social media placements can be an effective way to drive traffic, converting those social media shoppers is often a different story.
96% of Facebook users regularly access their account through their phone. Some platforms like Instagram barely even offer a desktop experience. This is important, because as we know, mobile traffic already suffers from an extremely high abandonment rate. When you couple this phenomenon with the low-intent browsing that stems from social media engagements, it creates a perfect storm for abysmal conversion rates.
That’s where personalization comes in. An intermediary solution that speaks specifically to social shoppers personalizes the experience and makes them feel noticed and appreciated.
Optimizing your site to suit their unique needs and tastes can help you convert this notoriously difficult segment.
Understanding the Situation of a Social Shopper
Every marketer has heard “you’ve got to understand your customer.” Demographically speaking, I’m sure you’ve got that covered. But for a moment, put yourself in the place of a shopper who’s just been referred from social media.
You’re on your break at work, browsing your feed, when you come across a sponsored post that catches your eye. You tap the link because you want more information – but also because you’re bored. After all, social media is essentially designed to be a boredom killer.
You look at product specs, check sizing, maybe read a couple of reviews. You can’t believe it – this is an impulse buy – but you might just go for it.
Then – real life happens. Your break ends. A co-worker needs something from you. Your phone dies. The internet goes down, etc.
When customers visit your site from a social media link, they’re generally browsing with very low intent. These issues compound with the pre-existing difficulties that mobile browsing creates. Unless you’re able to capture and keep their attention, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to convert them. There are simply too many barriers. So what can you do to mitigate problems like these?
Convert Social Media Shoppers By: Offering Incentives Early
When it comes to engaging social media browsers, it’s important to engage earlier rather than later. While it’s probably better to avoid on-entry strategies (they tend to be more distracting than helpful on mobile), using a proactive approach can be extremely effective. That is – engage the customer post-entry, but before they appear ready to abandon.
While waiting until abandonment is often the norm, by the time an ultra-low intent social browser moves to abandon, it’s often too late.
In addition, make sure to consider the shopper’s state of mind. While a 5% off incentive might persuade an average user, remember that the goal of this incentive is to stop abandonment from a person who never really intended to buy in the first place. Doing so successfully requires a high level of personalization and tact. While there are times to offer small incentives, a larger incentive may be called for here.
Convert Social Media Shoppers By: Gathering Their Email Address Quickly
Even though abandonment is rampant among socially-sourced mobile shoppers, that doesn’t mean you can’t convert them later. In large part, this is dependent on you capturing their contact information.
One easy way to accomplish this is to email or text an incentive to the user. While this won’t necessarily cause them to convert right away, it plants the seed for future remarketing and makes it more likely that they will return.
Convert Social Media Shoppers By: Using Social-Friendly Urgency
We talk a lot about urgency at UpSellit. That’s because it’s a highly effective way to persuade customers to convert. However, the kind of urgency you use is important. When converting a socially-sourced customer, you have to convince them that finishing their purchase is more important than whatever else is going on around them. In essence, you’re competing with their real life for attention.
Try implementing time-sensitive deals for a socially-sourced deals. When you offer a unique deal “For Facebook Users,” consider putting a timer next to the offer. Rather than setting the time for 24 hours, set the offer to expire within 5 minutes of the link click. This allows the customer enough time to look at product specs and reviews while still encouraging them to purchase during the session.
Getting Social
Making the most of your socially-sourced shoppers can be challenging. However, by personalizing the experience and adapting your strategies to suit the needs and preferences of your customers, you can successfully inform, persuade, and convert socially-sourced leads.
Looking for More Ways to Increase Your Conversions?
Check out UpSellit’s 27 Attributes of an Effective Email. This in-depth guide covers the ins-and-outs of crafting the perfect remarketing email. It’s a great resource and it’s totally free! Download it today and start writing awesome emails that convert.
