Blog | Page 29 of 33 | Trek Marketing

What is social selling and how can it help with your sales?

Posted on October 30, 2018May 31, 2019 by Alex Wilks

The traditional methods of sales have transformed over the years and evolved into a more contemporary approach known as social selling. E-commerce business owners are utilizing the power of social networking to connect, communicate, engage, research and build up trust with potential buyers. The best part of this new selling technique is that people feel less targeted and annoyed, which can usually convert into an increase in sales. But what elements comprise the design of social selling?

What is social selling?

Social selling is a sales process that takes place by using the various social media platforms to reach out to your consumer market. Comparable to a casino slot machine (lots of misses and an occasional hit) social selling is a tactic used by businesses to push sales. Although campaigns have the ability to organically appear on buyers’ news feeds, they also have the potential to get missed in the mayhem of scrolling through.

Needless to say, most consumers find social selling to be an all-round pleasant experience when compared to the in-your-face methods of traditional selling. Social selling is also about creating a following just as much as creating sales. Generally speaking, consumers feel like the price point of a product or service are better if the sales approach isn’t as forceful.

Why is social selling beneficial to your company?

Before the massive wave of internet-friendly sales, sales people dominated this interaction between face-to-face. Now many people turn to the internet to meet their shopping needs, because they feel as if sales people have become too pushy and believe that they are simply trying to sell their product and not inform the public in the process.

To an extent this may be true. Back in the day all that salespeople needed was lots of sales skills and little to no product knowledge. Yet, social selling has revolutionized consumer access to product information. Not to mention the high-quality content is engaging to buyers.

Savvy sales professionals, both through traditional means and online, have become familiar with what their consumers want through the use of social listening and social sales. Instead of being the customers only means of information, e-commerce business owners now know that there is a plethora of facts available after a quick Google search. This allows them to curve their sales judgement and rethink their sales approach.

Needless to say, products are still advertised (more uniquely as a matter of fact), only buyers now have the chance to browse, seek out the best deal or product and read reviews all from the comfort of their own home. Social selling is the new approach to sales in the modern era.

How has your company benefited by using social selling as a selling strategy? Tell us in the comments section below.

The marketing benefits of social listening

Posted on October 23, 2018October 16, 2018 by Alex Wilks

There are many elements that should be involved in your social media management process. Part of what drives buyers to make purchases is your ability to connect with them and put a face behind your product. When people feel that a company supports their values, they are inclined to give their loyalty as a customer. By using social listening as a means to understand consumers you are taking full advantage of a key social media marketing benefit.

What is social listening?

For those of you who are not accustomed to hearing the term, social listening is the process of being aware of online conversations that are taking place amongst your customers (and potential buyers) through the use of their social media platforms. By familiarizing yourself with this practice, you are allowing it to be used as a tool to collect valuable data on topics, industries and brands.

Social listening vs. social media monitoring

Although both terms suggest keeping tabs on your buyers, social media monitoring is not the same practice. Though they are similar, social media monitoring is when an e-commerce business owner, or a hired social media professional, simply watch social media channels for mentions or comments about their brand. However, social listening involves a more in-depth insight into this conversation.

Interestingly enough, there are conversations that you may find valuable as a business owner that are taking place without appearing in your notifications tab. Actually, studies suggests that only 9% of Tweets that converse about your brand are happening opening on social channels. That means around 91% actually happen without you even knowing. Through the use of social listening you’re able to track keywords, phrases, events and organizations that correlate with your branding. This kind of social media digging provides you with a stronger social presence and other beneficial insights that will aid you in better connecting with your target audience.

What are some other benefits of social listening?

Strategy measurement: Strategies are simply a trial and error process. If something isn’t working, make a new plan. Social listening allows you to measure social engagement and see what is generating the most optimal results.
Content marketing: Since a successful business is measured by your ability to deliver good content, social listening will help you to reach your target audience by crafting posts that they care about.
Build a reputation: One of the most beneficial elements of using social listening is the prompt ability to handle a social media crisis. While positive mentions are the most ideal, negative mentions do happen and it’s important to tackle these issues to ensure your brands longstanding reputation.

