In between the aesthetics of branding and developing consistent messaging, social media conversion rate can get pushed to the bottom of your priority list. Seeing your metrics climb, whether you’re measuring followers or page views, gets exciting, but those metrics don’t tell the whole story. Juggling all the balls necessary to build a small business means you can get so wrapped up in boosting engagement that you miss the opportunity to turn your social media presence into measurable sales.
Use video to boost product interest
Creating a short video helps drive interest to products. Your production value doesn’t need to be high, but the bottom line is that the eye is drawn to movement. When people are scrolling through their social media feeds, they’re more likely to pause when they glimpse a video. Even if all you’re doing is zooming in and out of a product view or showing a quick sweeping image of your workspace, video entices people to click through to another page to see what else might interest them.
Check your landing pages
Make sure your landing pages are optimized for mobile users. Once you get a potential customer’s attention, they’re not going to want to dig around to discover more about a product or your company. Whether you’re driving people to an online shop or a specific purchasing page, make sure your destination is clear. You don’t need to do anything fancy to check your landing pages. Google tests them for you. The test site even offers suggestions to improve your pages, if necessary.
Experiment with various calls to action
Leading people to action helps your conversion rate, whether you’re asking them to click through for additional information or letting them know they can shop through a link at a specific location. A popular call to action on Instagram is “link in bio,” with links changing based on what you’re currently promoting. Recent chatter suggests that particular phrase might trigger the Instagram algorithm negatively, so experimenting with different language might help you see an increase in conversions.
Split test your ads
In addition to varying the wording and format for your calls to action, split testing your ads can pinpoint what’s working and not working for your particular audience—and target audience. Facebook makes it simple to split test directly in their Ad Manager. They can randomize your followers for the test so you are truly looking at what’s working and what isn’t. Remember to only test one variable at a time. Switch from a video to an image, change your messaging, or switch up the timing of your ad. Changing more than one variable at a time skews the results!
Stay active across your social media platforms
It can be tough not to play favorites with your social media pages. When you’re getting killer engagement on Instagram, going back to a platform that isn’t performing as well can hurt a little. Don’t fall into the trap of only spending time where your metrics are the highest. A consistent presence on your social platforms helps tilt the algorithms in your favor. Radio silence, or even sporadic posting, means your posts won’t land in front of as many eyes as they will if you post on a regular basis. The more people you reach, the more opportunities you have for engagement and conversion. If you find yourself overwhelmed, get in touch with us. We can help!
Capitalize on your satisfied customers
Monitor your social media mentions! When people post positively about their interactions with your products or services, they’re doing some of the heavy lifting for social media content creating. Retweet, regram, and share whenever possible. On the flip side, keeping an eye on your mentions means you can address any concerns or negative experiences quickly, which can shift a dissatisfied customer to a satisfied one. In the long run, return customers are well worth the time spent on customer service concerns.
How do you balance social media engagement with conversion rate?