Drive Sales by Giving Kudos to Others on Social Media

This post is contributed by Margie Zable Fisher, president of Zable Fisher Public Relations, which specializes in e-commerce and product P.R. and publicity. Her company offers free publicity opportunities and tips here.

Did you know that in 2014 a major shift happened in the world of referral traffic to online sites?

Data from the 2015 Shareaholic Social Media Traffic Report shows that the top 8 social networks drove 31.24% of overall traffic to sites in December 2014, an increase from 22.71% in December 2013, and overtaking organic search (Google, Yahoo, etc.) for the first time. That means that social media’s influence continues to increase, and is more important than ever. Read on to see how one type of social media posting can offer a host of benefits.

Help Others and Help Yourself

Do you like reading positive comments on social media? I know I do. Giving kudos, especially in business, makes everyone feel good. But what if, by giving those compliments, you could also help that business get more sales? Even better – what if you could offer nice thoughts, drive sales to that business, and possibly gain sales in your own business? That sounds like a big win, right?

Here’s how it works:

1. You (the business owner or businessperson) gives a kudo to a business on social media
2. That serves as a third party (objective) recommendation, which drives sales to that business
3. Taking time out of your busy day to offer kind words someone makes you look like a nice person, encouraging others to check out your business and send sales your way

Giving compliments year round is terrific, but it’s especially helpful during the fourth quarter buying season.

So without further ado, here are some fast and easy ways to give a helpful thumbs up to clients, vendors and colleagues on social media:

1. You love it (product or service). There are many ways to say this. Here are some examples:

2. Sharing media mentions, awards and achievements that other companies have received. This will help the business gain more credibility and more sales:

3. Forwarding Special Offers. By posting, sharing and re-tweeting discounts, special offers and sweepstakes, you’re unofficially providing your stamp of approval on the company and its offer. In addition, you are directly supporting the company by sharing its offer with people in your network:

Be sure to include @mentions and #hashtags. This will not only provide the business to find out when it’s mentioned, but it allows others to get more information on the company, and its products or services.

Getting Back Some Love

Here are some ways that you might receive some love, website traffic and sales when you give compliments on social media:

1. Your kind words may be shared, retweeted or favorited, and your business will get exposure to new folks
2. You might get a reciprocal compliment that is just as powerful, again sent to new folks and you can also share it with your network, to solidify your own reputation

Final Thoughts

Giving a thumbs up to others is great for everyone. Make it part of your daily plan, and watch your sales and those of others rise!