Leading online marketplace Snapdeal pitched Shopo as a free platform for small sellers in 2015, two years after taking over the company. Shopo was proposed as a zero-commission marketplace where the sellers and buyers could connect with each other. Shopo offers no services (packaging, transport, money transfer); it only offers a free platform for sellers. The company claims that its USP is sellers can create an account and start selling in 15 seconds. This is because sellers need not submit any documents. Shopo also allows sellers and buyers to interact with its chat option.
Promoting a Shopo store through Facebook
If you are a small seller with a limited budget, then Shopo is for you. Particularly if you sell handmade products or operate from home, Shopo will help you get a toehold in online selling.
If you are looking to sell on Shopo, you can maximise your visibility through Facebook. As one of the biggest names in social media with a reach of upwards of a billion active users, it stands tall among its peers. Having an active Facebook page helps you expand your customer base and help your business grow.
BT shows you how to make maximum use of Facebook for your Shopo page with these simple steps.
1. Be regular with updates
Have a routine in place to put up posts and pictures. Depending on your scale of operations, try to post a new image either daily, bi-weekly or weekly once. Ensure that you keep your customers engaged. Encourage them to share and like your posts so that it can reach a wider audience. Network with and keep adding new potential customers to your page. Respond promptly to questions and private messages. It helps build your reputation as someone who is serious about their work.
2. Educate to engage
Don’t limit your posts or blogs to your products alone. Include details about peripheral products as well. Say you are running a handmade earring store, include stories on traditional ear piercings, how to care for a new piercing, how to prevent the pierced skin from closing up due to non-use etc. Write blogs, share articles that you find online about them and ensure that your customers are hooked to your page.
3. Sign up for paid promotions on Facebook
It is worth your money to spend a little on sponsored posts. Paying for ads helps you reach out people with similar interests though the Facebook algorithm. The rates are fairly reasonable, and the possibility of getting more people to hear about your product increases marginally.
4. Build a connection
Connect your Facebook page to your Shopo store. This helps direct buyers to your store.
5. Give incentives
Encourage customers to spread the word on Facebook by giving out discounts and freebies. Give a discount to buyers who come through Facebook. Hand out referral benefits as well. For example, give an extra something to a customer who refers your store to a friend on Facebook.
6. Acknowledge fellow sellers
Give credit to a fellow seller/artist where required. If you run an upcycling store, and you have got some usable scrap from another businessperson, call out their brand. Post an image with the caption, ‘(raw material) courtesy XYZ. Check out their page here.’
7. Add a personal touch
If you have a team working on your product, introduce them on the page. Either post images of office parties, or focus on one person each week. Something to the effect of, ‘Meet A, our team’s PR. A works day and night to spread the word about our company. A likes coffee and is a cat lover.’ This helps put a face to your work and attracts attention.
What are you waiting for? Go get your own Facebook page and set the ball rolling for your Shopo store. If you need any specific advice for your upcoming ecommerce store and don’t know whom to ask, don’t worry. We at Browntape are India’s largest ecommerce service provider, and you can get in touch with us. We have solutions for all your problems, so reach out to us and we will take care of your worries.
