This document summarizes key points from a presentation on integrating social media with sales. It discusses that social media sales strategies have been tried in different ways in the past with mixed success. It emphasizes that clear goals, listening to customers, and measurable metrics are essential for any effective social media sales strategy. It also notes that sales are typically a byproduct of comprehensive social engagement, content sharing, and community building rather than direct sales tactics on social platforms. The document provides several tactics for leveraging social media for sales and retail sales, including using analytics and attribution tools, user reviews, geo-location data, and inspirational content to drive awareness, exploration and purchases.

1. How to integrate social
media with sales
RYAN DICKERSON
AUTOTRADER.COM
DECEMBER 9–11, 2013
ORLANDO
SOCIALMEDIA.ORG/SUMMIT

2. social media & sales
@RyanGDickerson

3. selling with social isn’t new
We’ve tried this a few different ways
 F-commerce stores “We’re going to sell stuff
on Facebook!”
 In-feed sales “We’re going to sell stuff on
Twitter!”
Image: http://www.bookingbug.com
 Video annotations “People can buy stuff
straight from product videos!”
 Rich Pins/Media “We’re going to sell stuff to
moms!”
@RyanGDickerson

4. strategy & tact are everything
Listening, clear goals, and measurable KPIs
are essential for any social sales strategy
 What does success look like for your brand?
 How will you measure those achievements?
 When will you know if you’ve succeeded?
@RyanGDickerson

5. sales are a byproduct of a comprehensive
social media strategy
Social Sales
Direct ROI
Foundational
Activities
Real-time
Engagment
Social
Listening
Social
Traffic/Leads
Inspirational
Content
Enabled
Analytics
Community
Management
@RyanGDickerson

6. social media & online sales

7. tactics for social media & online sales
 Leverage what’s available from the platforms
 Put on your analytics trucker hat
 Consider social advertising for your marketing mix
 Make user-generated reviews a cornerstone of your strategy
Source: Zazzle.com
@RyanGDickerson

8. leverage the basics
Marketers have a lot of tools at their
disposal to boost and track social
ROI
 Meta tags, inbound traffic
measurements, UV attribution
 Rich content (pins, cards, videos)
 Native platform analytics
@RyanGDickerson
Source: www.business2community.com

9. get friendly with your data
Know what to look for and how to
show attribution
Mobile
Site UV
Mobile
Site
Search
Mobile
Site
Product
Page
Mobile
Site
Search
Mobile
Site
Product
Page
Mobile
Site
Product
Page
Product
Ratings &
Reviews
Mobile
Social
Login
Social
Team
Happy
Hour
Post-Sale
CRM
Sourcing
Reviews
Add To
Cart/
Checkout
 Referral domain
 Session duration
 Site activity
 Add to cart/checkout
 Click events
 Shopper pathing
“Over the period of Jan.- June 2013,
social traffic to e-commerce sites
has created a revenue increase of
17.8 percent.” Source: (ShopSocially)
@RyanGDickerson
sample e-commerce flow (mobile)
Social
Content
Click

10. are social ads right for you?
Social adverting has come a long, long, long way
 Better segmentation “clusters”
 Better attribution techniques
 1st & 3rd party data integration (Equifax, Polk)
 Industry demand for accountability
Facebook’s CTR saw a
275% increase in Q3.
Source: Adobe Social Intelligence Report
@RyanGDickerson

11. ugc is your digital reputation
 Ratings & Reviews drive sales,
and have become synonymous
with online shopping
“78% of Americans said online
reviews help them decide on
whether or not to purchase a
product.” Source: http://www.marketingcharts.com
@RyanGDickerson

12. social media & retail sales

13. tactics for social media & retail sales
 Know your social path to purchase
 Use inspirational content to drive discovery
 Work with your geo-social companies
 Get creative with social incentives
@RyanGDickerson

14. know your social path to purchase
 Having an understanding of where your social presence fits
into the path to purchase is critical in knowing where your
role starts and stops in a sales process
Source: http://www.mckinsey.com/
@RyanGDickerson
Source: http://www.zeromomentoftruth.com

15. inspiration drives sales
 Inspire with your compelling
content
 Engage with your community
 Empower your loyalists
 Deliver on your brand promise
Twenty-six percent of
in-store purchases from
Pinterest were at
discount retailers.
Source: Vision Critical
@RyanGDickerson

16. check-ins- an easy attribution tool
Check-in and geo-fencing technologies
could be your missing attribution tool
 Associate check-ins with…
 CRM data
 Brand fans (Likes, Follows)
 Competitors (visitors recent check-ins)
 Easily identify influencers and key
behaviors
@RyanGDickerson

17. social incentives aren’t about the deal
Social incentive campaigns
build stickiness and help
brands…
 Drive brand awareness
 Gain deeper shopper
insights
 Build long-term attribution
models
@RyanGDickerson

18. key takeaways & best practices

19. sales are a long-tail game
 Sales are a byproduct of a well-executed social strategy
@RyanGDickerson

20. leverage the basic industry tools
The social platforms want to help
you succeed, so use what they offer
 Twitter Cards
 Rich Pins
 YouTube Annotations
 Google Analytics
 Check-in data
@RyanGDickerson

21. know your channels strengths
@RyanGDickerson
Source: http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/marketing_sales/the_consumer_decision_journey

22. be inspirational
Inspiration drives exploration,
and gives consumers unique
ways to connect with a brand
@RyanGDickerson

23. don’t be a “swim fan brand”
 Know what to ask for: Don’t be
the like me, love me, follow me,
pin me, + me,
me brand
 Have tact: Don’t #Twitt-sta-
face-tube-pin-plus your salesdriven content
 Maintain balance: Make sure
your sales-focused content isn’t
the key driver in your social
content mix
@RyanGDickerson

24. thank you
 Feel free to send your critiques, praises, good jokes, or BBQ
recipes to @RyanGDickerson

25. Learn more about past and
upcoming events
SOCIALMEDIA.ORG/EVENTS
DECEMBER 9–11, 2013
ORLANDO
SOCIALMEDIA.ORG/SUMMIT