3 Social Media Platforms That Drive Ecommerce Traffic
When used correctly, social media can be a driving force of ecommerce traffic. Ideally, this leads to an increase in brand awareness, referrals, and sales. If your target audience is moms, your social media presence is especially important, as moms are 20% more likely then the general population to use social media. However, a presence on social media platforms is not enough on its own. Brands must understand which platforms are most effective for their target audience to develop a successful strategy.
To dig deeper, here are 3 social network platforms that your brand might utilize to increase traffic to its online retail business – especially within an audience of moms:
Facebook: This social network receives the greatest amount of daily traffic, which isn’t surprising when you consider that 7 out of 10 moms have a Facebook profile. There are many ways brands can engage consumers via Facebook – often in more in-depth ways than with other platforms. Brands can host contests, create polls and post quizzes, which allows consumers to share their opinions and content. This can lead to stronger relationships between brand and consumer – and in turn, can generate more ecommerce traffic. According to Business Insider, Facebook is also a strong social platform for middle-of-the-funnel advertising, which includes retargeted advertising and merchandise referrals. This is important for brands to note, as Facebook is an important platform to drive repeat customer sales.
Marketing takeaway: To increase ecommerce traffic through Facebook, offer both original and user-generated content, leverage advertising capabilities, and provide discounts or offers that are exclusive to Facebook fans.
Instagram: This picture-based platform is a poweful tool to show off your brand’s unique style and overall image. It’s an ideal platform to gather user-generated content which can be an important asset for brands. Create brand-specific hashtags to prompt conversations about your product to increase customer engagement and ultimately drive them down your ecommerce path. Encourage users to post photos of your brand’s product in use. Comment-based contests can also be highly effective among the over 7 million daily Instagram users. Include links in your profile and relevant images that lead consumers right to where they can buy. This directly drives traffic to your ecommerce site and helps consumers avoid a separate internet search for the product they wish to purchase.
Marketing takeaway: Visually represent your brand on Instagram with compelling images, brand-specific hashtags, and high-quality product photos to show off what your brand is all about. Include direct links to relevant product purchase pages.
Pinterest: Pinterest is one of the fastest growing platforms, and is now the third most popular social network in the world. If your target audience is moms, this network is increasingly important for your brand. In fact, 80% of Pinterest users are women. According to HubSpot, Pinterest traffic has the highest Average Order Value (AOV) – mainly because imagery drives higher consumer engagement and is a crucial force in ecommerce conversions. In addition, Pinterest is a prime resource for top of the funnel marketing – consumers mainly use it for product discovery and inspiration. Pinterest referrals to ecommerce sites are 10% more likely to buy then other shoppers, while Pinterest pins that include prices receive 36% more likes then those without. Consumers on Pinterest love to discover new products, find inspired DIY projects, and gather fashion ideas – and your brand should be visible
Marketing takeaway: Use Pinterest to increase your brand’s ecommerce traffic through new product buzz and reveals, valuable imagery, and retail prices. It’s good to have a healthy mix of brand products as well as general inspiration that helps guide consumers back to your site.
Social media can be a powerful tool to help produce higher ecommerce revenues. Brand awareness and engagement may lead consumers from your social media channel all the way through the purchase path. Keep in mind that one common quality all of these platforms have is visual appeal. Leverage this as you show consumers – often moms – how perfect your product is for their busy lives. To learn more about moms and their social media purchase behaviors, (especially when it comes to celebrations), download our free white paper.
Posted by Carly Botelho