Making your sales social

tom.ollerton

In the old world of advertising and sales, product marketing was a relatively linear process. It usually involved investing large amounts into product advertising to drive consumers into stores and convert a sale.

With the rise of social media, this old world of consumerism has changed. People are no longer passive when it comes to advertising but are decisive, active and selective of what brands they want to see in their media channels.

Consumers also use social to share purchases; they update their friends and followers on stores they’ve checked into or products they’ve just bought. For marketers, this is the hugely sought after peer-to-peer recommendation and an example of making a ‘social sale’.

A social sale raises awareness of products purchased and where they were purchased amongst a customer’s social community. And the great thing about them is that they are already happening. It doesn’t involve trying to change consumer behaviour, just harnessing it to work for your brand.

As our presentation shows, brand campaigns to drive social sales are happening, with success. But they’re not happening regularly – yet. It is still in its infancy, but it has the potential to revolutionise the purchase process in years to come. Mobile, shopper and social marketing are no longer separate disciplines. They need to evolve, and be considered as a cohesive whole, to allow each element to play to its strength and create truly social sales.