create a custom social media plan that converts

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Creating an Ecommerce Social Media Strategy that Converts


Today’s Agenda

Introductions Why Social Media Works for

Ecommerce How to Conduct Your Social

Media Audit How to Execute Your Social

Strategy Measuring Success Open Q&A

• Free Social Media Audit Give-away!

Tweet us at #sellmoreonline


Meet Your Hosts


Mikkayla Casey

• PR & Advertising degree from St. Edwards University

• Manages both Social Media and SEO campaigns at Volusion

• Passionate about branding and copywriting

• Favorite thing about social media marketing?• Real-time engagement

Volusion, Search Marketing Specialist

Social Media & SEO Expertise

Follow me on Twitter: @dmikkaylacFollow Volusion on Twitter: @volusion


https://twitter.com/dmikkaylac

https://twitter.com/dmikkaylac

https://twitter.com/volusion

https://twitter.com/volusion


Alison Garrison

• 11 years marketing experience• Manage Volusion’s SEO, Social Media and

Marketing Consulting teams• BA in English, Creative Writing and

Anthropology• MBA with concentrations in Strategy and

Marketing• Favorite thing about social media

marketing?• It’s a tie – SEO impact and target

audience reach

Volusion, Search Marketing Manager

SEO & Branding Expertise

Connect with me on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alisongarrisonConnect with Volusion: linkedin.com/company/volusion


https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisongarrison

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisongarrison

http://www.linkedin.com/company/volusion

http://www.linkedin.com/company/volusion


Ron Schott

• 10 years digital marketing experience• Studied at the Edward R. Murrow College

of Communication at Washington State University

• Favorite thing about social media marketing: • How quickly things change. There’s

something new every day.

Simply Measured, Director of Professional Services

Social Media Expert & Special Guest

Follow me on Twitter: @ronschottFollow Simply Measured on Twitter: @SimplyMeasured


http://www.twitter.com/ronschott

http://www.twitter.com/ronschott

http://www.twitter.com/simplymeasured




Social Media for Ecommerce Success“This isn’t social marketing. Or digital marketing. This is marketing. This is where many of your current and potential customers come every day.”

– Dan Levy, VP Small Business at Facebook


Why Social Media?Social media makes business sense

• Social media is cost-effective • Lower cost ads

• Large reach

• Superior targeting • Demographics and more!

• Leverage your audience

• Birds of a feather

• People trust referrals

• They are part of your marketing team


Why Social Media?Social media makes business sense

• Social media is democratized

• Gives SMBs a fighting chance against large brands

• Creativity and authenticity can trump deep pockets (but you still need Facebook ads)

• Social media grows exponentially• Brand ambassadors — critical for

smaller businesses

• The more you build your audience, the more it builds itself



Why Social Media?Social media is a valuable business tool

• Monitor and research your target market

• Respond to customers

• Amplify messages

• Establish thought leadership

*Check out Mark Schaefer’s The Content Code


http://www.amazon.com/Content-Code-essential-strategies-marketing/dp/0692372334/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1433349565&sr=8-1&keywords=the+content+code


Why Social Media?Social media enhances your brand strategy



Why Social Media?Social media boosts your SEO


Why Social Media?Social media amplifies your content strategy


Why Social Media?Social media can drive sales

Social commerce sales increased 26% in 2014 reaching $3.3 billion

Ecommerce orders coming from social media grew 202%

Social media influences 74% of consumers’ purchasing decisions



38% of Facebook users purchase a product after “liking” or “sharing” it

47% of Americans say Facebook is their #1 purchase influencer



People use Pinterest as a shopping channel

42% of adult women use Pinterest

Male usage is up 73% YOY

Average order values are twice that of Facebook


Conducting Your Social Media AuditDefine your audience, understand your competitive landscape and find the right channels


Who is Your Audience? Identify the defining characteristics your target market(s)

• Describe people who would purchase your products

• What do they look like?

• What motivates them?

• What makes them tick?



Who is Your Audience? Recommended Tools

• Your intuition

• Google Analytics

• Demographics and Interests reports

• Facebook Insights, Pinterest Analytics and Twitter Analytics

• Engagement metrics

https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/2819948?hl=en

https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/2819948?hl=en


Who is Your Audience?Make your research real with a persona

Leah, 34• Stay at home

mother of three

• College-educated

• Owns her own home

• Looking for summer activities for kids

Sara, 22• First-year

elementary artteacher

• College-educated

• Planning her artprojects for the year

• Positive and conscientious

• Limited by budget; wants to get biggest bang for her buck

• Wants to integrate other subjects into art curriculum

• Upbeat and cheerful

• Wants to help her kids learn over the summer



Who is Your Audience? Find triggers for an emotional response

• Look for ways to get an emotional response

• Baby Boomers: Nostalgia

• Gen X: Expression of uniqueness

• Millennials: Invitation to a conversation

• Gen Z: Businesses that care

• This creates a connection between the customer and the brand

• When a post is successful, reflect on what that emotional spark was


Where is Your Audience Active?What channels do your audience frequent?

