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Which Social Media Platform is Best for My E-commerce Business?

Which Social Media Platform is Best for My E-commerce Business?

Social media can play a huge role in influencing consumer purchases, so connecting with customers via these platforms has become increasingly important. When used correctly, social media can increase revenue, which will therefore increase your likelihood of success.

There are so many social media sites available, it can be hard to know which would benefit your business most. You may think the answer is glaringly obvious, but it all depends on how you are looking to connect with your customers, and the nature of your business.

Here are some of the main social media sites, and their advantages.

Facebook – connecting with your target audience

Facebook is arguably the world’s biggest social media platform, with 72% of all adults online using the site regularly. You can use Facebook to boost your business in a number of ways:

  • First, create a personal profile. A personal profile should be about you as an individual, with messages about your business and products being subtle, not sales focused.
  • Second, create a Facebook business page. This enables you to give information about your business to potential clients. A following can then be built up through shares and likes, so information about your business starts to circulate.

One of the main benefits of Facebook is their paid ads platform. This option allows you to target a specific group of people, without the need to befriend them. You will therefore have a far greater reach than if you rely on the options above. Furthermore, one of the main benefits of this platform is that you can target your audience right down to finest detail, which ultimately should mean higher conversion rates.

Pinterest – one for the ladies

A massive 85% of all Pinterest users are female. This obviously has an impact on the success of a business, depending on the industry. Unlike Facebook, users of Pinterest primarily use the site for product research and collecting information, rather than connecting with people.

87% of visitors use Pinterest to help determine which products to purchase. With women using the social media platform in their decision making process, this has boosted sales in five main areas of business. These are the more personal areas of retail, such as beauty, health, fashion, home furnishings and food. If your business includes products in these categories, using Pinterest will help you to reach more customers.

Twitter – connecting with the individual

Twitter is another big name on the social media scene with 302 million active users each month. The best use for Twitter is to connect with customers individually. Users can comment about products or services publicly, and it makes good business sense to be seen responding, particularly if it’s helpful to the customer.

If a customer tweets about an issue with a service, the popularity of Twitter means this can be far reaching. It is therefore in your company’s best interest to help them to solve their issue. The short nature of tweets means that a solution can be reached quickly. If your company goes the extra mile, you are more likely to draw favourable attention from potential new customers.

Instagram – maximising visual appeal

The draw of Instagram comes from images and videos, so if you have a visually attractive product, this is the ideal platform for your company. With 300 million active users monthly, it has an extremely wide reach, making it a great place to show off your product.

Online shopping limits the customer’s experience of a product before purchase, so sales rely heavily on visual appeal. If your products look great and you are a keen photographer, Instagram can help you to maximise what you are trying to sell.

Still can’t decide which is best for you?

Our e-commerce team can help you to decide what social media platform is the best fit for your business. Contact us today by calling 0161 452 7146 for some free friendly advice.

Image Source: Creative Commons Flickr / Jason Howie
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