Revolutionizing Retail: The Social Commerce Phenomenon, By Rawan Al Sayed
Say farewell to the days of mundane window shopping! Today, the social media feed has taken center stage as the vibrant new storefront, and guess what? Users aren’t just window shopping anymore; they are hitting that “Buy now” button like never before!
It’s like strolling through a bustling bazaar of endless possibilities, where every scroll could unveil your next obsession. In this article, I will be providing insight on how you can get those credit card swipes on your product or service using the power of social media!.
The Rise Of Social Commerce
Social commerce, the dynamic fusion of social media and e-commerce, has emerged as a groundbreaking force reshaping the landscape of digital retail. Briefly, social commerce is the process of selling products and services directly through social media.
Social commerce streamlines the shopping journey. It encompasses product discovery, research, and checkout within the social media platform itself. Unlike e-commerce, which involves shopping via dedicated websites or apps, social commerce enables customers to complete purchases seamlessly within their social media environment. It’s important to note that social commerce and e-commerce are distinct approaches to online shopping.
However, it is imperative to recognize that achieving success in social commerce entails more than simply establishing a presence on social media platforms.
How To Approach Social Commerce
Adopting a holistic approach to social commerce is more than just a strategic choice; it’s the blueprint for success in the ever-evolving digital marketplace.
Developing a comprehensive approach involves understanding your audience and the social landscape at a granular level including demographics, trends, preferences and location. Once you have this data, this can empower your brand to create tailored content that converts to sales. It has become crucial for content creators to craft top-notch marketing materials that effectively captivate consumers and incentivize them to complete a purchase.
A recent ActiveCampaign consumer survey revealed an interesting insight: The content before, during and after purchases plays an important role in the consumer purchasing journey. The survey also established different age groups have different preferences — making it crucial to send tailored product content to customers across all channels.
To assist consumers in navigating any reservations they might have while making a purchase, marketing content should offer reasoning and logical persuasion. However, there’s a risk that consumers may perceive such content as dull, potentially diminishing their engagement.
Beyond content, retailers should leverage social media as a platform for offering customer support. Customer service plays a crucial role in the realm of social commerce. Being proactive with community management helps portray the company as highly responsive to customer needs and it mitigates the risk of product-related problems.
The Best Platforms For Social Commerce
Facebook shops are customizable. You can select the collections or products you want to showcase and tailor the fonts, images, and colors to make them align with your brand identity. You can also either import an existing product catalog from your website or create one entirely from the ground up.
Your Facebook shop can be reached through various channels, including your Facebook Page, Instagram profile, Instagram Shopping ads, as well as shoppable stories and posts on Instagram.
On Instagram you have the option to sell via the specialized Shop tab, which allows individuals to explore, save, and purchase items listed by businesses or tagged by content creators.
Alternatively, you have the option to design an advertisement with a “Shop” tab placement integrated within it. This ad will display with a “Sponsored” label and operate much like any other post or product listing within user feeds.
Additionally, Meta has introduced a feature allowing shopping through direct messages (DMs), highlighting the continuous enhancement of these capabilities in response to growing demand.
Did you know that 89% of pinterest users are there for shopping inspiration?
Pinterest is where users go to get inspired and the platform allows for a seamless shopping experience using product pins. In addition, Pinterest provides smooth integrations with Adobe Commerce, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Shopify, and WooCommerce. Thus, making the shopping process more effortless for users!
Tiktok
Most recently ByteDance, the tech giant behind TikTok, unveiled its groundbreaking social commerce venture, “TikTok Shop,” in the United States. This innovative platform boasts an array of cutting-edge features, including a dedicated shop tab designed to simplify product searches and category browsing, empowering creators to seamlessly tag products for purchase, establishing a dynamic affiliate funnel for sellers, ensuring a secure checkout process, and showcasing an impressive brand product portfolio.
According to Tik Tok representatives, initial response to this ambitious undertaking has been nothing short of remarkable, with over 100,000 creators eagerly enrolling in the affiliate program and more than 200,000 sellers eagerly registering their presence on the platform.
A further testament of Tik Tok’s selling power, the hashtag #Tiktokmademebuyit, reached 28.6 billion views this includes ads, influencer driven content along with reviews.
Success Story: Revlon’s One Step Hair Dryer
This social media campaign is a perfect example of successful social commerce. Users took to their TikTok to record a video promoting the product using the hashtag #revlonhairdryerbrush which gained hundreds of millions of views and captivated social media users on the platform who consistently express their amazement at its remarkable outcomes. When examining the TikTok tutorials, it becomes evident why this tool from Revlon has earned a stellar 4.3-star rating from over 53,000 Amazon reviews.
Upon scrutinizing the revenue generated by products that garnered extensive TikTok reviews, spanning from September 2020 to August 2021, the research unveiled an impressive average growth rate of 112% for Revlon.
Conclusion
Ultimately, social commerce is the revolutionary “not so secret” weapon that can help a brand reign supreme on the social media runway. Picture this: you’re casually swiping through your favorite social media channels, and then you stumble upon your latest obsession! That’s the magic of social commerce, making product discovery feel as glamorous as a New York Fashion Show.
With just a few taps, you can go from “love at first swipe” to checking out without ever leaving the platform in some cases. This seamless approach to shopping not only dazzles but also bids farewell to the dreaded waiting in line at store dressing rooms. So, say hello to a game changing strategy that’s redefining the art of sales, all while giving social media’s hottest trends the spotlight they deserve.
References
TechCrunch is part of the Yahoo family of brands. (2023, September 12).
Team, S. O. A. (n.d.). What Is Ecommerce? Definition, Types, Advantages, and Disadvantages. sell.amazon.com.
Zohar Gilad, Fast Simon, Inc. (2023, March 27). #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt: The future of social commerce. VentureBeat.
Activecampaign. (2023, February 24). Omnichannel approach is the key to success this holiday season — ActiveCampaign. ActiveCampaign.
Wang, F., Xu, H., Hou, R., & Zhu, Z. (2023). Designing marketing content for social commerce to drive consumer purchase behaviors: A perspective from speech act theory. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 70, 103156.
Company, F., & Meta. (2023, March 9). There’s a New Way to Buy Products on Instagram — Right in Chat. Meta.
McLachlan, S. (2023). What is Social Commerce and Why Should Your Brand Care? Social Media Marketing & Management Dashboard.
How To Find Your Target Audience & Market | Pinterest Business. (n.d.). Pinterest.
Pinterest: for the love of shopping | Pinterest Business. (n.d.). Pinterest.
Revlon Salon’s One-Step hair Volumiser is discounted with 50% off — Tell Everyone | Beauty & Hair | Grazia. (n.d.). Grazia.
Influencers have a significant impact on sales but not on the long term. Premium Beauty News. (2021, December 16).
Rawan Al Sayed
Rawan Al Sayed, a seasoned social media consultant in the dynamic EMEA region, boasts a rich skill set honed over five years of experience encompassing copywriting, social media management, community management, graphic design, and client servicing. With storytelling prowess, Rawan crafts compelling content that resonates authentically, fueling conversations and connections in the digital sphere. Her proficiency as a social media manager enables her to orchestrate effective online campaigns, staying ahead of trends for optimal engagement and results. Her adept community management skills foster loyal fan bases, and her creative graphic designs align seamlessly with brands. Rawan's commitment to open client communication ensures their needs are met with precision, building lasting partnerships.