• You probably want to strongly consider Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter, but don’t overlook niche and industry-specific channels• Dogster and Catster for animal

lovers

• Untappd for beer aficionados

• Goodreads for book fans

• Houzz for home décor junkies

• Foodily for foodies


Who Influences Your Audience? Finding influencers to help spread your message

• Who does your audience listen to?• Often bloggers, journalists or

people with high-profile social media accounts

• Tell-tale signs: Active, well-read blogs, high follower counts on major social networks, lots of interaction on posts

• Make plans to engage and contact influencers• Relationships shouldn’t be one-

sided — offer value

• Not sure who influences your audience? Ask!• Survey Monkey, free quiz makers,

text-based posts (but make them engaging)


The CompetitionNo audit is complete without an audit of your competitive landscape

• Look at your competitors’ social media profiles• Pay special attention to:

• Number of Likes/Followers

• How frequently they post

• How much engagement they get

• The types of content they post

• What networks they use most frequently

• Promotions, ad themes / messaging

• Follow your competitors’ pages and check back often

• Don’t forget more aspirational brands• Companies whose tone or brand you

admire

• Can give good ideas or a goal to reach


Real Life Example: Geeky JewelryWhat is ThinkGeek up to?

• 1 million Likes

• 1 or 2 posts a day; weekdays mostly

• 2-4K post likes

• Funny, approachable intellectual

• Content Types• Relevant history

• Genre posts

• Star Wars, Sherlock, Harry Potter

• Fantasy, Sci Fi

• Quirky / funny photos

• Intellectual humor

• Products!



Quirky, Fun and Oh-So Engaging


And Don’t Forget the Products!


Executing Your Social Media CampaignEverything you need to set yourself up for success


Brand VoiceA distinct brand voice can set you apart from competitors and create affinity with your market

• What is your brand’s personality?• If your company were a person,

describe that person

• What type of personality would resonate with your target audience(s)

• How would that person authentically speak and interact with their world?

• What tone is appropriate for your industry?

• A great resource on Finding Your Brand Voice

• Be consistent across all channels (but tailor your message to the channel’s format)


https://www.distilled.net/tone-of-voice/


Social Media Done Well

968 Facebook likes2 comments

13,000 Instagram likes

108 comments

13 retweets53 favorites

Consistency across all channels with product highlights



Social Profile Optimization

Contact DetailsBe sure to include your contact information

ImagesFormat images correctly for each network

Great Free Tool: Picmonkey

Keywords

Allow prospective clients to discover your brand


http://www.picmonkey.com/


Establishing a BudgetWhat are you trying to achieve and what are you willing to invest?

• What is my goal on this network?

• What do I need to do on this network to achieve my goals?

• What sort of resources can I invest in this marketing channel?

• Social media is inexpensive, but it takes time and creativity

• How much time are realistically willing to commit?

• Don’t have time?

• Can you make this a specific employee’s responsibility?

• Would you consider hiring a full-time employee or intern?

• Does outsourcing to an agency make more financial sense?



Establishing an Ad BudgetSocial Media Marketing is Affordable

• Facebook

• You probably should be active on Facebook

• You have to pay to play; you must spend to boost posts and display ads

• Facebook Ads are less expensive than Google and Bing

• We recommend starting at $300+/month for testing

• Increase or decrease budget as campaigns begin to perform for higher ROI

• Evaluate effectiveness of ads and tweak images and copy regularly to see continued success



Establishing an Ad BudgetLearning to spend your budget wisely

• Pinterest

• Can be more expensive, so weigh your options – you don’t have to advertise to be successful on Pinterest

• If you choose to advertise on Pinterest, start at $300+/month

• Options include Promoted Pins & Buy It Button

• Twitter• Twitter Ads are more expensive than Facebook,

but still affordable and can be profitable if your audience is active on this network

• Again – you don’t have to advertise to be successful on Twitter

• Likewise, start at $300+/monthTweet us at #sellmoreonline


Content CalendarHow to craft a content calendar that works for your target audience• Can be set up weekly or monthly

• Highlight networks with activity

• Consider a lengthy calendar for the holiday season

• Consistency for your brand voice

• #TBT, #ManiMonday, #OOTD, etc.

