Fans are vanity and sales are sanity. —Lori Taylor, social media marketer

It's easy to get sidetracked from sales because there are a ton of digital parameters for success, elaborate conversion funnels, follower counts, newsletter signups, likes, shares...

But the purpose of your investment in social media is ultimately to sell.

Yet, good-old, traditional selling is becoming trickier to do, because social media are savvier than ever and know when they are being marketed to.

That said, the number of businesses selling on social media is increasing even as you read, especially on the king of all platforms, Facebook.

Have you tried to harness Facebook's potential as an online store for your products or services? It takes time and effort, but it can yield worthwhile results. Here are a few easy tips to help you get started.

Create a Facebook business page

Start with the basics, by creating a Facebook business page, which gives you customization options that a simple profile page won't.

The most important feature of a business page is the ability to add a custom tab to build your very own online store directly on Facebook.

Build an online store on Facebook

An online store tab on your Facebook page functions as a shopping cart for customers to buy directly on the platform. Alternatively, Facebook lets you set up a "Check Out on Another Website" option, so you can link to your own website.

Setting up a store isn't hard at all, especially if you are doing it with a landing page app.

What does that mean, and why would you use a third-party landing page app? Because...

  • You won't need designer skills or professionals to build your store.
  • You'll have plenty of customization options to make it work for your brand; you can choose colors, create a logo, and adjust layouts.
  • Landing page apps automatically come with an SSL certificate, which means you can secure your transactions without having to paying more.

Use these quick tips for marketing your new Facebook store

  • Include product images.
  • Use a new timeline cover or publish a status update inviting followers to check out your new store.
  • Remember the power of a strong visual brand identity. Use these design strategy essentials for Facebook.
  • Consider creating a customer focus group to try out the store experience and give you feedback before you go live.
  • Include an e-commerce widget for more customization options of your online store.
  • Use the "message to buy" option so your customers can inquire about your products in a message.

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How to Sell on Facebook

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

image of Nate Gadzhibalaev

Nate Gadzhibalaev is the founder of Amplifr, a service for automatically scheduling social media posts. With a background in product managing, business development, and international growth, he helps grow audiences profitably and efficiently.

LinkedIn: Nate Gadzhibalaev