Have you ever seen those shoppable Instagram feeds and thought “I want to do that!” Setting up a social commerce store seems like a lucrative way to tap into engaged social media audiences. But where do you begin? In this guide, I’ll walk you through the exact steps to launching and growing your very own social selling business. By the end, you’ll have a fully functioning online shop right on your social profiles. Let’s get started!
Step 1) Choose Your Niche and Products
Successful social commerce retailers focus on a specific niche or category. This helps customers easily understand what you sell. Some popular niches include:
- Beauty & skincare
- Women’s fashion
- Home accessories
- Digital products like ebooks or online courses
Once you select a niche, research top selling products within that category. Make sure there’s demand and that you can source inventory at a reasonable price. Eventually, you’ll want a curated catalog of 20-50 conventionally sized items that photograph and ship well. Focus on quality over quantity at first.
Step 2) Set Up Your Social Media Profiles
You’ll need business profiles on Instagram and Facebook as your online storefront. To potential customers, these should look like polished brand or boutique pages rather than personal accounts. Complete your bios with your business name, website and a brief description. Use a relevant business category so customers can easily find you.
Make sure your profiles are optimized for shopping. On Instagram and Facebook, go to settings and enable features like swipe up links, shop tab and product tags/collections. You’ll also need a business.facebook.com page and Instagram business profile for more analytics and marketing tools later on.
Step 3) Choose Your Ecommerce Platform
Now it’s time to pick a platform to actually process orders and payments. Popular options for true social selling include:
- Shopify: Very full-featured ecommerce platform. Integrates smoothly with social profiles.
- Square Online Store: Free basic option. Integrates with Square POS for in-person sales too.
- ClickFunnels: Focus on building “sales funnels.” Good for digital/info products.
- Ecwid: Specializes in multi-channel selling across social, website, marketplaces.
Be sure the platform you choose seamlessly integrates with the profiles in Step 2. You want shopping to feel native on social media.
Step 4) Design Your Online Store
Now let’s make your new online store look professionally designed and visually appealing on social.
Start by creating customized profile and website themes that match your brand aesthetics. Make sure photos are high-quality, consistent in style and utilize your chosen niche colors/fonts.
Set up standardized pricing, easy to find shipping/return policies as well as an About section detailing your story. Don’t forget to optimize product pages with detailed descriptions, multiple sized images and Social Sharing buttons.
Step 5) Upload and Tag Your Products
Time to get your inventory loaded up! Use the platform’s bulk import or Quick Add tools to efficiently enter products one by one. Be sure to include:
- High-res main and additional gallery images
- SKU/barcode numbers
- Thorough descriptions of materials, sizing etc.
- Pricing
- Stock levels
Once uploaded, go back and optimize each product page by strategically placing relevant hashtags and product tags. This helps customers easily discover your items.
Step 6) Promote Your Store With Social Marketing
Now that your social commerce store is set up, it’s time to drive traffic and sales through promotions. Here are some effective social marketing tactics:
- Create a standout profile bio/header with your business URL
- Post beautiful curated “shop my style” outfit grids 2-3 times daily
- Go live weekly to model items and answer questions
- Run ads/promoted posts targeted at your ideal customer
- Cross-promote to Pinterest and TikTok for expanded reach
- Partner with influencers in your niche for collaborations
- Host themed sales/events like Black Friday or Holiday Shopping
- Remind followers to check your stories for “Flash Sales”
Integrate your promotions across all platforms for maximum exposure. The goal is engaging, educational content that encourages purchases.
Step 7) Optimize Operations and Scaling
You’re well on your way to success with a fully operational social commerce store. Some final tips:
- Offer convenient shipping options like free shipping minimums
- Process orders with an optimized checkout flow
- Provide top-notch customer support via direct messaging
- Analyze traffic and sales data to refine strategies
- Rethink and expand your offering based on customer behavior
- Cross-train employees to help with promotions, fulfillment etc.
- Consider applying for small business grants or loans to grow inventory
Measure metrics like website visits, add-to-carts, average order value over time. Stay consistent, adapt and look for partnerships to scale up your thriving social business.
Conclusion
By following these 7 simple steps, you now have everything in place to launch and succeed with your own social commerce storefront. Remember that success takes consistency in posting engaging content as well as optimizing operations over time based on feedback. Stay focused on your customer journey from discovery through checkout. If you provide a seamless shopping experience on platforms they’re already active on, you’ll be well on your way to building a profitable social selling business. Now get out there and start promoting – I can’t wait to watch your brand take off! Let me know if you have any other questions.
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