• Original content

• Blog posts

• Giveaways

• Product highlights

• Promotions / Sales

• Product reviews

• Images of happy customers

• Work smarter, not harder



Work SmartRespect your time so you can run a business

Automated Posting Tools

• Hootsuite

• Buffer

• TweetDeck

Analytics

• Google Analytics• Data regarding referral traffic, visitor behavior and conversion on your website

• Channel Analytics

• Simply Measured• Complete social analytics – not specific to your website

• Allows you to plan, execute, measure and optimize your campaign


http://signup.hootsuite.com/

https://buffer.com/

https://tweetdeck.twitter.com/


Encourage Customer Content and Engagement

Happy customers double as brand ambassadors

• Giveaways

• Highlight your customers’ best use of your products

• If your product is an original, allow customers to easily brag about you with a custom hashtag

• Ask questions

How to create an army of brand ambassadors



The Power of Original ContentMake something completely unique

• Original content can go viral

• Leads to engagement - images and videos tend to see higher engagement rates

• Reinforces your brand personality

• Evergreen content can be repurposed

• Some great resources: Canva, Recite, Piktochart and Make a Gif

https://www.canva.com/

http://recite.com/

http://piktochart.com/

http://makeagif.com/


Tailor Your Message to the NetworkKettlePizza gets it!



General Guidelines for Social Media

Do • Add social sharing buttons to your store template, blog and product

pages

• Optimize your profiles and link back to your website

• Put links to your social profiles in your email marketing

• Format images correctly for the network (PicMonkey is a great tool for this)

• Create unique, one-of-a-kind visuals

• Offer valuable content that is highly sharable

• Follow / Like relevant brands and groups (but pace yourself)

• Reshare content based on social trends

• Promote your blog

• Know the right times of day to post

• Tailor your message to the networkTweet us at #sellmoreonline

http://www.picmonkey.com/


General Guidelines for Social Media

Don’t • Go bananas (period)

• On salesy stuff

• Any one tactic

• Be one-sided• Reply to comments

• Like and Follow

• Retweet and favorite tweets

• Repin

• Forget to give credit• Did you reference an influencer in an article? Give them a shout out

• Post personal information• Unless it is relevant

• Engage too often



Facebook Guidelines

Do • 80/20 rule – 80% social, 20% products

• Be timely with responses

• Keep posts short and sweet

• Use images and gifs

• Pay Facebook

• Share posts that have garnered a lot of interaction already



Facebook Guidelines

Don’t • Ignore your audience

• Be too lengthy

• Clutter up people’s feed by posting too regularly

• Miss out on trending topics

• Forget to format your images correctly



Pinterest Guidelines

Do • Verify your website

• Come up with catchy, keyword-optimized names for your boards

• Choose an impactful cover photo

• Add a location if relevant

• Link pins back to a highly relevant page

• Comment on other pins

• Utilize the comment feature on your own pins; longer comments and descriptions get noticed!

• Use high quality images

• Post many products once you’ve built a following (but pace yourself)



Pinterest Guidelines

Don’t • Only pin your products

• Pin random things

• But don’t miss out on popular topics that are relevant to your audience

• Forget to ask your Facebook and Twitter followers who you should follow on Pinterest

• Go hashtag mad – they don’t even matter on Pinterest



Twitter Guidelines

Do • Include keywords in your bio for discoverability

• Find opportunities for true human engagement

• Use images whenever you can – these get noticed more, just like on Facebook

• Keep it short – shorter posts perform better

• Find influencers and interact with them

• Again, format images correctly!



Twitter Guidelines

Don’t • Purchase Followers

• Thank every single Follower (it’s a bit spammy)

• Send automated responses

• Overuse hashtags – 3 or less

• Forget to customize your Twitter background and cover photos

• Start your tweet with @someone (only you two and your shared Followers will see it)



More Advanced StrategiesCan be effective, but need the resources



Measuring SuccessThe metrics that matter


What is Success?Sales are important, but don’t lose sight of the big picture

Social media can also:

Boost SEO PerformanceLink building – Majestic or ahrefsTrafficRelevanceBranding

Build your BrandBe an active participant / part of the conversationKeep your brand top of mind and increase repeat purchases


https://majestic.com/

https://ahrefs.com/


Metrics to WatchOn-channel network data

• On channel / network data

• Growing your audience

• Shares

• Likes

• Comments

• Follows

• Clicks on ads

Tweet us at #sell4Xmore


Two Sides to Social Analytics

SOCIAL ANALYTICS

- Analyze The Market- Define Strategy

- Monitor & Respond- Publish & Promote Content

- Measure Performance- Optimize Tactics

MEASURE

PLAN

EXECUTE

SOCIAL PUBLISHING



What to Measure

PLAN

DEFINE YOUR SOCIAL STRATEGY

MEASURE

OPTIMIZE YOUR SOCIAL TACTICS

EXECUTE

Audiences

Conversations

Competitors

Brand Activitie

s

AudienceEngageme

nt

BusinessImpact



Metrics to WatchSocial Referral Traffic to Your Storefront & Sales Conversions



Metrics to WatchAssisted Conversions



Open Q&ATweet or post your favorite takeaway with the hashtag #sellmoreonline for a chance to win a free social media audit

Call 1-888-750-3996 to learn more about Volusion’s Social Media Marketing and SEO services

http://www.volusion.com/ecommerce-social-media-marketing-services

http://www.volusion.com/ecommerce-seo-services


Thank you!