What Is Social Retail?

In this day and age, we are witnessing the continuous development of social networking platforms. Therefore, as a retailer, you must understand retail social media and how to apply it to amplify your brand.

Enhancing the brand’s social media presence through several online tools available is possible. But, it is essential to develop social retailing tactics to increase conversions and drive sales. This article will help you answer “What is social retail?” and offer a social media campaign strategy. So, let’s read on!

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Simply put, social retail refers to using social media to interact with buyers. As a result, you can sell on both physical and digital channels simultaneously. Once buyers share products that are right for them on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, they are rewarded.

Using social media, your retail business can allow buyers to see genuine buyers with your products rather than models in pictures. In other words, social media allows you to provide “social proof” and your officially-produced advertising content. As a result, potential buyers will see that your business is trustworthy.

How effective is it? The fact of the matter is that nearly 75% of buyers use social media to help them make purchasing decisions.

By now, you should know “What is social retail?”. So, how can your retail business get the most out of this solution to increase conversions and drive revenue?

Just follow these basic steps:

Step 1: Create an official hashtag for your retail
Step 2: Run hashtag campaigns
Step 3: Improve the product based on buyer feedback. This makes buyers feel that their opinions are respected.
Step 4: Create photographable or share-worthy backdrops in the retail environment to encourage customer in-store posting.
Step 5: Showcase buyer content on social walls both online and in-store.

Creating an exceptional customer experience should be the primary goal of any retail business. One way to achieve this is by crafting a practical omnichannel shopping experience that complements your social retailing campaign. An omnichannel approach ensures that customers can seamlessly interact with your brand across multiple online and offline channels.

Using a trusted Point of Sale (POS) system, such as ConnectPOS, is crucial in providing an integrated shopping experience. This cutting-edge system allows retailers to synchronize customer data, inventory, and order information between their online store and physical locations. For example, a buyer can select a product online and pick it up in-store or purchase an item in-store and have it shipped to their home.

The benefits of an omnichannel retail strategy are numerous. According to a recent study by the Harvard Business Review, customers who utilized an omnichannel approach spent an average of 4% more on every in-store shopping trip and 10% more online than single-channel customers.

In addition to boosting revenue, an omnichannel strategy can help improve customer satisfaction. The International Council of Shopping Centers revealed that 90% of shoppers wanted a combination of online and offline channels, emphasizing the importance of adopting an integrated approach.

A social wall is an aggregated display of social media content from multiple platforms, offering a comprehensive view of buyers’ interactions. This may include brand-created posts or user-generated content, making it valuable for marketing. For example, a social wall can showcase positive testimonials and captivating images, boosting credibility and engagement. In fact, 25% of consumers are influenced by user-generated content, making it a powerful marketing tool. By leveraging the impact of diverse input, businesses can reinforce their online presence while fostering strong connections with their audience.

Remember, all your social media information is aggregated and presented in one place on your social wall. Besides, you can personalize your social wall to highlight hashtags and specific topics. It will benefit retailers running a social media campaign to highlight products, introduce new products, or promote sales.

Your social wall can be displayed at an event, in a store, or at a business. It allows you to combine consumer influence on social media and in-store. For instance, you can share the shopping experience in the physical store by posting photos of your employees and customers directly to your social platforms and vice versa.

You don’t have to use social media to attract customers online. Instead, you can provide online shopping experiences for customers visiting your physical retail store through social walls and vice versa. In other words, it gives you the perfect combination of physical and social proof. Also, by investing in a reliable POS system like ConnectPOS and implementing an omnichannel shopping experience, your retail business is poised to meet consumers’ evolving needs better and improve their overall shopping experience. This drives sales and loyalty and sets your brand apart in today’s fast-paced and competitive retail landscape. For more insights into social retailing and ConnectPOS, contact us right now!

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