How to Sell More Online

June 25, 2020·13 min·1 clip

Shopify data reveals a 62% explosion in new online stores in just six weeks—here’s how to capitalize.

The episode opens with hosts Dave Chapman and Hayley Griffiths framing a sharp rise in e-commerce activity: Shopify data showed new online store creation up 62% between March 13 and April 24, 2020, with gross merchandise volume rising 46% in the same period. The episode is structured around a Buffer Session talk delivered by Simon Heaton, a Shopify employee based in Canada. Simon's first tip focuses on IGTV — Instagram's long-form video feature — as a second content feed on the platform that allows brands to build deeper audience relationships. He emphasizes that the goal of this content should be humanizing the brand through storytelling, not direct selling. He suggests behind-the-scenes content, product tutorials, and founder Q&As as specific formats. Tip two addresses micro-influencer partnerships, arguing that niche alignment matters far more than follower count. Simon cites an 82% consumer trust rate for micro-influencer recommendations over large influencers or brands, and notes that smaller influencers are cost-effective for brands competing against larger players. His third tip addresses Facebook Messenger, noting 1.3 billion current users with projections of another billion joining within a year. He argues Messenger is effectively the second-largest social platform and can be used not just for support but as a direct sales channel via automation tools like ManyChat. He describes use cases including automated customer support, shipping tracking, and order updates delivered via Messenger without requiring customers to leave the platform. Tip four covers integrating social media and e-commerce platforms to reduce purchase friction. Simon uses the relatable example of spotting a product on Instagram and being unable to quickly find where to buy it, arguing that social-to-e-commerce integrations eliminate this barrier and capture impulse purchases at the moment of intent. His fifth tip covers Facebook retargeting, which he frames as recovering 'almost customers.' He describes three audience segments: general site visitors within a 30-day window, cart abandoners within a tighter window, and users who viewed specific products. For product viewers, he recommends Facebook's dynamic product ads, which automate the creation of personalized carousel ads using product data pulled directly from the brand's website. Hosts wrap up by recapping all five tips and adding commentary, noting that IGTV is often overlooked and that social-to-purchase flows will only become more streamlined as platforms evolve. A brief mention of a previous episode on Pinterest Shops and its 90% weekly pinner purchase decision data adds supporting context.

As heard by us

Practical social-selling guidance that makes the path from online attention to purchase feel less messy.

This episode keeps its focus on a practical problem: how businesses can turn online attention into sales. It stays concrete, moving from broad trends to usable tactics like messaging tools, customer support, shipping and order updates, and a simpler path from social activity to…

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You want practical ways to make social selling feel less clunky.

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