The integration of social media with digital outdoor advertising media is transforming the contemporary communication landscape

Social media continues to enjoy unwavering popularity among its users – especially among Generation Z and Millennials. Building brand awareness and showcasing offerings should therefore be done with social media in mind, as it can boost the sales of your products. In this article, we provide insights into how to use social media to increase conversions and how to integrate it with traditional outdoor campaigns.

Pandemic, E-commerce, and Social Media

The year 2020 brought about significant changes for many business owners in running their stores. Brick-and-mortar establishments experienced a decline in revenue, while all online stores saw an incredible boom and a significant increase in sales. However, as the pandemic progressed, emotions began to settle, and the initial sales spikes started to stabilize. While essential products like food, cosmetics, and household chemicals continued to be in demand, there was a decrease in demand for items like clothing. Hence, many clothing stores started using social media for product sales.

The majority of sales took place on Instagram and Facebook. It is on these two platforms that we can still see sales thriving. Live streams became popular during the pandemic, showcasing clothes on “models” (often the store owners themselves or their relatives), followed by orders being read out in the comments. This form was incredibly simple and didn’t require any financial investment.

Small stores and boutiques could afford such a sales method. But what about larger brands?

Influencer Marketing

To encourage purchases of products available in popular retail chains, brands decided to collaborate with influencers. They are more credible to customers because they seem to be closer to social media users than celebrities. After all, they are ordinary people. Companies would send them PR packages containing clothing and then ask them to create any styling. The possibilities offered by Instagram nowadays allow for seamless transition from influencer posts to the store’s website. Instagram itself has several tools that significantly facilitate shopping.

How to Sell on Social Media?

On Facebook, for example, sales can be conducted through live streams. Another tool is Marketplace, which has now become a robust platform allowing users to find products from all possible categories: from clothing and toys to garden furniture (and even gates and fences).

On the other hand, Instagram offers a “shop” option for business accounts. By configuring it correctly, direct sales can be conducted without the need for an additional shopping platform.

Other tools that support sales on social media include:

• Posts – showcasing products in posts allows customers to familiarize themselves with the available assortment, and presenting them in a different form than a product shoot makes it easier for customers to make decisions on how a particular item will look on them or in their home.
• Stories – stories are currently more popular than posts and allow for the inclusion of active links or the “swipe up” option, which allows customers to be redirected to the store’s website by simply swiping up on the screen.
• Reels – the most popular form of posts on Instagram, as short videos compel users to stay on the platform longer. Additionally, the short format is very accessible to busy audiences. Reels allow for a very creative presentation of products, which is particularly noticeable in the fashion industry.
• Polls/Q&A – social media is meant to connect people, and building relationships is very important for successful sales on social media. In our report on “customer expectations post-pandemic,” we mentioned that companies should be transparent to customers, respond to customer needs, and almost be their close friends. Engaging followers by creating polls or Q&A sessions is also a way to express interest in consumer opinion, in what they think about your company.