Incorporating social commerce into your eCommerce strategy is a great way to reap benefits such as increased sales, boosted customer engagement and a modernized eCommerce strategy. As more and more people are using their mobile devices (92% of active users access the internet through mobile devices) to make purchases, the next logical step is to combine social media with retail. Creating a smooth inspiration to purchase funnel has never been easier, and is yours to take advantage of.
This post takes a look at four platforms that host social commerce, and why they work so effectively.
What Is Social Commerce?
Social commerce allows merchants to sell products directly through social media platforms, as opposed to leaving the social media site to make the purchase. This allows potential customers to view products they like the look of, then removes hesitation or abandoned intentions, as the purchases can be made directly through platforms.
Traditionally eCommerce purchases have had to be made through the site itself, or third party payment platforms. Being able to do the entire transaction, from first look to checkout all in one place is a great strategy. It removes steps from the buying journey, making the purchase simpler than ever.
Which Platforms Support This?
Instagram is one of the main sites where social commerce can be taken advantage of. With 1 billion active users, it’s worth investing in an Instagram strategy. If customers are already engaging with your presence, whether it be through influencers, promotions or simply engaging content, taking it to the next level makes sense.
Since products are already being displayed, allowing shoppers to purchase directly from the platform is a smart move. Product discovery through Instagram can be utilized through visual discovery or hyper-tagging already. This just removes extra steps.
With the largest number of active members, as well as the prominence of Facebook Marketplace, social commerce through Facebook just makes sense. Meta has added features that allow customizable applications to import existing product catalogs to the site, or create new ones.
Furthermore, it’s already optimized for mobile, allowing for seamless product discovery and even personalization capacities. Having a Facebook business page is a must, allowing purchases to be made through the page is the next logical step.
TikTok
TikTok commerce is slowly becoming more and more prominent in the social commerce scene. With the phrase “TikTok Made Me Buy It” recognizable to the platform’s users, giving them the option to checkout from the app is the next step.
The hyper personalized experience that TikTok offers through its advanced AI algorithm lends its way to matching the right products with the right people. Shoppertainment is a term that has been coined to describe this phenomenon. Offering consumers products or services they want to be, whilst entertaining them at the same time. It’s the ultimate marketing move.
A social platform that favors content over creators, Pinterst is the go-to location for style inspiration. Whether this is clothes, decor, jewelry or homeware, Pinterest has it all. Since people are already on the site to search for inspiration, offering them the choice to purchase makes sense.
The ‘Buy’ button has allowed shoppers to bring their inspiration into fruition. Product pins can be added and merchants are able to create campaigns via the platform. They also have an Ads manager to track results and how campaigns have gone. This is a great way to expand the strategy over time.
Why Bother With Social Commerce?
Since so many people are spending their time on social media anyway, using this engagement as a springboard for purchases is a must. If not, there’s an opportunity being missed out on. Gen Z specifically is known for making impulsive purchases, so social commerce caters perfectly to this. As eCommerce platforms, the main goal should be a frictionless buying funnel and social commerce offers this perfectly.
On top of that, creating social proof goes hand in hand with this. If shoppers are pleased with your products, they can post about it on social media and tag you. This will allow for others to find your products, and keep the cycle continuing.
Conclusion
As social media presence and power begins to grow, incorporating a social commerce strategy into your business is a great move. These four platforms can be used for eCommerce businesses that sell a range of products. Simply decide which audiences you are trying to target, how you want the campaign to go, and get stuck in.