2. Social Commerce is a way to attract customers by
being where they are so you aren’t pulling them
away from what they are already doing. Lot’s of small
businesses–virtual and brick-and-mortar– are making
millions of dollars engaging customers, building
“community” and selling their goods exclusively on
Facebook, Instagram and other social sites.
Our goal is to help people become successful at
leveraging the “Social Economy” through Social
Commerce. This eBook is a guide to help you get
started with building your brand on Facebook and
implementing the tried and true best practices that
have made so many brands successful.
We’ve helped hundreds of sellers extend their online
footprint, increase sales and reach new customers
by selling on Facebook and Instagram. Through that
experience we have learned quite a bit, and with this
guide we are sharing what we’ve learned with you.
Thank you for downloading our eBook. We hope you
find the information inside helpful and inspiring as you
begin to ramp up your Facebook-brand, build your
community and create a valid sales channel for your
business.
If you have any questions at all, please feel free to visit
our blog, or contact us directly.
We are here to help!
“Social
Commerce is a
way to attract
customers by
being where
they are so you
aren’t pulling
them away
from what they
are already
doing.”
Chris Bennett
CEO, SOLDSIE
2
3. Table of Contents
Creating Your Page
Building An Audience
Planning Your Sale
Promoting Your Sale
Evaluating Success
Optimizing Your Page
Success Stories
Snapshots
Additional Resources
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4. Before you can start selling
on Facebook, you’ll need to
create a Facebook page for
your business. We assume that
you already have one, but if you
don’t, get started on Facebook
(https://www.facebook.com/
pages/create/). Be sure to fill
out all the information in the
“About,” “Description,” and
“Contact” sections so that users
who land on your page are
instantly engaged. Let your
potential fans know who you
are, what you offer, and how
to get in touch. Typically, fans
are wary of pages that are
incomplete or have missing
information.
Your page should be visually
appealing. You need to persuade users to “like” your
business so that they will subscribe to your updates
and announcements to see what you have for sale.
That means choosing a bold cover image and posting
plenty of photos, infographics, and other graphic
content that enlivens your page.
Creating Your Page
Before you can start selling on Facebook,
you’ll need to create a Facebook page for your business.
PRO TOOL
Pagemodo is a great tool to create unique, eye
catching cover photos for your facebook page.
www.pagemodo.com
With pricing plans that range from Free ($0) to Agency
($33.25 per month), Pagemodo offers to build entire
pages for small businesses–complete with tabs, “like”
gates, and, yes, cover photos. The end product is
attractive, professional, and designed to capture and
expand your audience.
Quick Tip: Easy posts that get your page attention:
Publish inspiring quotes, post a daily meme, share
favorite recipes, best dressed celebrity photos,
questions or opinion polls.
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5. It is very important to build an audience that will
engage. You should put your energy into finding
people that will like your page because they are
truly interested in the types of products you sell, and
eventually buying those products. If you have an
audience that isn’t engaged with the content that you
post, it will make it more challenging for you to conduct
successful sales.
Growing your page the right way can take time, but
focusing on the quality of your likes will ensure that the
right people are engaged with your content.
Getting Quality Likes
So how do you actually get quality likes? Start with
who you know: Ask friends and family to like your
page - (even if they aren’t potential shoppers) they
are invested enough in you as a person that they will
interact with your page and their friends will see it.
This is the ONLY exception to the “must be a potential
customer” rule and its mostly to get you started.
• Invite your personal Facebook friends to like your page
• Import your email address of customers from your
boutique mailing list
• Note: You can invite in bulk by going to the Admin Panel
and selecting “Build Audience” for your page.
To grow likes and the engagement on your page,
it’s important to post content that your fans will enjoy
and interact with. Every interaction is a chance for a
new person to discover your page. The more people
engage (like) the content that is on your page, the more
it will spread and bring you new followers. Your existing
fans are more loyal and more willing to spread the
word about your Facebook page if you post compelling
content that is in-line with their interests.
Building An Audience
It is very important to build
an audience that will engage.
“Selling on Facebook
has created a wonderful
sense of community for
my customers.”
