The pandemic has changed a lot in terms of how businesses are running. Since most people are stuck at home, businesses have made it possible for consumers to buy products and request services through social media; a process called social commerce. Social commerce is the process of selling products directly on social media. Social commerce is different from e-commerce in that e-commerce allows purchases to be done through a website, while social commerce is directly through social media platforms. If you own a business or brand you should consider adding your products and services to be purchased through social media and watch it grow. Below are some of the best reasons why social commerce is worth looking into to grow your business.
It Removes Friction
First and foremost social commerce removes friction from the consumer journey, making it easier to purchase products. With social commerce, someone can discover your product and easily purchase it. Doing this removes the need to go from an ad to your website, to add to cart, to completing payment information, etc. Social Commerce does not allow consumers the time to second guess the purchase with extra steps; they see it and they can research it and buy it in that same instance. Just the simple fact that it saves your clients time is enough for them to purchase through social media as opposed to a website.
It Makes Shopping a Social Experience
When your business starts selling products on social media it creates an experience for your consumers. It makes the shopping experience much more interactive than a typical e-commerce spree. Your customers will be able to view the comments on a particular product to determine if it is worth purchasing. Also, customers will be able to show off the product they purchased, consult with their friends on purchases, and even interact directly with your brand via comments. The content sharing function that social commerce has, connects users (that perhaps don’t follow you) with different products. Your customers are the best marketing you could ever have! Customers when purchasing on social media are more likely to share what they have bought with their followers. Social commerce has allowed the people that miss the social aspect of mall shopping to be able to feel that sense of community again.
It Offers An Instant Focus Group
Social commerce offers an incredible way to collect feedback. Since your products are out there for consumers to review and discuss together, they can just tell you what they like or don’t like almost instantly. Social commerce allows you the opportunity to ask your audience to vote and weigh in on product development or inventory decisions. For example, before you add a certain design to your inventory, you can ask your audience to vote on if it’s something they would purchase; doing this will ensure that you are not stocking something that will not be bought. Also, on social media, you have clear data about who your customers are, and it gives you the opportunity to chat with them via direct message or comments.
More and more businesses are using social commerce as a way to sell their products. If your business or brand is considering it, I would absolutely recommend looking into it. Social media has evolved so much since it first became available and the fact that these platforms are allowing businesses to advertise and sell products is amazing! Social commerce and all that comes with it will definitely be a learning curve for your business but the added rewards certainly outweigh the cost. View our services page if you are thinking about starting to sell your products on social media, and would like guidance or assistance on where to begin. We got you!