Selling Products on Facebook?

Posted by Todd Horchner on Dec 7, 2012 in Facebook, Social Media Marketing

Facebook was made for one thing – socializing with family and friends. But over the years, it has changed and evolved into much, much more. Facebook users are now involved in gaming, debating, polling, and more.

While selling products on Facebook is still not mainstream, it is gaining momentum due to  the actions of small shops and business owners who are using it as a social app for their products.   And sales are rolling in!

How it works:

A Facebook store is pretty unique.  Part social, part commerce, but it must be treated like everything else on the site and that means social interaction is paramount. You can’t just copy your  website, add some Facebook apps that allow purchases and expect huge sales. You need to think about your store in a way that is effective at selling in a social space.

That means it needs to be easy to share and have plenty of comment features.  Give users ways to discuss products or services so that social momentum can build.  It’s also important to use smaller product catalogs so fans aren’t overwhelmed by the buying process. Facebook users are not necessarily in a shopping mode – it is your job to bring them into that frame of mind and shop your store.

Conversions vs Conversations?

On the giant online shopping sites, the brand will use banners and ads for the sole purpose of total conversions. On Facebook, the idea is to connect with fans and create relationships and conversations that drive sales.  So another way to say it is that conversations create conversions. If you don’t have some time and interest to engage potential clients this way then can’t recommend a Facebook store for you.

Whatever you do that creates conversation, it will help your conversions. Solicit guest comments, be relevant in your posts and ask lots of questions. This is not just a store – but a neat space for those in your niche to meet and discuss these products.

Think Outside of the Website

These days social integration across multiple platforms makes all the difference in whether or not your social marketing will be effective and it’s no different with a Facebook store. Your website, blog,  twitter account, Pinterest account and others will all have an impact on the success  of your Facebook store, so be smart and use them wisely. By creating a plan that strategically uses all of your web properties instead of separating them and marketing them each alone, you create a momentum that self-sustains.

The idea of a Facebook store is that it will allow anyone with a network of raving  fans to launch a successful product, sell it easily and bring it to the attention of a new audience.  If you’re ready to get started – give us a shout!