Ashley Jernigan | Southern Tots
5 Ways to Boost Likes on Your Page
Spread the word - ask your current followers to share your page
and tell their friends about you. Loyal fans bring other high quality
and potentially loyal fans with them.
Cross promote - Anywhere you come in contact with your
customers, tell them about your Facebook page! Ask your
customers to like your page in your newsletter, on your website
in your store and in any other promotional materials you provide.
Run a Contest - Ask your followers to “Comment to Win” a free
product. To further your reach, you can suggest they share the
post as well. NOTE; You can not require them to share to win or
Facebook could remove the post and/or shutdown your page.
Targeted Facebook Ads - Facebook ads are helpful if you get them
in front of the right people. Targeted ads are a bit more expensive,
but they will help you get in front of your target customer. You can
target based on gender, age, location and interests of people that
are potentially interested in your products.
Be Active - Constantly post engaging and entertaining content
that your audience with will enjoy. Post at least one status update
per day. You can experiment with the timing of your posts to see
when the majority of your followers are active.
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3
4
5
5
6. Selling on Facebook is different than selling on
a website or in stores. Think of it as a way to put
your best foot forward, increase awareness, get
engagement, stay topof mind and get more sales in
store, on your website, and on Facebook.
Selling on Facebook works because of the social and
viral nature that increase your reach. When people
comment to buy, it leads to more people seeing the
post and further sales.
Sellers that focus on increasing engagement (likes,
comments, and shares) and post compelling products
for sale (new, well priced, and unique items) enjoy
steady, consistent growth. You need a engaged group
of fans to achieve success. Usually, pages with more
than 1,000 likes find it easier to get sales than pages
with less engagement.
The most successful brands on Facebook use flash
sales as their main approach to selling. These typically
run weekly, take place over a limited time, and offer
items in limited quantities.
Planning Your Sale
Selling on Facebook works because of the social
and viral nature that increase your reach.
Pro Tip: The best day to run a sale is on a slow day in
the store. The successful brands typically run sales at
night. We recommend selling at 7 p.m. local time from
Sunday night to Thursday night.
Merchandise & Pricing
When it comes to your merchandise, price, style, and
quantity are what matter most. Items that cost between
$10and $40 work best for your first sale. Potential
buyers are more likely to buy moderately priced items
on impulse, while they are browsing their newsfeed.
Try selling 5 to 10 of each product to increase urgency.
Accessories work well because they’re attractively priced,
and they appeal to impulse buyers.
Best Merchandise to Sell
• New to the store or website
• Exclusively for sale on Facebook
• Heavily discounted items
• Limited stock of popular items
Sale Schedule
Before the sale:
• Promote your event (see promotion of sale)
• To increase your reach, boost post with $10-50
• Email customers and fans about the sale
During sale:
• Be present so that you can answer questions.
• Get as many people as possible to participate
When there are already comments, other people
will follow suit.
After sale:
• Mention that the product is sold out. This will create
urgency and prepare your fans for upcoming sales.
6
7. Promoting Your Sale
Before you schedule your sale (or “campaign”),
build up awareness among your current customers.
5 Ways to Promote Your Sale
Targeted emails: If you already have a customer list (one you’ve
collected at the store) offer them a special gift or discount if with
their first Facebook purchase.
Offer a Giveaway: Run a promotion where you give away 3 of the
items that will be on sale, requesting people to share or get likes
on their comment (the most share’s or likes wins).
Promote through all your social profiles: leverage your website,
Instragram, Pinterest and Twitter to drive awareness to your sale.
“Boost” promo posts: Spend $10-50 to “boost” your post and
target a relevant audience.
In-store promotion or party: Have a cocktail or tea party at your
shop to promote the launch of a sale or page. Display all the
things that will be available but don’t let people buy them! Have
it be a “pre-sale” viewing giving people the opportunity to see
first hand the beautiful items that will be exclusively sold in your
Facebook sale.
Before you schedule your sale (or “campaign”), build
up awareness among your current customers. You
can print out small flyers announcing your grand
opening on Facebook and hand them to customers
at the register, you can email your current clients and
promote a post that announces your upcoming sale.
