7 Ways to Convert Social Media Followers into Paying Customers

Social media is an excellent marketing tool that can help you gain visibility, build brand awareness and evolve into an industry leader. But, it can be difficult to get followers to convert to buyers. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to make the most of your social media presence and drive ROI for your business. 

Below are seven ways to help convert social media followers into paying customers. 

1. Know Your Target Market 

The first step in getting more customers is to know your target market. If you’re struggling to see ROI from your social channels, now is a great time to reassess your campaigns and who you are marketing to. Are you selling to the right people? Is your audience interested in what you have to offer? 

Research and develop customer personas to guide your conversations in the right direction. Try to discover as much as you can about your personas, such as the social sites they hang out on, the content they consume and their buying behaviors. Once you know and understand your target market, you can make thoughtful decisions that bring them closer to your brand. 

Here are the areas you should understand about your target market: 

• Demographics
• Biggest fears 
• Goals and motivations 
• Challenges or pain points 
• Hobbies and interests 
• Career 

2. Be Active on Several Platforms 

There is no magic number when it comes to how many social networking sites you should be on. You don’t want to spread yourself too thin, but you do want to be as active on as many sites as possible. That being said, you only need to be where your audience is. 

Remember, there is more to social networking sites than Facebook and Twitter. YouTube has 1 billion active users each month that you could be missing out on. Also, messaging apps are becoming more popular than social media. Depending on your audience, it may be time to invest in messaging apps like WhatsApp, WeChat and Facebook Messenger. 

3. Invest in Paid Social Media Ad Campaigns 

Just about all social networking sites offer paid ads that can help you target a highly select group of people. You can set a small budget, run your ads and collect data, such as content views, clicks, engagements, etc. Then, you can use this information to build better campaigns that turn social media users into buyers. 

One of the benefits to paid ads on social media is that you can repurpose the posts to reach new people. As you discover what your audience responds best to, you can tweak the ads and show them to a new target group. And, with all of the insightful targeting tools, it’s easy to reach the right people in the right moment. 

4. Provide Customer Service on Social Media 

Another way to capture more customers is by offering customer service on social media, which can be easily done with messaging apps like Facebook Messenger. The tricky part is being available to answer questions and concerns in the exact moment. 

Whether you choose to use chatbots or hire a dedicated social media manager, make customer service on your social channels a priority. Not only can you communicate with customers and support the buyer’s journey, but also you can be there to address negative complaints and comments that could hurt your business. 

5. Post User-Generated Content (UGC)

User-generated content accomplishes a few things. First, it gives you the chance to acknowledge customers and their loyalty to your brand. This makes them more likely to stick with you in the long run. Second, UGC increases visibility and brand awareness. It’s more content being generated for your brand, and it keeps your content strategy fresh when you might not have anything to write about.

Lastly, and most importantly, UGC builds trust. It lets customers share their experiences with others and turn followers into buyers. UGC is also more honest and genuine than paid advertisements, which is why people prefer it. So, encourage customers to share their experiences with your products and services on multiple platforms. 

6. Send Prospects to Specific Landing Pages 

Social media ad campaigns can convert a lot of people into buyers because they target people who need your product or service. But, there is something that can interrupt the journey, and that’s sending prospects to a generic landing page. If a user clicks on a link for a specific product and is sent to your home page, they aren’t going to be satisfied with the journey. 

Make sure that your ad campaigns always point to a specific landing page. When on this page, customers can convert by sharing their name, email and any other information. People expect to complete an action in as few steps as possible, so only ask for what you need. 

7. Show Loyalty to Your Customers 

It can take a long time for a customer to convert or make a second purchase, but this isn’t an excuse to get complacent. People want to do business with brands they trust, so show your followers the same appreciation and loyalty that you would expect as a potential customer. 

For example, if you promise to share helpful, relevant content with your followers and then you stop, you’re not delivering on what you said. This can break the cycle of trust. But, if you work hard on your commitment, it shows people that you are trustworthy. Communicate openly with your followers and consider launching a loyalty or referral program to boost retention. 

As you post content and engage on social media, keep the above seven tips in mind. When you nurture people, it’s easier to convert them into customers later on. To increase the effectiveness of your social media marketing strategy, contact the experts at WSI Net Advantage today.