How to Effectively Market a Product on Social Media

Social media presents a tremendous opportunity for businesses to market and promote their products to a wide audience. With billions of active users across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, the reach is enormous.

But simply creating accounts and posting about your product will not magically drive sales. You need a strategic approach to genuinely connect with users and convert them into customers.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore proven tips and strategies for marketing any product effectively on social media to boost awareness, engagement and sales.

Start By Reviewing Your Current Social Media Presence

Before diving into tactics, take stock of your existing social media accounts and activities. Ask critical questions such as

• What platforms are we currently active on? Are we missing any major opportunities?
• How many followers/fans does our brand have on each platform?
• What is our posting frequency and strategy on each platform?
• What types of content do we share? Photos, videos, links, etc?
• What is the level of engagement on our posts? Comments, shares, etc?
• Which posts and content types perform the best?
• Are we running any paid ads on social media? On which platforms?

Gaining clarity on your current social media presence will reveal what’s working well and identify any gaps or issues to address in your strategy. Track key metrics like followers, engagement, clicks, conversions and sales

Create an Editorial Calendar to Strategically Market Your Product

The key to success on social media is being strategic and purposeful with your posting cadence and content. Simply posting randomly won’t have much impact.

Map out an editorial calendar that outlines a plan for what you will post and when Here are key elements to include

• Platforms – Which social platforms you will leverage and how frequently you will post on each.

• Content types – Photos, videos, links, quotes, questions, etc. Vary content types.

• Products to feature – Plan which products you will showcase each week/month.

• Special dates – Identify relevant holidays, events or dates to tie posts to.

• Campaigns – Schedule any special social campaigns and launches.

• Contests – Ideas for contests and sweepstakes to run on social.

Having a plan establishes consistency so you always have great content to share. But remain flexible – you can tweak the plan as you see what resonates.

Create Unique Hashtags for Your Product to Unify Posts

Introducing unique branded hashtags for your product gives users a unifying phrase to search for and engage with across social media.

For example, Leesa mattresses uses #AwakenedByLeesa to allow anyone to easily find related social content. When creating hashtags, aim for:

• Short and simple – Keep hashtags brief and easy to remember.

• Unique – Create something distinctive related to your brand so it stands out.

• Consistent use – Integrate your hashtag into all social posts about that product.

• Cross-platform – Use hashtags consistently on every platform.

• Contextual – Only use branded hashtags when relevant to avoid looking spammy.

Hashtags should roll off the tongue and summarize the essence of your product. Use them strategically to unify social conversations.

Showcase Satisfied Customers Using or Promoting Your Product

User-generated content from real customers carries tremendous credibility and authenticity for prospects.

You can encourage UGC by:

• Running contests for customers to share photos/videos using your product.

• Sharing great social posts from customers about your product.

• Featuring customer reviews in social posts.

• Asking loyal fans to try new products and share honest feedback.

• Conducting giveaways in exchange for posts about your product.

• Using a branded hashtag so customers naturally amplify your reach.

The key is getting consent to re-share so you can repurpose great UGC. This lends social proof and shows your products delivering results.

Leverage Interactive Social Features to Engage Fans

Every social platform offers unique features to encourage engagement between brands and users. Get creative in leveraging these:

• Twitter Polls – Quick poll questions are a fun way to get feedback.

• Instagram Questions – The questions sticker lets followers submit questions for you to answer.

• Facebook Live – Stream behind-the-scenes footage or product demos.

• TikTok Duets – Duet with users’ videos featuring your products.

• Pinterest Story Pins – Tell visual stories around your products with Story Pins.

• Snapchat AR – Use branded AR lenses and filters to showcase products creatively.

Interactivity makes followers more invested in your brand and products. Have fun testing creative ways to engage.

Enlist Brand Ambassadors on Social Media

Influencers and brand ambassadors with an existing audience can expand your product’s reach to new demographics.

But choose partners carefully:

• Review their follower stats and engagement levels.

• Ensure their audience personas match your target customer.

• Look for influencers genuinely excited to try your product vs just doing it for payment.

• Establish a consistent posting schedule and usage guidelines upfront.

Smaller “micro-influencers” are often more affordable and deliver better engagement and conversions than celebrity influencers. Offer free products to create win-win partnerships.

Run Paid Social Ads Focused on Specific Products

While organic social growth is ideal, paid ads can accelerate results. Highly targeted Facebook/Instagram ads are especially effective for promoting specific products.

Some best practices include:

• Targeting interest-based demographics passionate about your product category.

• Creating ads focused on one hero product vs promoting your entire catalog.

• Using video and bright, bold images that grab attention.

• Keeping ad copy succinct with a clear CTA driving to your site or store.

• A/B testing different images, captions and calls-to-action.

• Bidding on your branded keywords and product names so your ads are seen when searched.

Meticulously target the right users and you’ll reach high-intent customers ready to buy. Retarget past customers to drive repeat purchases.

Send Followers to Product Pages to Drive Purchases

Ultimately your social media strategy should drive traffic to your online store or product pages. Some tips:

• Include links, CTAs and tags in posts leading to key product pages.

• Create shoppable social posts with embedded product links for seamless browsing.

• Run retargeting ads so your products follow past visitors across sites.

• Promote specific products coinciding with relevant holidays or occasions.

• Share limited-time promotions or coupon codes to create urgency.

Every touchpoint on social should aim to take followers closer to a purchase. Track website referrals and sales from social channels.

Watch the Competition on Social Media

Keep a pulse on competitors by following their social media activity. Notice:

• What platforms and content types do they focus on?

• What products or features do they promote repeatedly?

• What messaging do they use to market their offerings?

• What special campaigns or stunts have they run?

• What level of engagement do their posts receive?

This gives helpful context for your own strategy. You can identify content gaps and mimic tactics that perform well. But always stay true to your unique brand voice.

Continuously Analyze Performance and Optimize

Consistently monitoring social media analytics ensures you identify winning strategies to double down on.

Key metrics to watch include:

• Follower growth rates over time

• Post reach and impressions

• Engagement rates and reactions to different content

• Link clicks and website referrals from social

• Conversions from social channels

Look at performance by platform, post type and product featured. Find the optimal mix for your audience. Take notes on what works and refine your strategy to maximize return from social efforts.

In Closing

With billions of active users, social platforms offer unrivaled potential to market your products. But cut through the noise and drive real business impact by being intentional with your efforts.

Map out an editorial plan, enlist influencers, launch social ads, and continuously track performance. Most importantly, focus on genuinely connecting with your audience rather than self-promoting. With a thoughtful and strategic approach, you can leverage social media to successfully grow your product’s visibility, community and sales.