This past week, Instagram and Pinterest made announcements that they were increasing their ad offerings with stronger call to actions and buy now buttons. Instagram is expanding their call to actions to include shop now, download an app or signing up for a service. They are also introducing larger demographic targeting. Pinterest is adding a buy button for further lead revenue generation. Users will be able to check out on Facebook using Apple pay or credit card.
These announcements point to a larger movement within the social media world that shows advertisers and users are more open to buying and selling on social media. Facebook and Twitter have had ad offerings for years but these announcements show that social commerce is here to stay.
Small businesses need to learn how to sell on social media so they don’t miss out on these opportunities. We put together a few rules to keep in mind when you start selling on social media.
1. Social media is first and foremost is about being social and building a community
The ad tools that Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest have are all very cool, however, they only play a part of a role in social media. Before you can sell, you have to produce great content, interact with your communities and show you are more than just about making the sale.
2. Don’t expect instant results
Advertising takes time, energy and a little bit of experimentation. Don’t expect to have an instant ROI, especially since these are newer (and more inexpensive) platforms. Give yourself some room to experiment and see what works and what doesn’t.
3. Thinking outside the box will keep you ahead of the game
This move from social media to social commerce shows there is room for constant innovation. How can you use expanded calls to actions for more than just selling? How can you engage your followers for more than just liking and clicking the buy buttons? How can you increase the functionality of your own website to entice visitors to stay and look around?
Expect more social media advertising announcements over the next few months and years as platforms and advertisers continue to find new ways to innovate!
Will you try out Instagram or Pinterest’s new ad capabilities?
