Sell The Lifestyle

Dayna Winter Social Media Lead

@Shopify //

@nicecobra

While social media is a growing channel for selling products, at its core, social is about community. Build your audience with

authentic and engaging lifestyle content. Then, nurture that community to turn followers into customers and customers into

brand advocates.

Sell lifestyle, not (just) products.

Getting Started‣ Conduct a social audit – do any owned social

properties or content hurt your image/brand? Nail down handles, report imposters

‣ Listen, research competitors

‣ Who is your customer? What do they eat, watch, wear? Where do they hang out on social? Who do they follow?

‣ Establish goals, voice, tone and content strategy

Handle, name, URL, bio are important! Consider search. How are Pinners finding you?

Set up your boards with purpose. Titles, header images and descriptions a tell a story.

Social Content

Question Everything‣ Why are you doing it?

‣ Who is your audience?

‣ Is it on brand?

‣ Will it help achieve your social goals?

‣ How do you measure success?

‣ Is it the right time?

‣ Does it make sense for the platform?

‣ Authentic

‣ Timely

‣ Consistent

The best content is:

‣ Created

‣ Curated

‣ Crowdsourced

The content mix:

Created

‣ Original content is hard.

‣ Ask: what comes naturally? Is it realistic (within your budget/schedule)?

‣ Evergreen vs. trending – keep a bank of “anytime” content but stay on top of trending topics

‣ Not a photographer? Add gadgets and apps to supercharge your smartphone’s camera

‣ Consider other content types: webinars, social live stream, quizzes, etc.

Use a tool like Canva to add text to your images

Shoot pro images with your smart phone by using indirect natural light from a large window

Use your Shopify store’s blog to host DIY or lifestyle content related to your products

Partner with other complementary brands or blogs to give your content more reach

Add a strong call to action to your posts

Consider ideal share sizes/aspect ratios for each social network when shooting products or lifestyle images (ex. taller for Pinterest, wide for Twitter)

Create consistent, compelling content that is network appropriate, even if your product is toilet paper and canned soup.

Ask for engagement

Partner with designers or photographers to create social content

Give your audience a reason to stick around.

Tell a story: inspire your customers with images that feature ways to use or style your product – great for related product recommendations

Incentivize engagement and UGC

Don’t set it and forget it. Continue to monitor and engage.

‣ Cross-platform content: edit to suit the audience, voice and goals for each

You’re not a photographer.‣ Camera+, UltraLight, VSCO – shoot/edit

‣ Touch ReTouch, Instasize, Facetune – edit

‣ PicFX – filters

‣ Phonto, Wordswag – add text to images

‣ Vinyet – 1:1 video/stop-motion for Vine

‣ Cameo, Videolicious - video, filters

‣ iMovie, Splice - video editing

‣ Snapseed, Pixlr (Android)

‣ Tripod/stabilizer: Gorilla Pod, Spiderpodium $15-25

‣ Lenses: Photojojo, Olloclip $10-100 ea.

‣ Lighting: natural, from a window $0

You’re not a designer.‣ Royalty-free stock images: Unsplash, Life

of Pix, Death to Stock

‣ Canva, Wordswag, Pablo - combine photos, text and design elements; create infographics

‣ Gimp - free Photoshop alternative

‣ Creative Market – licence photos, fonts, graphics, logo templates, etc. (some free)

‣ Instasize

‣ Created 2.0: working with influencers is a great way to generate original content (+reach, -work)

Let influencers “do what they do” so that your sponsored post mixes well with their other content

Find influencers who are ideal customers OR have audiences that resemble your ideal customer

Choose influencers who can connect with your product. The resulting posts will feel genuine.

‣ Group and guest boards: work with (P)influencers who embody your brand’s lifestyle

‣ Find influencers using tools like Buzzsumo or Crowdfire

Local business? Find influencers in your area.

Find specific types of influncers (like bloggers)

Curated‣ Use curated content to flesh out your own, add depth/variety and

access new audiences

‣ Borrow, don’t steal: be sure to give credit

‣ Include up to 20% content from other sources

‣ Especially important on Pinterest!

‣ Tweet from your perspective, add commentary (vs. RT)

‣ Use sources like Buzzsumo, Medium, Feedly, Pocket and Topsy to find and collect relevant, trending and complementary 3rd party content

Title Text

‣ Automate your curation: content source > Zapier/IFTTT > Buffer

Crowdsourced

‣ Ask your customers to share their experiences

‣ Gather submissions using a hashtag or an app

‣ Reward your engaged audience with social currency

‣ Use a contest to incentivize

‣ Use receipt emails or product packaging

‣ Protect yourself: consider usage rights (try an app like getchute.com)

‣ Use an app like Socialphotos (integrates with Shopify) to pull customer Instagram photos into your product pages

‣ Crowdsourced: 55K Instagram results for #thefrankeffect

‣ Created content that inspires UGC

‣ Incentivize your hashtag campaigns or use a contest/giveaway as a means to gather UGC

Put it together.

‣ clear bio ✔

‣ call to action ✔

‣ consistency ✔

‣ good mix of CCC ✔

‣ not overtly sales-y ✔

‣ nurtures community ✔

How to enjoy it, what complements it

Tells a story, shares glimpse behind the scenes

Relates to lifestyle of target customerclean grid of professional on-white photography,

easy to shop, highlights product details

VS.

Engagement

Follow up!

‣ Keep it “watered”: a community, like a plant, needs attention

‣ Be consistent

‣ Provide prompt, helpful support

‣ Acknowledge and reward your most engaged followers

‣ Host conversations, ask questions

Separate support channels don’t have to be boring, and should maintain brand tone and voice

Humanize your social support

Be engaging: proactive and reactive

Social Commerce

‣ Facebook Shop Section ✔

‣ Twitter Buy Button ✔

‣ Buyable Pins ✔

‣ Pins with guts: Rich Pins and Buyable Pins

‣ Allow your community to shop lifestyle or outfit shots from Instagram using an app like Foursixty

Q&A