Social media is becoming more and more important in the customer buying process and has a growing direct influence on purchasing choices. Since 40% of Kenyan people are active social media users, more and more consumers are using ‘social’ to learn about new companies, goods, and services. This is wonderful news for your company and potential future revenue.

Recent statistics show that about 90% of consumers will make a purchase from a brand they have chosen to follow on social media. In the end, brand loyalty results in future product purchases. Additionally, your followers are more inclined to choose your product over a rival’s, go to your physical location, and engage in other behaviors that increase sales.

We’ve put together a list of 6 easy steps to help you increase sales on social media:

1. Organic posting

No, when we talk about organic, we don’t mean homegrown and pesticide free . It simply implies that there will be no adverts in your standard, daily post on your social networking platform. No recommendations. Simple posting only. The purpose of social media is not to constantly push your items at customers, however how alluring it may become to do so. Using graphics drawn from real-world experiences, illustrations of your work or products, or user-generated content, if it is available for usage, is much more fascinating and fulfilling. Be interesting when promoting yourself.  User-generated content, which you must have permission to use, is created by your customers interacting with or using your goods.  Always keep an eye on your posts’ performance on each social media network you use by visiting your insights page. Increase the frequency of this posting style as much as you can once you identify a strategy that works for your company. Visit our blog for some posting advice – A Guide for Retailers on Organic Social Posting

2. Choose the best platform for your business.

Focusing on 1-2 platforms rather than wasting valuable time creating several accounts that might not be useful for your business is an excellent way to make the most of your committed social time. Remember to err on the side of caution and avoid spreading your resources too thin even if you can definitely be present on every social media platform. Performing well on 1 or 2 platforms is preferable to attempting to present on all of them.

Here are some of the most widely used platforms in Kenya:

• Facebook is the most popular social networking site, with about 2.7 billion global users. The 25-34 age group in Kenya uses this platform the most, with 64% of logins made using a mobile device.
• Instagram‘s majority readership is often made up of young people. Content should have a significant emphasis on storytelling and reels and be aesthetically beautiful.
• Snapchat mostly catered to young people. Most of the content on Snapchat consists of brief real-world videos.
• Twitter is notorious for its brevity (just 280 characters), and in recent years, it has seen an increase of grocery chains trolling one another. (Reading it is quite entertaining)
• Linkedin used by Business professionals, job seekers, and B2B connections.
• Youtube is the most popular video hosting site worldwide.
• TikTok‘s attention-grabbing educational (under one minute) videos will let you show off the creative side of your brand.

3. Create a commerce manager

A commerce manager is a need for owners of online stores; using it, you can manage your catalog and make purchases for Facebook and Instagram. You can establish a catalog in the commerce manager to add your products either manually or from a feed. To learn more, see our previous blog:   How can I add items to my business on Facebook and Instagram?

4. Publish your shop

There is a shop section in your commerce manager. Here, you may choose how your store will appear to customers on Facebook and Instagram. Decide which products your customers will view first, categorize your products, and even select a theme!  Edit your store’s design to reflect your brand, paying attention to details like font size, button color, and embellishments.

5. Tag your products in your shop

You will have access to a helpful tool called product tagging once your catalog is set up. Simply tap the shopping symbol after uploading your image or video, search for the product, click “done tagging,” and save. This straightforward action improves the shopping experience for customers. They can tap the tag to instantly view all the pertinent information and a link to your website where they can make a purchase.

6. Use paid ads

Should I pay or not?  Before entering the world of paid social media advertising, this is a question that is almost always taken into account. Why do I have to pay for social media if it’s free?

It’s as straightforward as the three rights: right person, right place, and right time. With paid advertisements, you can plan when to display them and to whom. The bulk of businesses will require the assistance of paid advertising to help them develop their businesses on social media, even though some can prosper if they amass a loyal following. It’s a fantastic idea to combine effective organic posting with a well-planned ad strategy to help you reach your business objectives.

When using demographic targeting in advertising, it is crucial to evaluate the campaigns’ effectiveness. Advertising professionals frequently focus too much on ROI (return on investment) for social media spend, even though social media exposure is so much more important. Where else can your new product advertisement be seen 30,000 times for as little as €1 a day? Customers will only see ads if they actively search for what you are selling the majority of the time, even though Google ads may deliver comparable results. Advertising that targets a specific demographic is suggestive as opposed to reactive. Here are some of the goals we use to gauge a campaign’s success:

• Click-throughs: How many visitors clicked through from the ad to your site?
• Reach: How many people saw your ad?
• Impressions: The number of times your advertisement was viewed
• Engagement: The number of interactions with your advertisement, including likes, comments, page clicks, website clicks, and shares.

At Topaz Digital, we have first-hand knowledge of how to use social media in the most effective way.  Contact one of our in-house Digital Marketing professionals if you need assistance setting up or using any of your social media assets. Topaz Digital would be pleased to assist you.