Another way to entice your customers is to create and
pass out coupons. While a customer may not add your
first Facebook sale to their calendar, they’re much
less likely to forget a voucher for 50% their first online
purchase! Publicize your first sale by making frequent
updates counting down to the date and time. Try
something to the tune of the following announcement:
Exciting news: You can now shop at [Your Store] by
commenting! Register here [link] then, come back on
[Date] and comment, “SOLD” on items posted during
our sale. You’ll receive an email invoice to check out
(invoices left unpaid for 24 hours will be cancelled).
Don’t miss it!
Pin the post to the top of your Facebook Timeline by
selecting “Pin to Top” from the drop-down edit menu.
Pro Tip: Host your sales both onsite and online to
create traffic will flow from one to the other. Shoppers
on Facebook are more inclined to stop by your
boutique and customers from the boutique want the
exclusive deals online.
Use ‘Sneak Peaks’ to Build Anticipation
Packaging Model Inspiration
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3
4
5
7
8. Once you’ve created your page, selected your
inventory and promoted your sales–then, conducted
the sale–it’s important to evaluate the success.
First, thank everyone for participating in the sale, or
if you did an auction or giveaway to congratulate the
winner. Then, take stock of the results.
Review your sale:
• How did customers respond to the new platform?
• If you distributed coupon codes, how many fans used
them upon checkout?
• What will you do differently to promote future
campaigns, if anything?
After your first sale...Plan for the next! Most stores run
one sale a week. Waiting past two weeks will severely
hurt your chances of running another successful one
because your page will go stale, and fans tend to
forget the sale.
Make a point to keep up momentum to build a
business on Facebook and get more fans. It’s easy and
fun! Your fans will love it, and they will especially love
the idea of purchasing through comments.
Evaluating Success
Once you’ve created your page, selected your inventory and promoted your sales–then,
conducted the sale–it’s important to evaluate the success.
Did You Know: Having a clear call to action
in your post makes fans more inclined to
like, share, and comment on your posts?
Avoid These Common Mistakes
1 Page didn’t get target signups before the sale: Tulle did this
and had 0 sales on their first sale. We believe this would have
changed if they had waited.
2 Run sale posts with links in the middle of another promotion:
Tulle did this and had 0 sales on their first sale. We believe this
would have changed if they had waited.
3 Run sale at non-peak hours: Shany Cosmetics ran it at
midnight; as you can guess, they got 0 sales
4 No page or sale promotion (or very little)
5 Selling only products over $50 that are not discounted, new,
or unique.
6 Sell too many products if you post too many at once, it can
overwhelm your customers and give them too many choices,
which causes them to choose nothing.
8
9. Optimize Your Page
To keep them engaged, focus on
these things to optimize for success.
Tips for Hosting Giveaways
Run a social media campaign the week before a sale and ask users
to like, share, and comment on a certain post for the chance to
win a free item, or another enticing prize. Make sure to deliver the
goods, though—fans will be disappointed if you don’t, and that’s a
brand-killer.
• Make it a free-for-all. You can also extend the “like, share,
comment” campaign and make every update you post fair game,
not just one designated photo.
• Offer discounts. Announce that you are waiving shipping fees or
granting 10% off the purchase total for users who complete the
“like, share, comment” trinity.
• Set goals. It may be that your page is verging on your 1000th,
5000th, or 10000th like. Tell your fans that when you reach the
benchmark, the person who likes your page and engages with
your post will win a prize.
Remember, Facebook fans get a lot of information
and are constantly bombarded by offers and updates
from their friends and brands they love. To keep them
engaged, focus on these things to optimize for success:
High quality content
Post high quality photos that are ready for their close-
ups. Photos have grown from 25% to 50% of all News
Feed content. Sellers should make sure that their
uploads attract, rather than repel, their customers: clean
compositions, good lighting, and high photo quality are
a must for best conversion.
Advertise
Design targeted Facebook ads: The News Feed makes
not only accommodates bigger ads, but more of them
than before. The advertising section on the lower right
hand side of the personal feed, for example, hosts
more advertising slots that move with the scroll bar.
Use video
Start sharing video content: It doesn’t have to be a big
production–even a ten-second video showcasing your
products, packaging and shipping procedures will go
far in capturing your fans’ attention and winning new
exposure.
