As social media and e-commerce become increasingly entangled in our lives, the opportunities for them to interact and reinforce each other are innumerable, considering that the average person spends around an hour and 40 minutes browsing all social media. days, and the number of online shoppers in the US will hit 217 million this year.
In the old days, the presence of a business was signified with newspaper ads and a physical storefront. Now, in the digital age, business reputations live and die for their position on social media. Right now, social media is used by brands as a way to advertise, increase their online presence, and offer high-quality customer service.
In this year, there is no doubt that in the end we can expect those trends to continue, as new ones emerge. Let's take a look at the growing role of social media in e-commerce.
Paid Ads and Social Media
With the almost absurd level of customization that can be put into a Facebook ad (age, geography, preferences and more) and the detail with which Facebook can report its results, it is not an easy task for brands to continue using Facebook and other social media ads. It's also a win for Facebook, which raised more than $ 7 billion in advertising in 2016.
The most successful brands in 2017 will be those capable of maximizing their reach and effectiveness in paid advertising on social media. William Harris, e-commerce growth consultant for elumynt.com, says: “I see that e-commerce brands are investing much more in paid social advertising, and I think that trend will continue in 2017… it is not enough to simply pay for Ads on Google Shopping. You have to find a good audience on Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads and more and more, on Pinterest and other paid social media accounts. It's getting easier to set these up and track ad returns, which means more brands will start to do so. "
Private messages
In recent years, analysts have noticed an interesting and unexpected trend. While the use of public social networks like Facebook and Twitter is starting to decline, private messaging services are exploding in popularity. WhatsApp, Snapchat, and Facebook Messenger are app monsters with colossal engagement figures running into the billions.
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Where people go, business must follow, and brands make their way into private messaging through chatbots. Chatbots, AI personalities that can simulate real conversations, can answer questions about products, offer recommendations and resolve customer complaints.
Consumers are slowly getting closer to the idea. According to Venturebeat.com, 49,4 percent of customers prefer to contact a business through a 24/7 messaging service than over the phone. Brands would be forward-thinking when starting to look at catamaran services as a supplemental channel to reach customers.
Additionally, many private messaging services now offer financial integration. Opening the WeChat, chatting with a representative of the artificial intelligence brand, and purchasing a product without closing the app even once is totally within the realm of possibilities in 2017.
App purchase
The more difficult it is to buy or access something, the less likely it is that we will move on. This explains why e-commerce sites that take a long time to load have higher bounce rates, and online stores with clunky interfaces sell less. One can already buy products through Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter. Once Apple Pay experiences widespread adoption, it's almost scary to think how easy impulse buying will be - if you see something you like on social media, one hit will have it delivered to your door. Brands should immediately start evaluating how they can sell their products through social media, coupling a strong advertising presence with an easy purchase process.
The growing role of social e-commerce
Social media has come a long way from only connecting people to playing a decisive role in all businesses. People moved online, and they are very social. And brands have noticed the change, sure. Before, the presence of a business was signified by a physical store and advertisements in the newspaper. But in the digital age, business reputations live and die for their position on social media.
Social media has the ability to direct buyers to a new product or a good deal. But not only that, social networks create a sense of community and involve people in a way of shopping. The fact is that many people turn to social media to help them make a purchase decision and that around 75% of people bought something because they had seen it on a social media platform. In social e-commerce there is a great opportunity for business owners, only if the strategy is well established. Social media has played and will play a critical role in the evolution of online shopping. Using the functionalities of social media in e-commerce
Publish to the daily database
To get started and grow your social community, you need to consistently post interesting and engaging content. Study what is the best posting frequency, how your audience reacts to different types of posts, what time of day is the best to post, etc.
Be brief and concise
People have less and less time, so information overload is not an optimal way to attract customers. Give them brief and only relevant information about the product that may interest them. Quick and easy consumption is a win-win situation. Also, add some good visual content. A post that includes an image or video will generate 50% more likes than one without it.
Set your goals
Think about what you plan to achieve using social media. Brand recognition? Boost your website traffic? Increase sales? All this together? Make your goals calculable, so you can track progress and measure the efficiency of social media for your business. Track the number of social media traffic to your website, the number of likes, shares, comments, etc.
Use the benefits of different social networks
You are present in social networks, but there is no effect ... Try to use all the specific features that the various social networks bring. Use hashtags, take advantage of the sign up button on Facebook, run a contest on Facebook, add buyable Pinterest pins and the like. Social e-commerce means constantly following trends. There are so many details that can help you make your business more visible.
Use Reviews
People are more likely to buy a product if someone before them used and evaluated it. Ask customers to leave their opinion on the products and show it on your Facebook page, for example. These reviews will create social traffic for your page and consequently increase sales.
