Using social media to drive sales is not just about having an online presence on Facebook or Twitter, but instead, using new platforms and technologies to change the traditional purchasing process and subsequent customer relationship.

More often than not, traditional ways of engaging with customers are being superseded by social strategies which allow customers to listen and respond to individuals on a one-to-one basis, using tools that can gather real time data allowing brands to act in ways and at speeds that were never before possible.

Is ‘going digital’ the key to driving sales?

‘Going digital’ really means 'going interactive' with additional channels to reach customers, both current and new. Take luxury brand Burberry which is using ‘Tweetwalk’, to launch its new fashion collection on Twitter, allowing the company to not only connect with its customers but to also drive footfall online to research the brand before buying in store or over the internet.

Through more flexible social engagement strategies companies are able to support and nurture the customer through the purchase funnel – from visibility, through enquiry and ultimately to sale. Technologies exist today which allow you to track the customer journey, map influential online communities and can be used to shape marketing and product strategies in real time.

Ultimately digital channels have to be convenient, entertaining or preferably a combination of the two. Fortunately overlaying your social strategy with richer content has become more affordable as the technology proliferates. More and more companies, today, are using video blogging for example, showing a real human element to online communication whether via ‘pushed’ video guides highlighting say, installation instructions or via ‘community contributions’ helping share learnings across all customers. These all provide rich content for customers when researching a purchase.

But digital activity must go further than the cash register because what follows the purchase has a profound effect on future sales given the greater ‘collective memory’ of the masses.

Understanding customers’ needs

Thankfully there’s now a real opportunity to actively engage with customers post sale – whether that is by simple surveying or by tracking negative comments on sites such as Facebook and Twitter. This can demonstrate the company’s commitment to fully understand and resolve customer concerns or demands as well as providing a way to prevent complaints from escalating on highly visible sites.

Of course, there’s no magic formula to driving sales through social media, it’s a combination of having a good product in the first place – using social media effectively and being able to track and respond effectively.

To do this you must analyse data across all channels – for example, evaluating how much traffic can be redirected from your customer advisors to online resources allowing them the time to provide greater service when they do speak with their customers. Or being attuned to positive or negative mentions in social media – taking a decision to intervene or stand by as your reputation is discussed in social forums.

Your customers are better connected than ever. You can’t afford to ignore them.