7 ways to convert social media followers into customers
Having lots of followers on social media might look and feel good for your brand, but you might have noticed that big follower numbers don’t necessarily convert to sales. No matter how many likes or comments you’re getting, if it’s not turning into actual purchases then you need to rethink your strategy. What you want are social conversions, which are new or return customers acquired directly through your social media networks, ad campaigns and other social strategies.
So how do you turn your social media followers into gold? Here are a few ideas:
Know your audience
We can’t emphasise the importance of this enough. If you want to successfully convert your followers into customers, you first need to know who they are and what they want – then figure out how to connect this to whatever it is you’re selling.
2. Use the right platforms
Once you’ve figured out who you’re talking to, make sure you’re speaking to them on the right platforms and in the right way. For example, if your target demographic is squarely Gen Z then you don’t want to be wasting your resources on Facebook – you need to be focusing your attention on YouTube and TikTok. Our audience insight tools at Awaken help us find the most relevant social media networks for our customers’ unique audiences.
3. Consistency is key
There’s no point posting five times a day for a week and then going silent for a month – your followers will lose any connection they feel with your brand. Consistency is essential and it’s best to roll out a light but steady stream of posts (for example, three times a week) rather than the occasional barrage of content.
4. Always engage
You need to let your followers know that you see and hear them – and care about them! This is the best way to build their relationship with your brand and encourage them to become customers. Make an effort to like and respond to comments, and always reply to direct messages. This is particularly important for complaints and negative comments, which should always be dealt with politely and as quickly as possible.
5. Invest in paid ads
Unfortunately, to get traction on social platforms you need to be willing to spend. The budget doesn’t necessarily need to be huge but investing in paid ads is an important way of playing nice with the ever-changing algorithms and making sure your content and brand is being seen by new and existing audiences.
6. Embrace user generated content (UGC)
Nothing is better than content that comes from people who have used and genuinely love your product or service. So embrace UGC, which is usually very authentic and can really help to radically boost engagement. Video UGC is particularly powerful!
7. Partner with influencers
Influencers can get a bad rap, but done the right way, these partnerships can be highly successful. Influencer partnerships usually work in one of two ways – you can either work with the influencer to create a collection of sponsored content that you can then promote across your channels, or you can bring them on as a brand ambassador and use them directly in your content and for events. The key to success here is making sure you choose an influencer who really aligns well with your brand and your audience.
At Awaken, we have lots of experience working with our clients to help them convert followers into loyal customers – and we would love to help you do this too. Whether you just need help developing a strategy or are looking for a more comprehensive social media management service, our social media-savvy team is ready to work with you.
Get in touch today and let’s start a conversation.
