So you have an e-commerce website, but how do you build brand awareness, increase loyalty, and more importantly, drive sales? Where do you start? Over the last few years, the digital space has become a battleground for e-commerce sites to keep afloat alongside the stiff competition, better known as Amazonification.

Online retail is skyrocketing and social growth is running parallel. Just look at the numbers: global B2C e-commerce sales have grown exponentially for years, and sales are expected to reach $2.3 billion this year. The driver behind that growth? Social media. The average person spends nearly two hours a day using it, and Facebook trumps in the social commerce category.

Whether a small business or a worldwide retailer, knowing the best ways to advertise on social media to scale your e-commerce business is what sets you apart from your competitors. Here are some of the best ways to promote your e-commerce app or website through social media.

Advertising your e-commerce website

Leverage data for sharper customer insights

To begin, you need to understand your customer. Who are they? What are their needs or desires? Person A is vastly different from Person B. That’s where using data helps guide consumer experiences and helps you understand which audience to target.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• Who is your ideal customer?
• How old are they?
• What is/are their gender(s)?
• Where do they live?
• What level of education do they have?
• Where do they spend their time?
• What motivates them?
• What’s their life like? Adventurous? Family-oriented?
• Why do they want your product?
• What convinces them to buy?

Of course, this list can extend far beyond these questions, but these are essential to begin understanding your audience.

If you’re not answering these questions and analyzing data, then that means you’re relying on preconceived notions about your audience’s behavior—and possibly missing out on reaching the right demographics. Using data to your advantage guides a deeper understanding of consumer behavior and not only who to target, but how to target.

Here are a few ways to gather actionable data:

• A/B test your social media ads to gauge receptiveness
• Analyze goal performance on Google Analytics
• Monitor conversion performance

Embrace social buying

There are expected to be 283 million online shoppers in the U.S. in 2024, and they are becoming more and more social, engaging with brands and discovering new products. But what if you could turn that engagement into sales? Enter social commerce.

Ecommerce and social commerce go hand-in-hand. Social commerce is the act of in-app purchases from retailers, and the convenience is something companies are noticing. Think about it: if it takes more than a few minutes for us to buy something, we’re lose interest fast. Thanks to social buying, we combine the element of social media with checking out online, all in one place.

While Facebook is the leader in the social buying scene, Instagram isn’t far behind. Instagram has been introducing shopping functionalities for businesses including brand tags that promote purchases.

By making your social media posts shoppable, you can:

• Turn discoveries into immediate purchases
• Increase engagement and website traffic
• Improve customer loyalty
• Sharper social media insights
• Increase revenue

Implementing a social buying strategy where it works for your brand is smart to stay one step ahead of the competition.

Use a managed advertising service

If you advertise your online business across multiple platforms, it might be worth considering an outside managed service. A managed service team consists of experts in the social media advertising field. Consistent pros with hiring an outside service like this include expert advice, 24/7 campaign management, frequent tracking and optimization for budget allocation.

Additionally, when you work with a managed service team, you can rest assured that you’re not overspending for your campaign performance.

Nonetheless, this kind of service is not for every online retail business. Those with in-house expertise and resources can drive superior results for their ad campaigns but should consider what works best for their business.

The golden rule in advertising: transparency

The number one rule in the digital industry is transparency. Failing to maintain a level of trustworthiness among your customers risks bad reputation and decreased brand loyalty. You shouldn’t have to think too hard about what transparency means to your e-commerce business, as it should come naturally.

Remember that customers don’t want to be manipulated. They want clear answers and a trusting connection with you. Brands may succeed short-term using antiquated practices, but in the long run, keeping an honest approach to the entirety of your business will help your brand outshine others.

So how do you maintain a level of transparency with your customers? It’s really quite easy.

• Engage honestly and professionally
• Display confidence
• Welcome various feedback
• Promote and target consumers carefully
• Have nothing to hide

Building up your e-commerce presence

By implementing these strategies into your e-commerce business, you can confidently advertise on social media and expect authentic, superior results. Social media has been a frequent driver behind e-commerce success, and the time is now to employ these strategies into your e-comm business.