4 Ways To Get More Customers Through Social Media

by | May 18, 2018 | Social Media | 0 comments

With the age of digitization upon us, social media has become an extension of our lives. We have evolved from casually browsing through social media sites to practically living on them. When looking at social media from a business point-of-view, we see a digital goldmine. If mined well, your business can reach new horizons.

In 2016, Facebook revealed that they have a monthly active user base of 1.71 billion. This was an increase of 15% year-over-year. What does this mean for businesses? It means a whole new market of potential customers that can be targeted. And the more people you can reach, the more effective your business efforts will be. This will eventually help you increase your returns on investment (ROI).

In recent years, social media marketing has grown to become one of the most popular marketing strategies. With social media marketing, brands can reach and engage with the masses, which will then help you increase conversions and revenue.

Here are four tactics you can use to attract more customers on social media:

#1. Share User-Generated Content (UGC)

You already know that social media channels help brands and individuals promote themselves. For businesses, social media platforms act as a platform through which you can humanize your brand. They can help you showcase your company’s culture, delight your existing customers, and attract new customers.

What better way to leverage this platform than by showcasing content from your existing customers? Promoting user-generated content (UGC) via social media platforms can help you promote your business by delegating some of your brand building responsibilities to your audience.

Think about it. If someone shares an account of their experience with your brand, it’s likely that they have affection for your brand. And by acknowledging them, you can return the affection and show them that you care.

A study by Olapic found that social media content from other consumers is seven times more trustworthy than advertising. And 56% of the study’s respondents said that a positive or relatable photo from another customer would make them more likely to buy a product.

This proves that you can effectively leverage content created by your existing customers to win over new ones.

Here are a few strategies your brand can use to build brand loyalty with the help of user-generated content:

  • Share User-Generated Content Everywhere – If you want to get the most out of UGC and want it to make a significant impact, start sharing it everywhere. Sharing it on multiple social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, SnapChat, etc, will increase brand visibility.
  • Create Your Online Community of User-Generated Content – Once you’ve started promoting UGC on your website and social media profiles, try to build a digital community around it. By doing this, your customers can not only connect with you but also with other like-minded customers.
  • Market User-Generated Content to Promote Your Brand – By marketing UGC, instead of simply putting up ads, you let your customers share your brand’s story. This not only feels organic but also adds credibility to your brand. This will make others like and trust your brand even more.

Here’s an example of an excellent campaign that leveraged user-generated content.

In 2006, Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts decided to launch a UGC-based campaign. The company launched their “The Art of the Trench” campaign in 2009. During the campaign, the company launched a Tumblr page where people could upload pictures of themselves or others wearing Burberry products. This marketing stunt, surged Burberry’s sales by 50% year-over-year.

Image via Burberry

#2. Get Influential Accounts to Promote Your Brand

You can also collaborate with social media influencers to promote your brand. But who is an influencer? An influencer is an individual who has a strong online presence and who possesses the potential to influence your target audience. Most social media influencers create engaging and unique content which makes people follow them. Hence, their opinions are respected by the masses.

If you know what influencer marketing is, then you already know that it can help you to increase conversion rates. It can also boost your brand engagement and reach. A tweet from an influencer has directly influenced 40% of Twitter users to make a purchase, according to Twitter and Annalect. All the more reason to promote your brand with the help of social media influencers.

Still not convinced? Here are some reasons why you should collaborate with social media influencers:

  • Influencers are Trusted Voices – People tend to trust the opinions of their friends and peers. Influencers, being real and relatable people, can help you win the trust of your target audience.
  • They Create Content – Influencers are known for their unique content creation which makes people follow them. This means influencers will create unique content that puts a spotlight on your brand in a way that resonates with the audience.
  • They Increase Brand Awareness – As influencers tend to have a loyal fan following, promoting your brand through them ensures brand awareness. Many of them have thousands of followers, who can all learn about your brand through the influencer.

Here’s an example of a successful collaboration with an influencer.

Image via Instagram

Here we see how Fendi, the Italian luxury fashion brand, collaborated with the popular model Liu Wen. Fendi collaborated with Liu to create a new handbag named “Fendi Peekaboo.” As Liu has a staggering fan following of 3.7 million, she was the perfect choice for Fendi to collaborate with. The post has more than 49,000 likes, which means that the rate of engagement is extremely high.

With Grin’s influencer search tool, you can easily search for popular and relevant influencers to partner with for your marketing campaigns. It has unique filter options such as by location, social network, engagement rates, etc. This makes the process of finding the right influencers quick and easy.

#3. Repurpose Influencer-Generated Content

Repurposing influencer-generated content allows your brand to make the most of your influencer marketing campaigns. Regardless of campaign size, repurposing influencer-generated content helps in driving sales and generating more traffic.

Here are few reasons why you should repurpose influencer-generated content.

  • Repurposing content saves you the time and effort required to create new content.
  • You know that the content is tested and is effective. As it is an influencer-generated content, it is already attracting audiences. Repurposing it will help you save time and allow you focus on other important aspects of your business.
  • You know that the content is attracting audiences. Putting the content up on other social media profiles will target more audience and amplify your brand’s reach.

Here’s an example.

Image via Instagram

Here we see popular bath and body products brand, The Body Shop, has repurposed an influencer’s content. This was originally published by popular Indonesian-German actress, Cinta Laura Kiehl, who has a fan following of 4.1 million. By repurposing the content on their brand’s page, the brand received an additional engagement of more than 7,000 likes.

#4. Give Away Coupons to Followers

Another popular way to get more customers through social media is by providing discount coupons to your followers. By offering incentives to your target consumers, you’re increasing the chances of them engaging with your brand online. Provide the right incentive, and you can easily gain tons of followers and fans.

Here’s an example of offering the right incentive effectively.

We all know that any discount or deal shared on social media, soon becomes a part of successive shares from existing followers. To win over the friends and peers of existing followers, Starbucks often offers discounts on drinks. Such posts are most shared by present flowers which allow the brand in amplifying their reach.

Image via Instagram

Conclusion

By following the steps mentioned above, you can easily gain more customers through social media. These strategies help you attract more customers and maximize your online presence. Social media marketing can do wonders for your brand if done right. Do you know any more strategies that can help brands gain more customers? Feel free to let us know in the comments section below.

About the Author: Brandon Brown is the CEO of Grin, an influencer marketing software solution for brands. Grin’s software helps customers identify, recruit & activate the world’s most engaging influencers. Prior to Grin, he has led marketing for the #1 energy drink market in the world, Los Angeles & Orange County, at Red Bull North America.