The evolution of Facebook since Mark Zuckerberg the creation has been spectacular. The most important social network of the moment has gone from being a university social network to becoming not only a way to contact friends, family, acquaintances and make new contacts, but Facebook is, in itself, a powerful platform for eCommerce.
Coinciding with the tenth anniversary of the creation of Facebook, Julien Meraud, Marketing Director of the e-commerce platform Rakuten.com, it stands out 3 tips for retailers can take full advantage of the Facebook social network and explains where eCommerce could go in the future:
How Retailers Can Harness the Potential of Facebook
# 1 - Show the value of engagement
Julien Meraud gives special value to likes of consumers, and advises that, «The next step is to get him to participate in your content and show him the value of being in your 'club'. If fans engage with you on a regular basis it keeps your brand prominent in their news feed and also extends its reach to friends within their network.
In this sense, the marketing director of Rakuten.es suggests that incentives be used to encourage consumers to interact. These incentives, which can be free deliveries, discounts or contests "They provide a clear call to action, as members of your social community will be more open to shopping on your site."
#2 - Treat your community like your friends
Meraud advises against using a pushy selling style, and recommends treating the community as if they were friends. In this sense, his advice is clear.
- More than a sales channel, think of Facebook as a place to show your brand personality.
- Share relevant posts and entertaining content to retain fans and build loyalty.
- Hang visual and exciting posts, funny photos and videos have a much better chance of being shared to a wider network than content that is only for sale.
- Make sure all your content is worth sharing, and if it isn't, don't post it.
#3 -Extend good customer service beyond your store
Meraud understands that "The power and reach of the Facebook community means that your customer service offering must be consistent." Por eso "It is essential to monitor complaints from your community at all times and manage any dissatisfied customers quickly and efficiently". For this, it recommends responding to clients by private message whenever possible, keeping incidents out of the public space.
Forecasts for the next 10 years
Julien Meraud predicts that "the brands that benefit the most from Facebook in the next 10 years will have a more detailed view of their community."
In this sense, Rakuten.es has verified that Facebook customer visits are worth 40% more than an average visit to the website.
Buyers are 40% more valuable once they “like” it, but with access to more information retailers will be able to understand how and why a consumer started engaging with them on Facebook, and therefore what It keeps them engaged.
With Facebook currently has more than 1,2 billion monthly users, the social network has shown that it has the potential to connect retailers large and small with customers around the world and to build loyal customer communities.
Whether they made a purchase, read about your brand on the internet, or are simply fans of your products, knowing what attracted them to your community will empower you to offer them the right products in the right way on the market. opportune moment.
In this sense, Meraud affirms that "It is not a game of numbers, but of engagement".
Imagine being able to engage your Facebook community through specific Facebook rewards earned for the interactions they make with your brand. Offering discounts and exclusive offers in exchange for participation on your Facebook page could develop lucrative loyalty programs for retailers. It is not just a marketing tool.
More information - Mark Zuckerberg and Jan Koum will be at the Mobile World Congress 2014