If you don’t have the spare time to add social listening to your social media strategy consider speaking with a member from our team to help you with the process.

Have you integrated social listening into your social media strategy? Tell us all about it in the comments section below.

Why do you need a social media strategy?

Posted on October 16, 2018September 21, 2021 by Alex Wilks

The decisions you make regarding your e-commerce business have the ability to steer your company in a successful direction. In order to start defining your brand online, you need to make use of an effective social media strategy, an essential building block that will allow you achieve your target goals. Whether this detailed plan of action is focused on understanding your customers, creating innovative sales content or generating a presence within your niche, a concise social media plan will help you to stand out from your competitors. Here are a few reasons why a social media strategy is an effective way to manage your brands online reputation.

Many purchases are influenced by social media

There was a time when businesses only used social media to spread brand awareness, but that era of engagement has involved into something new and more marketable. Currently, more companies than ever before have invested in major social platforms in order to lure potential customers to their products and services.

For example, e-commerce businesses use Facebook to create ads, manage a posting schedule and keep an eye on their analytics. Not to mention, social media users often rely on their social feeds to provide them with recommendations based on their search history. The perfect way for them to find their way to you.

Lack of strategy gives your competition an advantage

Now that you understand how frequently a social media strategy is used and how effective it can be on influencing purchases, it seems silly to not have one. After all, without the appropriate framework, you’re basically handing your competitors your business.

Investing in your social presence by planning, prioritizing and executing active content will allow you to better communicate with your audience and will provide you with some steady insight into how you can set more appropriate business objectives.

Everyone is on social media

Now, this is probably the most valid reason of all… many people are already on social media. Your friends, colleagues, family and future customers are already probably active on at least one social media account, so, what do you have to lose? Why not strategically connect with your audience through means of social media?

If you’re not incredibly tech savvy or you don’t understand how to work your way around the popular social media networks, speak with a representative from Trek Marketing and find out how to get started.

Are there any other reasons as to why an e-commerce business should lay out a social media strategy? Tell us in the comments section below.

A quick guide on how to conduct a competitive analysis on social media

Posted on October 9, 2018September 21, 2021 by Alex Wilks

Social media is the heart of modern communication. It gives business owners the power of outreach and the ability to spread beyond the simple means of selling at a community market or relying on the word-of-mouth of friends. Although the use of social media to gain product hype is not a new concept, the use of competitive analysis is still relatively contemporary. Using this tactic as part of your social media strategy is a crucial element that will help you shape your competition and understand how to market your product or service.

What is competitive analysis?

Competitive analysis is the evaluation of your competitors, the assessment of their strategies, the determination of their strengths and weaknesses and how it all compares to your business. In the context of social media, it’s looking at your competitor’s social accounts and better understanding the methods that they are using to create a social media landscape within your industry.

How do you conduct a competitive analysis?

In order to understand the scope of your competitor’s success on social media, you will first need to gather as much information as you can on them. Who are they following? How often are they posting? What kind of content are they posting? Which social accounts are they using? Once you’re able to answer these questions, gather the data together and compare between each competitor and your current social media strategy.

How do you find out who you competitors are?

For many businesses this is an easy answer, but for others you may need to do a bit of digging around. Just remember that Google is always a good tool to help answer your questions. By typing in keywords or phrases you will be able to see who ranks above you — BAM, your competition. Be very specific in your search efforts and also take into consideration that your competition may not be local.

Another great method that will aid you in determining your competitors is to use your audience’s social following. Chances are they are following brands that are similar to yours and might be exceeding you when it comes to sales.

Once you make a pool of potential competitors, narrow your list to a few of the strongest ones. From there you can start investigating.

What social networks are they on?
How big is there following?
How often do they post?
Are their followers engaged?
What are their strengths/weaknesses?
How are they a threat to you?
Where are your opportunities to grow?

After you have gained some useful information on your competitors, your creative process will begin. Remember to be inspiring and not merely duplicating what your competition is already doing well. Also, it is best practice to look for a bold, unconventional and unique way to approach your future engagement. Stay organized and keep at it. Establishing a strong social media presence takes time and competitive analysis is only a single step in your journey.

