Many brands find innate success thanks to the power of social media. From websites that provide entertainment to the masses to those that serve communities by providing information, giving an audience what they want – without the need for a commitment – tends to be the key to popularity on social media networks.

However, what about brands that provide a product or service? Given that it is an exchange rather than a free-flow of information or entertainment, convincing prospective and loyal customers alike to follow your pages, visit your store and make purchases can be difficult. Nevertheless, social media is flexible and provides solutions for any and all brands.

As such, let’s look at how e-commerce stores can combine social media marketing with their existing efforts for maximum efficiency.

Learn the Complexities of Social Media Ads

Paid advertising is probably the easiest route for e-commerce websites to embrace with regard to social media. Given that most brands enjoy high returns on investment when paid advertising is properly utilized, there’s minimal down-side to employing this strategy. While there is considerable upkeep involved, pinging users on social media with product ads, reviews and other forms of ad copy can yield substantial benefits even for smaller online stores.

However, there are many forms of ads that can be used, particularly on Facebook. Some ad campaigns may be configured to increase likes on a particular post, while others drive people to contact your store directly. Social media ads are more complex than many realize; learning how to take full advantage in order to bolster your store on social media can strengthen it in every respect.

Focus on Building Audiences

An organic following on some social media platforms may be more powerful than you think. In particular, sites such as Instagram largely revolve around driving consumer decisions: many brands show-case their products in posts on it, thereby driving sales.

By building a natural audience of followers, you can pitch new and relevant products on a consistent basis without paying to promote each one. While building a following on social media as an online store can be quite challenging, the process can be helped by offering unique benefits (such as discounts and free shipping) to those who follow you.

Take Advantage of Retargeting

Many people who have visited your e-commerce store may have not ever interacted with your social media presence – but that doesn’t mean they don’t use social media. The majority of visitors to your website will not make a purchase initially, but getting them to come back over and over inevitably produces more sales.

Through retargeting, you can show these users ads on social media that will remind them of your brand and its offerings. This process relies on user cookies in part, so it’s important to strike while the iron is hot. Having a consistent campaign built around retargeting is crucial in maximizing those otherwise lost sales.

Pinging users on social media with advertising may seem easy, but e-commerce stores have more difficulty. By tying in your social media presence with your online store-front, you can combine efforts and produce more effective results long-term. Whether it’s through generic ads, targeting specific platforms or retargeting, these strategies can help boost sales and increase brand visibility.