Small ecommerce businesses can reach a global audience when they leverage social media, which can help them garner attention for a wider customer base and drive sales. Marketing a brand through social media channels can prove effective at bringing in new customers, and using social ecommerce sites may be useful as well. 

Social ecommerce sites, such as Etsy and Zulily, give small businesses a unique outlet to sell their wares with setups that rival popular social sites like Pinterest and Instagram, according to Business 2 Community. Online retailers can take advantage of the social discovery aspect of sites like these to reach new consumers around the world. Ideally, retailers will want to bring these customers to their own sites, which means it will be key to have an intuitive point of sale that improves the shopping experience. Good POS software can help convert site visitors to completed sales.

When it comes to using social media in other ways, The Huffington Post suggested that engaging the audience involves more than posting relevant content. Responding to consumers and starting conversations about products and services can help bolster a brand's online presence. It's also important for retailers to do more than advertise their products, and adopt the 80/20 rule, the source pointed out. Roughly 80 percent of the content being posted should revolve around the overall interests of the target audience, while only 20 percent should focus on the brand itself, helping turn a business into a leader in its niche.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Monday, March 31st, 2014 at 12:18 pm .