If you need a little motivation to get started, consult with a professional about your social media strategy and have them dedicate the time to complete a competitive analysis for you!

Did you find our tips helpful? Tell us in the comments section below.

How do you build a successful brand?

Posted on October 2, 2018September 21, 2021 by Alex Wilks

Creating brand awareness is one of the most important things you can do as an e-commerce business owner. Familiarity and accountability generate devoted customers and establish a relationship that will grow through proper marketing, word-of-mouth and organically as your company expands. Naturally, brand building is so much more than a fancy website, an eye pleasing logo and an assortment of advertising, it is about establishing a target audience and focusing on their needs.

The first steps of brand building

First and foremost, you need to determine who your target audience is. Although you want anyone and everyone to buy your products or services, selecting a more narrow-focused audience will allow you to target how you will reach them, tailor your messages and accommodate what they need. The key part is to be as specific as possible. For example, college students who enjoy the outdoors. You’ve narrowed your demographic to include educated people, between the ages of 18 to roughly 30, that enjoy spending time surrounded by nature. This will allow you to cater your marketing approach to appeal to them and perhaps even other consumers along the way.

Create a mission statement

When you’re aiming to create brand awareness, you’ll have to craft a clear statement that expresses what your company is passionate about. Once you establish your target audience, you will be able to form a message that intrigues them. For example, the brand Nike has a clear, distinct message to their demographic, “Our Mission is to Bring Inspiration and Innovation to Every Athlete* in the World”, with a footnote indicating, “*If You Have a Body, You are an Athlete.” Those are some pretty smart choice of words when it comes to brand building.

Research, research, research

It’s naive to think that your brand is the only unique one, especially in a world of endless competition. However, dedicated time to research what is already being done is really worthwhile. Study how your competitors have effectively built their brand and identify how you can use the same processes within your own company

Hire professional help

A quality marketing team or professional graphic designer will be your saving grace when it comes to building brand awareness. They will work with you to reach your target audience by resonating your message through social media, newsletters and blog posts, all while creating an innovative logo and an attractive website design.

Do you have any other tips to help e-commerce businesses build their brand awareness? Let us know in the comments section below.

How do you build your advocate community online?

Posted on September 25, 2018September 21, 2021 by Alex Wilks

There’s no arguing the power of social media. Large-scale communication, access to an enriched research database and the most exponential collection of time-wasting videos. Social media is a beautiful thing. Yet, followers and likes do not directly determine your customer’s loyalty to your brand. The real question is, how does a brand effectively build a community of advocates?

Provide motivation for customers to advocate for you

The first thing you need to do in order to build a social presence is to create a benefit program that will motivate your happy customers to promote your brand. Craft yourself a list of customers that have expressed positive feelings about your brand in the past. Approach them by emailing them and asking them to complete an act of advocacy, such as leaving a review. The most important thing is to recognize them for their efforts. Maybe even by giving them some really cool swag so that they can personally represent your brand moving forward. Be sure to not constantly hassle the same few people, as they will get tired of doing you favors.

Really get to know your customers

The most important factor to consider when you build a social presence is that customers appreciate when you take the time to get to know them. Learn as much as you can about their needs, goals and challenges. If you’re hoping they will advocate for you, then you need to know more about what makes them tick.

Involve your entire marketing team

When you build a social presence all your gears need to be turning in the right direction, and that includes all the members of your team. Think of all the people that represent your brand — sales team, customer marketing, product development etc. — and consider how these team members can also use positive brand advocation. For example, perhaps your advocates know new potential customers that they could refer to your sales team. It’s a win, win for everyone!

Treat your advocates well

Bottom line, if you treat your advocates really well they will feel emotionally connected to your brand and be more excited to share your products or services with the world…especially if you give them product samples. Just remember if you have happy people advocating your business, that positive energy could go a long way in terms of how you build a social presence and spread your brand awareness.

Are there any other tips you can offer to ensure success when you build an online advocate community? Tell us in the comments section below.