Have a great cover photo
Upload an attractive cover photo that can withstand
cropping: When someone “Likes” a brand or business
page, it makes a splash on other users’ News Feeds.
Make sure that your cover photo is eye-catching and
looks good cropped to a square as well.
Pro Tip: Drive customer engagement through product
polls. Facebook fans love being privy to exclusive
information, and the transient nature of the platform
makes it prime estate for rewarding updates. Post
photo comparisons of different products and ask fans
to vote on their favorites. It’s a great way to showcase
items, encourage customers to speak out, as well as
keep a finger on the pulse of what’s popular!
Accessory Concierge
The founders of Accessory Concierge, for
example, found incredible success, selling
out of inventory during their very first
Facebook sale, and becoming a million-
dollar business within 16 months.
9
10. “Our claim to fame has always been a high-end
shopping experience for amazing products at
affordable prices,” says DeMaria, who started Jenny
Boston as an in-home trunk show in 2004. “We love
being unique in what we do.”
When the duo decided to bring part of the business
online, they sought out a brand-consistent strategy for
promoting their brick-and-mortar stores.
“We’ve grown our fan count by 2000% increased sales
to over $10k a week in sales on Facebook, and in my
stores sales are up 100% since I started selling through
comment selling with Soldsie.” – Jennifer DeMarian,
Jenny Boston
DeMaria discovered Soldsie in late 2012, and thought
it would be a creative and fun way to drive traffic to the
stores, as well as reach a customer base outside of
New England.
Jenny Boston launched its inaugural weekly Facebook
auction on October 3 – DeMaria’s birthday – and it has
since become a significant source of revenue for the
company.
“The Facebook sale is amazing because a customer
that’s not even familiar with [Jenny Boston] will see the
comment, and it becomes contagious. It’s virtual word
of mouth.”
Jenny Boston’s Wednesday evening Facebook
auctions have become so popular, that the company
hired a fulfillment team and rented a warehouse to
keep up with customer demand.
“Thursdays are now our busiest weekday, because we
drive customers who missed the Wednesday night sale
to our stores. We make sure to stock the same items.
We’ve had longtime customers tell us that they love
how easy and fun it is to buy on Facebook. We can’t
put a price tag on that.”
When Jennifer
DeMaria and Kristen
Maynard opened
their first boutique
in 2008, they
resolved to provide
their customers
with affordable, on-
trend accessories in
a fashionable and
beautiful setting.
Four years and six
successful stores
later, Jenny Boston
has become a well-
established brand in
the Greater Boston
and Connecticut
areas.
Success Story
JENNY BOSTON
10
11. Snapshots
Accessory Concierge &
Polkadot Alley
“Within five minutes, we were selling
out of everything we had.”
Amy Claro and Amy Coffey, ACCESSORY CONCIERGE
• Dallas moms Amy Claro and Amy Coffey launched
Accessory Concierge in April 2012 to gain more
flexibility in their work schedules.
• When their first Facebook auction sold out within five
minutes, they knew they’d found a viable venue and
quit their full-time marketing and sales positions.
• Today, Accessory Concierge is a million-dollar
business and employs five people, including a fashion
blogger.
“With Facebook, my sister or best
friend comments on my page, that
draws in their friends to see what
we’re doing. It’s just so much faster.”
Ashley White, THE POLKADOT ALLEY
• Ashley White, owner of Polkadot Alley, was a
schoolteacher in Lubbock, Texas when she started
her business in 2007.
• By 2009, her profits and a new baby led her to quit
her teaching job, but it wasn’t until 2011 that she
realized she could reap higher rewards by selling
women’s clothing on Facebook.
• Ashley grew her sales from $5,000 to $150,000 a
month in sales by switching from her store website to
Soldsie.
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12. Additional Resources
7 Rules Every Social Media
Manager Should Follow
1. Mind the golden ratio of social media: 80% of your
posts are for the benefit and enjoyment of your
fans, while only 20% talk about your brand.
2. Don’t delete negative comments, and
never get into an argument online! Take
customer complaints as opportunities
to solve problems that, more likely
than not, more than one person is
experiencing.
