Looking to build your marketing strategy to amplify online sales? To thrive in the e-commerce space, a cross-channel approach is key to maximizing your organization’s potential.
Social media has become one of the prime destinations for entertaining content and helpful information. But it’s also gaining popularity as an e-commerce platform. Is your brand set up to support social media shopping? Optimize your sales by spreading your reach across channels.
Why should you take advantage of social media e-commerce? Here’s how to strategically use the features to boost your sales this year!
Why Sell on Social Media?
Social media e-commerce is where brands directly sell their products and services through a social media platform. This includes integrations like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok shops, Pinterest product pins, and more. Customers are able to browse, select, and purchase products without having to leave the app. Why is this effective?
Large user base.
With so many active users on social media, the potential to connect and make conversions is huge. Of these active users, a large portion rely on social media to learn about new brands, find inspiration for new products and services to try, and ultimately make a purchase.
SEO and digital ad campaigns are great options to reach users who are searching for specific products or services. Using social media as an e-commerce platform helps you reach potential customers who aren’t necessarily searching for items. They may not even be aware of the product or service you are offering at all.
Target a specific audience.
When you expand your retail services beyond your website, you have the opportunity to strategically reach customers. And we’re not just talking about the volume of customers.
Utilizing social media platforms for selling provides new opportunities to reach your ideal customers. You’ll gain valuable insights into your target audience’s desires. From there, you can tailor your marketing strategies to effectively reach them.
Engage with shoppers.
One of the biggest benefits of social media for a business? The ability to build relationships with your customers. We know that customers respond well when they feel a personal connection to a brand. Social media is one of the best streams of marketing if you’re looking to create more of a casual relationship with your customers.
With social media e-commerce, you can be an active participant in your community. You can offer meaningful insights about your products and tailor your content to support your customers. You can also see what people are saying about your products and provide any necessary clarifications.
Reduce the sales cycle.
When you’re expecting a quick and easy check-out, there’s nothing more frustrating than a complicated, multi-step process. Consumers these days are accustomed to simplicity when it comes to shopping experiences. Anything more complex can actually be a deterrent to completing a transaction.
Built-in integrations and product links make this easy for merchants to set up. When someone sees something they want to purchase, it can be in their cart with just one click. Not to mention, people can do all their pre-purchase research within the app as well. This is something that will definitely be appreciated by your audience.
Social Media E-commerce Trends
If you’re still not convinced social media e-commerce is for you, let’s let the data speak for itself. Most social media platforms provide the opportunity for social selling. However, the primary channels that see the most success are Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest. If these are platforms you have identified as popular with your audience, we think you know what to do!
Even the big players in the e-commerce space see the potential of apps as shopping platforms. E-commerce giant Amazon has recently announced a partnership with Meta to allow customers to link their accounts to directly shop through Meta’s social apps. Customers will be able to check out quicker, which would result in higher conversion rates for advertisers.
The social commerce market size will reach almost $1.3 trillion in 2023. (Influencer Marketing Hub)
27% of consumers prefer to discover new products through social media over any other channel. (HubSpot)
41% of consumers have discovered a product on social media in the past three months, up 14% YoY. (HubSpot)
Social media isn’t just a place for brands to showcase their products in hopes of boosting their sales. Rather, it’s a new way to generate revenue opportunities and create lasting relationships with consumers.
How to implement social media e-commerce:
- Create an in-app storefront. You’ll upload images and information about your products for consumers to view. They will be able to view your online store as if they were on your actual website.
- Set up direct, in-app checkout. To create a seamless checkout experience, merchants can manage payments directly on the platform.
- Generate ads and organic shoppable posts. Intentionally feature products and tag them so that an interested viewer can simply tap for more information.
- Utilize messaging features to engage with customers. Encourage people to reach out with questions, share more specific information, and send personalized thank-you messages.
- Encourage and share product reviews. People love to see others’ experiences with brands, and it contributes to your brand’s overall trustworthiness.
- Activate promotions:
- Live shopping events: Present products in real-time, giving people the opportunity to purchase in the moment.
- Giveaways: Share your appreciation with your community while receiving brand exposure. Win-win!
- Promotions: If you’re running any sales or special offers, social media is the place to spread the word. Get people so excited they won’t even think twice about purchasing.
As more and more people turn to social media to get their shopping done, now’s the time to improve your browse-to-buy customer experience. From creating wishlists to making purchases, there are major opportunities to convert your customers through social media.
For support and to learn more about our approach to social media, reach out to our team of experts. We’re here to help you develop your social media strategy!