Social media is yet another manner in which a business can to get its name and brand out there. So, where do you start? How can you use social media to sell? Let’s take a closer look at some tips on how you can use social media to sell your products or services.

1. You Don’t Need to Join Every Site – Pick the Sites That Work Best For You

What works on Facebook doesn’t necessarily work on LinkedIn. Furthermore, platforms like Pinterest aren’t ideal for selling. Find out what your customers are using most, then join that service.

2. You Need to Be Engaging – But Not Annoying

If you go too far with social media, your customers will turn against you. When someone comments on your post or mentions you in their status update, make sure to respond in a quick and polite manner. 

3. Use Hashtags – But Be Careful

Unless you know exactly what your customers are searching for, stick to popular tags, and don’t use more than 2-3 hashtags per post. If you’re going to use one on every post, space them apart so they look natural.

4. Treat Your Social Media Outlets the Same as a Storefront

People want a real person who will listen to them and respond like a human being. If you’re not willing to do that (or don’t care to), then don’t be surprised when people stop following you.

5. Don’t Respond to Every Negative Comment – That Will Backfire

There will always be some customers who complain, and you can guarantee that at least one of them will use social media to do it. When this happens, never respond with anger or frustration. If you do, they’ll have won. Just ignore these types of customers if possible or simply send them a private message to dissolve tension.

6. Reward Your Loyal Fans

You’re bound to get some great feedback on social media every now and then—and when it happens, never ignore it. Share the news on your other platforms, too. 

7. Know What You’re Posting – Use Some Common Sense

Social media is great for salespeople when used right—but all it takes is one mistake and you could be in trouble. Don’t post anything that a customer wouldn’t want to be made into a meme or shared on the network.

8. Make Use of Hashtag Research Tools

If you’re still having trouble with hashtags, browse the free tools available help you optimize your posts and reach more customers.

9. Strategize Your Social Media Posts

When it comes down to posting, keep your customers first and social media second. The only way you’ll make sales is if you have happy customers who will return to buy again. So, focus on them first.

10. Use Customer Testimonials on Your Social Media Sites

Your Facebook page should be filled with customer feedback, your Twitter feed should be full of testimonials, and your YouTube account should host video reviews.

11. Promote Your Social Media on Your Website

Your customers shouldn’t have to hunt for the links to their favorite social media sites—instead, make it easy for them by adding a link in your menu bar or putting one of your widgets on your homepage.

12. Make Your Social Media Sites Easy to Navigate

When you add a social media site, give it its own page—don’t just add the link in your main menu and call it done. It’ll be hard for customers to find what they want if everything is jumbled together.

13. Stay Up-to-Date on the Latest Trends

Just like any other part of your business, you need to know what’s hot and what isn’t. Instead of trying to learn everything on your own, follow some of the top accounts in each category for updates as soon as they come out.

14. Don’t Automatically Share Everything

If you know your customers are going to be offended by a post, don’t share it—especially if it’s related to politics or religion. If you have doubts, just skip the post altogether.

15. Use Facebook Ads Effectively

Make sure your business is visible on Facebook with ad campaigns that target the right people at the right time with the right content.

16. Put Your Message in Your Hashtag

When choosing a hashtag, choose one that’s short and can be used on other sites like Facebook and Google+. Also, make sure it matches your company name or the product you’re selling.

17. Think Before You Share

If you’re sharing news, be careful what you’re posting. All it takes is one misstep for a potential customer to see something they don’t like and never return. Choose your words carefully—especially when dealing with politics or religion.

18. Always Include a Call-to-Action

Your customers should always know what you want them to do. Unfortunately, this is one of the most common mistakes business owners make when it comes to social media. Include a clear call-to-action for the intended behavior of customers.

19. Stop Using Stock Photos

If you keep using stock photos in your posts, at some point customers are going to stop believing that they’re real. So, stop showing them fake images and start creating some original, unique content—you’ll be surprised by the results.

20. Use Hashtags Strategically

Using hashtags is an art form—because too many of the wrong ones can keep customers away. If you need help using the right ones, try a free hashtag research tool to find out what’s popular and trending.

The Internet has brought about a significant shift in advertising across all industries. Gone are the days of going to a storefront, hearing a pitch from a salesperson, then hoping that you get what you paid for. Although it may look like the Internet has made the world more impersonal, it’s done the opposite.