3. Running a promotion? Be informed
about Facebook’s terms of service.
Savvy business owners shell out the
cost of running giveaways through an
app so they don’t risk page deletion.
4. Don’t push consumers onto a different
site to make a purchase. The beauty
and the dark side of selling on
Facebook is that it’s passive. You’re
showing up where people already are
and you’re getting in front of them when
they’re there.
7 Rules Every Social
Media Manager
Should Follow
From Cooper Smith
Koch, Founder
of Cooper Smith
Agency
5. Organic reach is a bust–boost and sponsor your
posts. Without outside help, posts only reach
about 16% of your fans. Sponsoring a post means
that more people see stories created about your
brand, whether it be a fan’s like, comment, or share.
6. Figure out the best times of day to post
for your fans. Facebook retailers that target mothers
may find their posts falling flat when they post
during peak dinner-, bath-, and bedtime hours.
Figure out what works best for your audience.
7. Integrate Pinterest and Instagram into your
Facebook marketing strategy. Other social media
platforms are opportunities to strengthen the brand
personality you’ve curated. For Facebook comment
retailers, it’s also important that your profiles on
Pinterest and Instagram link back to your Facebook
business page.
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13. 5 Social Media Blogs You Should Be Following
Social Media Today
http://socialmediatoday.com
Social Media Today is an independent blog managed
by industry professionals. Their posts are insightful and
full of good old-fashioned knowhow.
Boom Social
http://kimgarst.com/blog
Kim Garst’s blog offers very practical and quick tips on
how to manage your social media outlets. Her posts
are concise and easy to read and great for smaller
organizations as well as large businesses.
Jon Loomer
http://www.jonloomer.com
This site is for those solely interesting in improving
their Facebook marketing skills. Not only does he offer
videos and podcasts, but also he is available for one-
on-one coaching.
Splash Media
http://www.splashmedia.com/blogs
Based in Texas, Splash Media hires heavy hitters of the
industry to give you some of the smartest advice on
online brand marketing.
Hootsuite Blog
http://blog.hootsuite.com
Hootsuite is a fantastic tool for managing multiple social
media outlets at once, but Hootsuite’s blog is another
great resource for learning how to stay on the cutting
edge of the social media you wield.
Additional Resources
5 Social Media Blogs You Should be Following &
Photography Quick Tips
Photography Quick Tips
1. Find a good source of lighting: You need it to be bright
enough to not need a flash, even, natural lighting is ideal so
you don’t have harsh shadows.
2. Place eye-catching text over photos: With the Facebook
News Feed inundated with images, the key is engagement–
Facebook Insights proves that bright, clean images with text
invite fan interaction.
3. Pick a backdrop that’s interesting or unobtrusive: Giving
thought to the backdrop will help with your store branding–
creating the “feel” of your Facebook store.
4. Use models to demonstrate fit: When customers are basing
their purchases only on photos, it’s important to show them
what it will actually look like on a person–this will make it
easier for buyers to decide.
5. Pay attention to size and resolution: Avoid blurriness and
pixelation, by paying attention to resolution. Photos should
be crisp, but not so big that it makes uploading to Facebook a
pain. 77 PPI is a good rule of thumb.
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14. Soldsie is a Facebook app that allows you
to sell your products through comments
on your Facebook business page and on Instagram.
Sell Out Completely, Without Overselling
• Manage your inventory and product list right from Facebook for your Facebook Store.
• Accept pre-authorized payments so that late-payers and cancelled orders won’t hold up your inventory.
Leave the Posting, Invoicing and Payment Reminders to Us
• Real-time, automatically-issued invoices make sure every comment gets an invoice as they’re made.
• Schedule reminder emails to get more payments.
• Schedule your auctions ahead of time — anytime — from anywhere.
Shopper-Friendly Features Help to Grow Your Business and Establish Your Brand
• Create and manage coupon codes.
• Accept credit card payments.
• Customers don’t have to leave their email addresses in the comments — it protects their privacy.
• Customers can select add-ons at checkout.
14
15. Learn More
Request a demo at www.soldsie.com
or contact sales at sales@soldsie.com
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