Third-party software tools that help with social media marketing

Posted on September 18, 2018September 21, 2021 by Alex Wilks

Social media is one of the best methods of getting your message out into world. With a wide reach to your targeted audience, branding on social media networks is almost a necessity for any e-commerce business wanting to assert their knowledge in their field. Needless to say, social media marketing can be a little overwhelming if you don’t have access to the appropriate third-party software tools. Whether you want to have the ability to repurpose old content, engage with your audience regularly by means of a posting schedule or have more time to focus on your other business arrangements, third-party software tools have the ability to retain a social presence without dedicating an endless amount of time every day.

Hootsuite

If your business has a presence on multiple social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc.) then Hootsuite will make it simple to post, schedule and customize to each of your social feeds from one easy-to-use platform. You simply add all of your social accounts, craft a post in the post manager section and schedule that post for as far in advance as you need.

Hubspot

This third-party software tool is beneficial for tracking which posts and channels are driving your sales. Not only do you have the ability to post and schedule content to your social media, but you can also monitor your channels closer and track the data.

TweetDeck

If you are on a tighter budget due to e-commerce startup costs then TweetDeck is the perfect third-party software tool for you. Although it is only used to post to Twitter, the free, multi-columned layout makes it easy to follow conversations, retweets and future scheduled tweets all from one screen.

Sprout Social

Comparable to the more widely used third-party software Hootsuite, Sprout Social allows you to monitor your client’s social media mentions, engage with your brand advocates and schedule your future content.

Google Analytics

Data can be gathered from your social media platforms by the use of Google Analytics. That gathered data has the ability to break down traffic and conversions in order to find out which social feeds are converting into sales and which ones need to be revamped.

Content Calendars

Although this suggestion for a third-party software tool does not require you to subscribe or purchase any complex software, it is recommended that e-commerce businesses create one in Google Docs or Microsoft Word. If you plan out your content in advance you have a distinct advantage that ensures you are present on your social media without needing to worry about coming up with unique ideas every day. This will give you more free time for other aspects of your business that require it.

Have you used any of these third-party software tools for your e-commerce business? Tell us about your experience in the comments section below.

What does it mean to have a social media strategy?

Posted on September 11, 2018September 21, 2021 by Alex Wilks

Effective social media marketing involves setting goals and creating a pathway that will get you there. When it comes to the world of social media every post, reply, like, share or comment needs to serve a purpose. The most competent way to orchestrate your success is to develop a social media strategy. This will allow you to organize your ideas and integrate them into social platforms that reach your target audience.

What is a social media strategy?

Social media is probably the most powerful tool a business has access to and if you use it correctly, it will allow you to create a long-lasting connection with already existing and potential customers. In order to create a social media strategy, you must first layout your company goals, brainstorm some measurable objectives and look into what has already been done by your competitors. Once you have finished this process, develop your messages, choose your channels and design a content management plan that will allow you to deliver your material online in a timely fashion.

Creating a social media strategy

The most important part about setting social media goals is to ensure that they are attainable. You don’t want to set unrealistic expectations right off the bat, especially if this is your first experience with developing an online presence. Here are some tips to keep in mind when you are creating a social media strategy:

Track your metrics: Track anything that can prove to be valuable or measurable to your business. Many social sites offer insights charts that allow you to see how your posts are converting to your audience.
Gather information on your audience: The best way to sell a product or service to a targeted group is by knowing them well. It is critical for you to cultivate content that is geared towards developing a relationship with your customers.
Research your competition: You need to understand your competition and know what they are doing effectively. Analyzing your competitors will help you to spot opportunities where you can grow that they haven’t attempted yet.

If you’re finding that you lack inspiration and struggle to be distinctive and unique, seek professional help so that you don’t stretch yourself too thin.

How else have you successfully carried out your social media strategy? Tell us in the comment section below.

Social Media: How do you optimize your social media?

Posted on September 4, 2018August 13, 2018 by Alex Wilks

Social media should definitely be one of the focal components of your digital marketing plan. While it remains one of the easiest ways to reach potential and existing customers, it also has the potential to drive traffic from your social sites to your e-commerce web page. On the other hand, when you optimize your social platforms, you enable a strategic force that has the ability to drive your business to its full selling potential.

What is social media optimization:

When you use a number of social media networks to increase the awareness of your brand, product or service, you are optimizing your social media presence and therefore maximizing the reach you have to your target market. Instagram, Facebook and Twitter are usually the social media platforms that most businesses start off with to promote the growth of their company, but be sure to only focus on networks that will add value to your brand.

