Social media platforms like Facebook can be powerful tools for driving traffic to your online store. Think of them as nets for deep-sea fishing rather than a single fishing rod—you can reach a vast audience with minimal cost by leveraging these (mostly free) platforms and marketing tools.
Getting Started with Facebook
The first step is to secure your brand name on Facebook (and other major platforms) before someone else does. Even if you don’t plan to use them immediately, creating accounts on key sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Flickr is a smart move. These platforms are free to join and offer unique benefits for businesses. For example, LinkedIn focuses on professional networking, while Flickr is ideal for hosting images and videos.
To claim your own “vanity URL” (a branded page URL) on Facebook, you’ll need at least 25 followers. Setting up a fan page is simple. Visit Facebook Pages and follow the steps to add photos, contact information, and other relevant content. Keep the tone and style consistent with your website to build a cohesive and recognizable brand.
Growing Your Facebook Fan Base
Once your page is set up, it’s time to attract fans. Start by inviting friends and family from your personal Facebook account to join your store’s page. Share your Facebook page link in customer emails, and add a “like” button to your online store. If you’re using Storbie, you can easily do this by navigating to the Connections page under Manage Shops.
Creating Engaging Content
To maximize the value of your Facebook page, you’ll need to keep it active with interesting content. Here are some examples of how Storbie customers effectively use Facebook:
- The Vintage Love site: With nearly 5,000 followers, Stacey regularly interacts with her audience, answering questions and running promotions.
- Gillian from Le’Esscience: She uses her page to educate followers on aromatherapy benefits, emphasizing the importance of being available and approachable. She notes, “It’s also a great way to drive traffic to my website!”
- Debbie from Gracie Lou: Debbie uses her page to showcase sales, discounts, and new customer requests. She reports over 1,000 followers, which have helped boost her site’s traffic.
- Candygirl: Their Facebook page, “Do You Love Nail Polish?”, links to their blog and highlights content that features their products. Using the Networked Blogs app, they integrate their blog seamlessly with their Facebook page.
Combined, these businesses have over 10,000 followers on Facebook, and their pages consistently link back to their Storbie websites, generating sales and traffic.
Leveraging Social Media Sharing
Even if you’re not ready to maintain an active social media presence, you can still benefit from social sharing. Use Storbie’s share buttons to allow satisfied customers to spread the word on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. This enables your customers to promote your store to their network of friends, family, and followers.
Learn More
If you’d like a quick tutorial on setting this up, simply click here.
By leveraging Facebook and other social media platforms, you can reach a massive audience, all leading back to your Storbie online store. Remember: all roads lead to Rome, and in this case, Rome is your business!