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4 Ways Facebook and Instagram are Helping Retailers

4 Ways Facebook and Instagram are Helping Retailers

Facebook and Instagram help retailers in more ways than one, individually and combined. In fact, some online retailers, including drop shippers rely squarely on (either of) these two channels for all their marketing.

Facebook is the market leader, boasting over 2 billion users and 80 million business pages, followed by Instagram, with over 1 billion users and 25 million business accounts. Between them, these two have the largest marketplace online, where people and businesses meet. They generate billions in adverts, as businesses try to exploit social media via social marketing.

So,

What is Facebook Marketing?

Facebook marketing involves the active use of a Facebook page by a business (in this case, retailers) to target, market to and try to convert users into paying customers. It includes activities like Facebook posts, My Story updates, posting quotes, status updates, contests, giveaways, discounts, promos, mentions, etc.

To succeed in Facebook marketing, retailers need:

Facebook Business Page

A Facebook Business Page is like a one-page website on Facebook that allows brands and businesses to create brand awareness and promote their products or services. A well-optimized page is the simplest form of Facebook advertising.

Here’s How to Create a Facebook Page:

  1. Register a Facebook business page using your personal Facebook account
  2. Choose a page category (“Business or Brand”, “Community or Public figure”)
  3. Fill in your business information (name, brand, products, services and so on)
  4. Upload a cover and profile photo that represents your brand or business
  5. Invite friends to like your page
  6. Add more information that tells users more about your business (like your website, working hours, contact information and so on)
  7. Add a button that would act as your “Facebook page Call-to-Action” on your page
  8. Link your Facebook business page to your website
  9. Lastly, market your page by being active on Facebook

Facebook Shop

This is a Facebook marketing feature that allows businesses and retailers to set up a virtual shop on Facebook, from which they can market their products to users.

With Facebook Shop:

  1. You are able to add an unlimited number of products at a time
  2. You could organize your products and services into categories and collections
  3. You can communicate with customers directly through the page
  4. You can view sales status and user visits to the page
  5. Your products get to appear in Facebook marketplace which can bring wider exposure and visibility.

Here’s How to Set Up a Facebook Shop

  • Configure the shop from your Facebook business page
  • Set up your shop details
  • Input your business details (state, tax registration, product type, shopping options and so on)
  • Agree to the merchant terms and policies
  • Configure your payments
  • Add a product to your Facebook shop
  • Manage your orders (this feature is available only in a few selected countries)

Voila! You are ready to sell on Facebook Shop.

Now, on to Instagram.

What is Instagram

Marketing?

Just like Facebook Marketing, Instagram Marketing involves the active use of an Instagram (business) account to target, market to and try to convert users into paying customers. It includes the use of Instagram posts, Instagram Stories, IGTV, shoutouts, quotes, status updates, contests, giveaways, discounts, promos, mentions, etc.

Instagram is currently the fastest

growing social media platform, which is a good thing for marketers.

Following are:

2 Retail Friendly Instagram Marketing Features

Instagram Shopping

 This feature allows brands or businesses to advertise and market products to users. Users can also discover and purchase products they like via Insta Shopping.

With this feature user can:

  • Follow a branded account
  • Notice products they like on the feed of the branded account they are following
  • Tap on the content and check if the product has been tagged
  • Click on the product again to be directed to the product page on the brand or business website
  • Then make enquires from the brand or business owner and shop if interested in the product

How Instagram Shopping Works

  • Check if your country is eligible
  • Connect your Instagram account with Facebook
  • Setup Instagram business account
  • Install Instagram sales channel in Shopify
  • Upload an image
  • Tag your products
  • Select your product and input name of the product

And you’re good to go.

Next is:

Instagram Checkout

This In-app feature was created to make shopping on Instagram easier, less time consuming and faster. With Checkout, users can purchase any product of their choice with a few taps and without leaving Instagram.

Checkout makes:

  • Shopping faster, with just a few clicks
  • Checkout shorter when buying
  • It easier to shop on IG because it’s in-app
  • For safer payments, since payments are made onsite/in-app
  • It easier to monitor and track orders, etc

Here’s How Instagram Checkout Works

  • Users tap on a product to view details
  • Click “Checkout on Instagram”
  • Enter billing and shipping information
  • User information is stored for future purchase and to track orders
  • Review the details of your order
  • Place your order

Here are 4 More Ways Instagram and Facebook Help Retail  Businesses Grow

  1. More Exposure

Newspaper adverts, for instance, have limited reach. Not only are Facebook and Instagram free, they also have over 3 billion monthly active users between them, to whom you can advertise for a fraction of the cost of TV ads. In addition, these billions of users are spread all over the world. Done right, one solid marketing campaign can make you a household name in climes you’ll never even visit. So, with Instagram and Facebook, brands can increase visibility, reach and spread.

  1. Constant Innovation

Consumers are getting more and more choosy and picky. Thanks to stiff competition, brands are trying their best to beat each other to the consumers top ten list. The result: more options to choose from, and constant innovation to stay ahead of the competition.

Instagram and Facebook are at the forefront of simplifying social commerce by constantly introducing new features to make shopping easier and smoother. In the end, they make more money from businesses, businesses make more money from buyers (users), and buyers get more convenient shopping. Win-win for everyone. Facebook Shop and Instagram Checkout are two such innovations.

  1. Engagement Is High

According to research, Instagram and Facebook bring some of the most engaged traffic on social media.

With users spending an average of 2:22hrs a day on social media, it is clear that something is taking their time and attention. On a good day, that thing could include your quotes, posts, photos, promos, discounts, sales, etc. If they like what they see, they can start following you, and soon place their first order.

With constant interaction, trust is built. Users can give you valuable feedback that can help in product research and development. And of course, you can sell more.

  1. Easier Targeting

Squeezing and pulling the trigger is easy, focusing on moving, running Antelope (target) isn’t easy.

The tables below show Instagram and Facebook demographics, not only does it show composition by age, but it also shows by income. This can give you great marketing insight as to who to target, where and how.

With demographics like this done for you, targeting becomes a tad easier. Coupled with other business analytics tools and features, Facebook and Instagram can help retailers grow their game.

For digital nomads who operate online shops, nothing beats traveling and taking your Facebook or Instagram shop along with you wherever you go.

Conclusion

As a business owner, I believe growth is one of your major concerns. What better place to find and experience growth than on/in places already growing like Facebook and Instagram?

Let us know how these two have helped your business.

Author Bio:

Amos Onwukwe is an AWAI trained Business and Ecommerce Copywriter who loves to write about business, entrepreneurship, social media, tech and ecommerce.

Twitter: @amos_onwukwe

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