Why is this so important? Well, by optimizing your social media, you have the power to increase your reach to potential customers and drive more traffic to your site.

Steps to optimizing your social media profiles:

With the opportunity to create and enhance your outreach using social media you will be able to grow your company’s online reputation, assert your voice within your niche and maintain a presence with your audience.

Optimize your strategy: Once you lay out a social media strategy for each social profile, you are then able to define any goals or objectives that match between them. A social media strategy should focus on growing your presence and establishing a voice for your brand with your given social networks.
Regularly check your keywords: Identifying phrases and topics that your audience may search for is the key to creating relevant content and optimizing your social accounts. Referencing applicable topics, hashtags and words will heighten your chance your reaching out to your target audience.
Optimize your social profiles: The social profile is the foundation behind any e-commerce-based company. Make sure to have a profile photo embellishing your company logo, a username that clearly states your company name and a bio section artfully filled out explaining what your company does using relevant industry keywords.
Optimize your content: Content is the driving force behind any social media marketing strategy. In order to successfully showcase your business, you will need a mix of created (made by you) content and curated (made by others) content. Quality always beats quantity, however, regularity (create a posting schedule) is ideal when you are trying to get yourself recognized.

Are there any other tips on how to optimize your social media that we haven’t mentioned? Tell us in the comments section below.

Social Media: How to use LinkedIn for business

Posted on August 28, 2018September 21, 2021 by Alex Wilks

Although many business owners are drawn to using Facebook, Twitter or Instagram as key components of their social media strategy, companies are neglecting the power that LinkedIn has to spread the word. While it is one of the best networking tools that is used by people seeking jobs, it is also an excellent platform to advertise your business. Attracting talent, positioning your company as a thought leader in your niche and promoting your products and services are just a few of the basic networking strategies that are beneficial to business owners. Furthermore, here is how you can use LinkedIn for business.

Create a LinkedIn company page

By creating a custom LinkedIn company page, you open your business to a world of potential customers. A company page allows consumers to learn about your business, brand, products, services and job opportunities and it only requires a verified email address. Remember to edit your page to include a company description using keywords as well as describe the history and mission of your business. There will also be an option to fill in details such as location, company size and any specialties that you are known for. Be sure to use this platform to advertise your company logo. Sometimes pictures are easier to remember than names.

Create a career page

If you are seeking employees that have the skills and the means to fit into your company culture, then creating a career page is simply a must. This portion of your LinkedIn account allows you to tell a story which will help the talented job seekers measure how their goals meet your own. You are also able to upload photo galleries, company insights and videos to this section.

Tips and tricks to using your LinkedIn page

Now it’s time to start promoting LinkedIn for business. Creating a company and career page are just the sections that get your started but how do you build your business with these pages?

Get followers: Publishing content is absolutely pointless unless someone is seeing it on the other end. It’s important to gain a following so that you have an audience that is benefiting from your knowledge and expertise. Try not to be overly promotional and use this as an opportunity to connect with your audience.
Publish and share content: Make sure you publish regular and relevant content that your audiences find interesting and enticing.
Try to keep on schedule with a content calendar: Since publishing regularly is the key to social media success, sometimes setting up a content calendar, where you will post how and what is to be scheduled, is the best way to ensure you are using this platform to your advantage.
Use social media days to your advantage: Playing off of specific stat holidays or even social media only holidays are a good way to ensure that your content offers a nice mixture to your audience.
Track your results: The best way to know if what you are posting is engaging your audience is to track the past post in order to determine what is working and what is not.
Experiment with both photos and videos: LinkedIn offers users a video and photo feature within the mobile app, where you can post it directly to your timeline. This is a good opportunity for you to share behind the scenes content that you don’t offer on your other social media channels.

Too busy to manage all your social media platforms? Allow the Trek team to take over some of the responsibility so, you don’t get too burnt out.

How have you used LinkedIn for business? Tell us about it in the comments section below.

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How do you build a successful brand?

The first steps of brand building

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Research, research, research

Hire professional help