This year—more than ever before—gift-givers are looking to social media for inspiration, to browse options… and ultimately, to ‘Buy Now’.

So as a small business in 2021, now’s the time to start taking advantage of these popular and dynamic selling spaces.

Not sure where to begin?

No worries. Here’s our top tips for selling through your social media channels this selling season.

1. Create an online store or catalogue

If your brand is already on Instagram, Tik Tok, or Facebook, you can open an online store through a platform like WooCommerce, Shopify, or Ecwid by Lightspeed.

You’ll be able to set up shop on your social media page, right where your customers are already browsing.

Do your customers prefer WhatsApp? No problem.

You can also create a catalogue within WhatsApp to share your products and services directly with potential buyers.

If you’re setting up a new online store, check if the platform you use integrates with your social media channels. And be sure to ask if there will be any fees!

2. Make purchases easy with payment links

The easier it is for your customer to pay, the more likely they’ll go through with the purchase.

By sharing a payment link on your social media channels, your customers can see your product, like it—and buy it. All with a tap of their finger.

Simply create a payment link with your online payment platform—like Pin Payments.

Online fraud increases during the holiday season. So your customers will appreciate a safe, trustworthy, and reliable payment link.

3. Have everything good to go!

It sure is a crazy time of year. Especially for small businesses hoping to make the most of the holiday rush.

So to come out the other end with plenty of sales (and your sanity), you need to plan, plan, plan.

Have your social media posts ready to go leading up to the holiday season, and even into the new year (January is a buying frenzy too!). That includes preparing and scheduling images, videos, and written content.

Trust us, your future self will thank you!

What’s the key to the heart of a happy customer? Transparency.

So have your realistic delivery and restocking timeframes and refund policy planned well before the orders come rushing in.

4. Arm yourself with useful online business tools

To get the most out of your social media channels, make sure your page is a business page.

A business page—set up through Instagram for Business or Facebook Business Suite—is different to a personal one, as it’s specifically used to promote and sell your business and what you offer.

This means you’ll have heaps more promotional capabilities for your holiday campaign. And, following the campaign, you’ll also have access to a load of performance analytics.

With all this intelligent data, you can go bigger and better next time!

5. Remember your other online marketing channels!

Social media is important. But so are all the other digital marketing tools.

So give your email list some love too. Your holiday campaign should reach your customers at all their digital touch points. That means social media, email marketing, and of course your online store!

A holistic digital marketing strategy is the best way to secure a spot in your customer’s mind. So when they see your offering pop up on their Instagram feed, they’ll be quick to buy!