User generated content
User-generated content is compelling because it gives potential customers the social proof they are looking for. For social e-commerce, user-generated content is a gold mine. People love to see the content that other people have created, they recognize themselves in it. Ask your customers for comments, photos, videos and post them to start the discussions.
Get to know your customers
If you don't know your customers, you can't publish content that interests and attracts them. Get to know them through some questionnaires, surveys or social media so that you can implement an efficient strategy accordingly. Your messages should address your needs - find out what they are.
Don't just try to sell
Still, the main purpose of using social media is not to make a purchase. People use social media out of curiosity and for the social touch. So respect that. Don't get active only when you're trying to sell something. People will shut down and not continue if you do that.
Although social networks are places to share things publicly, they are becoming more and more private. Many users prefer private messaging or closed group communication over public broadcasting. Retailers must ensure that communication with potential customers is pleasant and enjoyable. Connecting in real time with the audience is a major trend because people hate waiting days for an email response. Whether you have staff available in the chat or using a live chat bot, the result will be a satisfied customer and a conversion opportunity. In social e-commerce, smooth communication is crucial.
In-App Purchases
Today, e-commerce is spreading more and more on social media, simply because a very high percentage of people spend time there. Buying through mobile applications is common, and this trend will continue to grow in 2017. Some social networks (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter) implemented the option to buy products directly through their mobile applications. And people take advantage of that opportunity because they trust those social networks, always returning to them with the hope of finding possible purchases.
Paid advertising
More and more retailers are recognizing the value and importance of using social media in e-commerce, which is why the market has become much more competitive. Achieving purely organic results is very difficult because people will always see messages first from their friends, not from businesses and brands. After a while, you learn that you have to invest in advertising, and pay to show the business. Since more and more companies started using paid advertising, advertising prices began to slowly rise, too.
Live Video
We had already discussed the value of product videos in e-commerce. In social e-commerce, it's the best way to stand out, for sure. The video attracts your attention while you browse, its content attracts you. But, since last year, some of the social networks launched a live video option. With this feature, you can broadcast live for up to 4 hours. This feature can build brand awareness and build a community quickly and efficiently. It can be used in many interesting and creative ways - in live Q&A, product demo, or behind-the-scenes preview. Because of these benefits, many retailers are using it or planning to use it this year.
Virtual reality
The role that virtual and augmented reality will play in e-commerce is huge. Virtual reality offers a memorable shopping experience, and that is why it achieves a large number of sales. Brands are very quick to recognize this trend.
Final Thoughts
Social media can be a major game changer in business. To use all the benefits that social media brings you, first do your research and create a quality social media strategy. And of course, putting customers at the center of it. Create a relationship, build trust and lasting relationships. First, invest in bonds, then try to sell things. Follow trends, study social networks and the news they offer. Every detail could be a great improvement for your business, so try not to miss a thing. Social ecommerce takes a lot of hard work, keep that in mind.
It will surely be interesting to observe how all these aforementioned trends will play out in the future of social media in e-commerce.
How do you use social media to captivate a new and current audience for your ecommerce business? Do you plan to follow these trends? Feel free to share your experience, ideas, and questions.
Post Daily- For the foundation and growth of your social community, you need to post content on a regular basis to attract your customers. Provide short, accurate and relevant information about the product to interest them. Research on trends, audience reaction to different types of posts, what time of day is best to post, etc. is essential. The posts with the image or a video generate 50% more likes than one without it.
Set your goals - Be precise in planning what you want to achieve (be it an increase in sales, brand recognition, expansion of traffic to your website or in tandem) by using social media. Make your goals measurable, so you can track the progress of the effectiveness of social media for your e-commerce business.
Customer Engagement - Get to know your customers through surveys, social media, or questionnaires so you can implement your strategies in a relevant way.
Social Media and SEO- Social media and SEO go hand in hand. Having an active social media presence dramatically increases your website's SEO rate.
Criticisms are essential: visitors are more attracted and more likely to trust a product if someone before them has used and evaluated it. Ask customers to leave their opinion on products and services and display it on your website. These reviews will drive social traffic to your page and therefore increase sales.
E-commerce and social media are a perfect combination. It is definitely a game changer in all businesses. By making social media channels the key purpose of communication, companies can target a wider audience, thereby turning them into the customer base.
The more difficult it is to buy or access something, the less likely it is that we will move on. This explains why e-commerce sites that take a long time to load have higher bounce rates, and online stores with clunky interfaces sell less. One can already buy products through Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter. Once Apple Pay experiences widespread adoption, it's almost scary to think how easy impulse buying will be. But in the digital age, business reputations live and die for their position on social media. Make your goals measurable, so you can track the progress of the effectiveness of social media for your e-commerce business.