When know it sounds like Jerry Maguire is playing on a loop in our heads. We’ve quoted it before on this blog …and that’s because it applies. Everyone wants to be shown the money. We feel to you. That’s why we built REP. For you, dear social media influencers; for you, dear business owners; and for us, by proxy, to see the money, too. So—how do we do that?

Before we get into it, it’s important to state/revisit the obvious: Shopping behavior is evolving at alarming speeds. Online shopping, by extension, is adapting (it has to in order to stay in business). And it does so by offering terrific customer service and incentives, oftentimes through social media integrations. Not to mention, these platforms, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, et al. are offering commerce capabilities to make the online shopping experience all the more fluid.

Back to what we promised in this blog’s headline: Here’s what to do to stay relevant, on trend, and, in turn, boost sales.

1) You Are Not A Robot — We’re all looking for genuine interactions. Yes, it’s weird because we’re doing so on the internet/in our phones, but the crux of this—what keeps things moving forward and growing is that inherent human need to engage and interact. Handling your business affairs (customer service, specifically) MUST acknowledge that. Beyond providing genuine and personal customer service, make a note to incentivize conversations and dialogues with consumers: Respond to mentions on Twitter, in addition to posting promotional messages. Share the stories your customers share with you about using your product or brand. All this will do (as stated above) is create a breeding ground for interactions and ultimately yield strong brand loyalty.

2) Customer Service is Key! — How many times have you seen your friends @ a company on Twitter offer up a complaint? Often, we’re sure. Make sure to have a person dedicated to responding and fixing the issues. Try and respond ASAP. Don’t let it sit for more than a day. By doing so you’ll prevent negative impacts on your brand—and maybe even generate potentially fun interactions—particularly on Twitter where people often retweet these exchanges. Not to further the complaints, but because the responses from the companies yield mirthful moments. Remember our first point here? You are not a robot. Let that be known. A great example is Taco Bell. For further reading, peep this article.

3) Make Your Own #Hashtag — As we mentioned, this world is constantly being revolutionized. Look no further than Amazon, who has come a long way from selling books. They’ve added #AmazonCart that allows customers to add products from tweets directly to their shopping cart, which they can purchase later. That’s innovative! And yes, their resources far outweigh what us normal folk can offer, but get creative. We know you can.

4) Don’t Leave Home Without It — Daily mobile use and mobile purchase are skyrocketing and that’s because nobody leaves home without their device. Learn your customer’s habits. Track the level of engagements. Find the best time to post and cater to your clientele. Facebook mobile app has an insanely high number of users (over 1 billion a month, likely more by now?) and it’s a great platform to reach those who are on the go. Twitter, ain’t bad either. So get to work: Come up with a strategy, plan your posts and schedule their deployment. Remember to make the deals incentivizing and the visuals compelling!

5) Integrate Everything — Hopefully, you’re already aware of all the possible integrations. Truth is, all the social media apps are constantly offering updates, so if we were to list the current offerings, we’d likely be behind the ball. But with that said, make sure it’s all connected: Whether it’s the contact on Instagram or a shopping cart directly on your Facebook page, or a store onto your WordPress blog. You get the picture. Now get to work. Best of luck!

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