Social-to-store: What is it and how to use it?

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Among the many ways that exist to achieve this objective, a presence on social networks seems essential today, especially since 90% of consumers buy from brands that they follow on social networks 1 and 57% say that social networks influence their purchasing journey 2 .

Today, social networks are essential for retail networks and brands because they allow them to create a community, communicate, build loyalty, but also and above all, generate in-store traffic .

In this article, we’ll look at how social media can help you drive in-store buy brazil cell phone number list traffic and how to fully leverage the potential of social-to-store . We’ll also discuss the need for a social-to-store platform for retail chains and brands that operate multiple locations.

1. What is social-to-store?
2. Why use social-to-store?
3. How to implement a social-to-store strategy?
Conclusion


social-to-store representation

What is social-to-store?
By definition, social-to-store refers to a marketing technique that involves using social networks to generate more traffic in stores.

The goal is to create a close bond with your community (followers, fans, subscribers, etc.) and encourage them to visit you at the point of sale through local communication on social networks and marketing actions such as discount codes to be used in store, geolocalized advertising, competitions or even the promotion of in-store events.

In summary, social-to-store consists of organizing the communication of points of sale on social networks to encourage in-store traffic .



social-to-store representation

Why use social-to-store?
Social -to-store offers considerable opportunities for brands.


Increase in-store traffic
Social -to-store is a great way to attract new customers to your store .

Indeed, social networks can be used to promote your offers, products and services through dedicated publications.

You can also use local advertising through Facebook Ads or Instagram Ads to target consumers in a specific geographic area and encourage them to visit a store by offering relevant content such as special offers or exclusive promotions.

Using geolocalized hashtags (city, neighborhood, etc.) in your posts is also effective for reaching local consumers on social networks and gaining local visibility in your catchment area.



Improving the customer experience
Beyond the simple distribution of content, social networks have become an integral part of the customer experience and are now used to offer digital customer service (after-sales service, order tracking, answers to questions, etc.).

Customer expectations have evolved significantly with the rise of social media. For example, 76% of users who contact a business via message do so in order to obtain customer support related to a product or service 3 and 64% of customers prefer to contact a business via message rather than by phone 4 .

This shows how important social media is to the customer experience. You must therefore integrate this social dimension into your customer relationship strategy to improve it.

In addition, social networks allow you to collect customer reviews , comments and messages that provide relevant information on the behavior and preferences of your customers. This allows you to better understand their needs and expectations to adapt your offer accordingly.

According to a study by Conversocial, more than a third (37%) of people expect a response within 30 minutes when they contact a brand on social media, whether it’s a question or a complaint. You must therefore be as responsive as possible to your customers’ messages and comments on social media.



Building customer loyalty
If social networks are effective in strengthening the affinity bond between your customers and your brand, sharing news alone is no longer enough! You must develop your local communication and create a community around your brand, because each follower/fan on a social network is a potential customer if they are not already a customer.

Social networks have become conversational platforms where social network users have the opportunity to address brands directly and easily and want to obtain answers within a very short time following their requests. Thus, 88% of Internet users say that the responsiveness of the response is essential to their loyalty to a brand 5 .

Building customer loyalty also involves the close relationship you have with them. When customers feel close to a brand, 57% of them increase their spending with it and 76% choose to buy from it rather than from a competitor 6 .

To build customer loyalty via social networks, you can, for example, communicate about an in-store event, organize a competition, inform your fans of a new product or offer discount coupons to be used in-store, etc.

As you will have understood, communication on social networks is a powerful lever for loyalty which allows you to generate additional sales in store.



social-to-store representation

How to implement a social-to-store strategy?
The goal of a social-to-store strategy is to build your local awareness on social media and encourage your community (fans, subscribers, followers, etc.) to visit the store to generate traffic and sales.

Here’s how to set up your social-to-store strategy.


Identify your targets
First of all, you should define a marketing persona or buyer persona , that is, the typical people likely to become your customers. In this way, you will identify your targets' social network preferences, their needs, behaviors, habits and expectations.


Choose the most suitable social networks
The second step is to identify the most relevant social networks to reach your target. Social networks are numerous and varied, and each of them has its own specificities and its own audience. However, some networks will only serve to maintain the link with your customers, while others will really lend themselves to the implementation of a social-to-store strategy . While it is preferable to be active on several platforms, it is better to favor quality over quantity!

To make your search easier, here are the social networks to favor as a brand as well as their specificities:


Facebook and its general audience
Facebook is the most generalist social network in terms of audience since 91% of its daily users are between 25 and 49 years old 7 .

Beyond being the number 1 social network in France 8 , Facebook is by far the most impactful and the most suited to local communication for companies organized in a network, in particular thanks to Facebook Places Pages .

Facebook is a real lever of visibility for your brand since 67% of its users consult a professional page at least once a week 9 .