Would you lose a customer over 7 cents?

There are well over a billion social media users worldwide. Of course, you don’t expect billions of people to walk into your store, but the staggering pervasiveness of social media is still to your advantage. You can use online tools to get people in the door and to the cash register. How can you do it? Use these simple tips.

Choose Powerful Platforms

There are hundreds of social networks, and they range from giants like Facebook to niche sites that few people have heard of. You can take advantage of both types of networks

Facebook remains the king of social networks, and it’s easy to use. Engage your customers with questions about your products and their shopping experiences, and reply to what they post. Tell them about your in-store sales.

Use more visually oriented networks like Instagram and Pinterest to get people interested in your products. For example, if you are opening a hat store, post appealing pictures of either your hats or unique hats that appear on TV or throughout history.

If there are any niche social networks that relate to your industry, create an account on these. The advantage is that you already know the audience is likely to be interested in your products.

You can even use social media before your store opens. When you find the perfect place for your business with a service like IdealSpot, post signs for passersby leading up to opening day that direct them to your social media accounts.

Get Involved in the Community

Follow local community groups on social media. This could include schools, charities, and other businesses. Keeping an eye on their conversations lets you know what people in your community care about, and it gives you ideas on how to bring people into your store. For example, if you find out that a high school is holding a food drive, offer your store as a donation site and give discounts to anyone who contributes.

Do More Than Sell

Even if you offer great deals on social media, your customers may get annoyed if all you do is sell. Post content they find valuable. Include links to helpful articles that relate to your business or your role in the community. This might include fashion tips, how-tos, or news reports. Better yet, start your own blog and post original content. To get people into your store, you might post fun stories about your employees or articles about your involvement in the community.

Sendible brings out that “Social media is an extension of retail locations, not a separate entity.” Keep that in mind as you open your business and steer people toward it using the power of your online presence.

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