How to make money selling items on social media

There is an age-long saying that when we build strong relationships with people, we tend to draw favourable attention to our sales. In other words, if we could get more people to pay attention to us, we could build relationships that lead to sales.

This explains why the social media have remained viable platforms where many business owners take their trades to. The business has become so popular in the last few years with over 100 online platforms said to be competing for the media space. Fortunately, social media offer an amazing source of business opportunities.

It is a known fact that there is always something to sell as long as one knows what to sell and how to sell it. Online business remains a profitable one. “When people see you more, they like you more. The shorthand is that familiarity breeds like ability, especially if you’re seen as giving them value or good contents or information,” says an online business owner.

As the cyber space continues to grow with many people always looking for what to sell and buy, there is also the need for people to be mindful of the items they put online for sale. It is not enough to know what to sell or buy. The knowledge of the business and how not to fall prey of online fraudsters have always been the fear of many online business owners and their patrons.

Expectedly, the idea of doing business or selling items online comes with a higher risk, as many people have run into the hands of swindlers, who portray themselves as online business experts and left many unsuspecting social media users with sorry tales.

Gone are times, when social media were just about being social. Today, it’s about what some online experts described as ‘social selling.’

According to Ayodele Adegoke, an online business expert, who deals in helping people to sell items online, “potential investors, employees, colleagues, clients and customers are literally at one’s fingertips. But it is up to the business owner to build relationships and establish trust because that is basically what social selling is all about.”

It has also been observed that people now spend significant portions of their time on and within social networks built around their interests and relationships. As a result, the buying process has moved from one driven largely by a desire to find something to one that is more based on customers coming across things within the experience they’ve already created for themselves. In a nutshell, intent and discovery are woven more closely together.

It is not enough to know what to sell; it is also very important to know which of the social media platforms is viable for the market one intends to delve into and the item to sell. It is advisable to know that a product advertised or service advertised on twitter may not get the as much viewers as the one displayed on Instagram or Facebook or other popular platforms.

It should also be noted that paying attention to consumers’ posts on social media channels is another key factor to know what to sell. According to Adegoke, one should always look for trends, stories and clues about why people like and need your business. “Take note of your contents through these channels. Apart from that, research, not assumptions, is another key element. If you want to convert social-media users into buyers, speak your customers’ language.”

Executive Director of Travelbeta & Tours Limited, an online travelling agency,  Nnazilim Egbuonu, told Sunday Tribune that” There is a proven sequence of steps one can follow to guarantee success when starting a small business online. According to him, he has seen thousands of people start and grow successful businesses by following these steps.

 

Find a need and fill it.

Most people who are just starting out make the mistake of looking for a product first, and a market second. To boost your chances of success, start with a market. The trick is to find a group of people who are searching for a solution to a problem, but not finding many results. The Internet makes this kind of market research easy.

 

Design and build your website

Once you’ve got your market and product, and you’ve nailed down your selling process, now you’re ready for your small-business web design. Remember to keep it simple. You have fewer than five seconds to grab someone’s attention—otherwise they’re gone, never to be seen again. Choose one or two plain fonts on a white background. Make your navigation clear and simple and the same on every page. Only use graphics, audio or video if they enhance your message.

 

Use search engines to drive targeted buyers to your site

Pay-per-click advertising is the easiest way to get traffic to a brand-new site. It has two advantages over waiting for the traffic to come to you organically. First, PPC ads show up on the search pages immediately, and second, PPC ads allow you to test different keywords, as well as headlines, prices and selling approaches. Not only do you get immediate traffic, but you can also use PPC ads to discover your best, highest-converting keywords. Then you can distribute the keywords throughout your site in your copy and code, which will help your rankings in the organic search results.

 

Establish an expert reputation for yourself

People use the Internet to find information. Provide that information for free to other sites, and you’ll see more traffic and better search engine rankings. The secret is to always include a link to your site with each tidbit of information. Give away free, expert content. Create articles, videos or any other content that people will find useful. Distribute that content through online article directories or social media sites.

 

Use the power of e-mail marketing to turn visitors into buyers

When you build an opt-in list, you’re creating one of the most valuable assets of your online business. Your customers and subscribers have given you permission to send them e-mail. That means, you’re giving them something they’ve asked for. You’re developing lifetime relationships with them. The response is 100 per cent measurable.