Will 2019 be the year online shopping goes social? Social selling technology offers retailers an exciting new opportunity to boost sales through social media.
Did you know that 74% of consumers use social media to inform their purchasing decisions? Imagine if you could skip the middleman and allow users to make purchases without leaving social media at all. Fortunately, some of the most popular social media sites are developing tools that allow online retailers to sell directly through the platform and this is presenting some exciting ecommerce opportunities.
What is Social Selling?
Social selling refers to when social media platforms incorporate ecommerce features, such as a native checkout, directly into their sites and/or apps. These functionalities enable users to complete a transaction without leaving the platform.
What are the Advantages of Social Shopping?
1. REDUCED NUMBER OF CLICKS
Rather than solely using social media to direct visitors to your website, social selling allows e-retailers to market directly to customers where they already are. By eliminating several clicks on the way to the checkout, customers are less likely to fall out of your conversion funnel and are more likely to complete an order.
Rather than solely using social media to direct visitors to your website, social selling allows e-retailers to market directly to customers where they already are. By eliminating several clicks on the way to the checkout, customers are less likely to fall out of your conversion funnel and are more likely to complete an order.
2. ACCESS BILLIONS OF CUSTOMERS
In 2019, it is estimated that there will be around 2.77 billion social media users around the globe. Social selling enables e-retailers to sell on platforms that are already being used by a vast number of users. However, the majority of users won’t want to leave the app to view your products and this is where social selling comes in as this functionality conveniently allows such users to buy products from within the social media network itself.
3. YOUTH APPEAL
Futureproof your business by optimising your digital marketing strategy for Gen Z (anyone born after 1997). Over 80% of Gen Zer’s online purchasing decisions are influenced by social media. As digital natives, these younger consumers expect a seamless omnichannel experience; meaning that social shopping is inevitable. As they age and earn more, Gen Z will trigger major advances in e-commerce growth.
4. BOOST MOBILE CONVERSIONS
The mobile market currently accounts for 34% of all eCommerce transactions. The average consumer spends 5 hours a day on mobile devices and 1/3 of this time is spent on social media apps. Native shopping features on social networks makes it easier for mobile users to make purchases and this is likely to result in a higher conversion rate.
Social Selling in Action: WeChat
Boasting 1 billion monthly active users, WeChat is one of the top social media sites in China. In 2017, WeChat launched a mini-program feature that allowed users to access shopping services from its chat platform. As of 2018, 31% of users shop within the app.
How to Sell on Social Media
How To Add Social Shopping To Facebook
- Set up a Facebook store to act as a virtual store front. This tool allows you to: upload products and product information, curate a customisable product catalogue and sell directly from your page.
- Once you have set up your store, don’t forget to tag products in organic image posts. When the user clicks on the tag, they can see more information about the item.
How To Add Native Shopping To Instagram
- Instagram shopping tags enable eligible businesses to add price and description tags to specific items in an image. When clicked, these direct the user to your checkout to purchase that item.
- In March 2019, Instagram launched a new native checkout feature for business accounts. This function that allows users to complete transactions on the app and is currently being tested across the US.
How To Add Social Shopping To Pinterest
- Pinterest’s ‘shop the look’ feature means that when users see a pin of an outfit or home décor, they can click on any part of the image to view more details about the item or see similar products. When they’re ready to buy, the user can click through to your site to check out. This is currently being tested in selected countries.
- Shopping ads allow retailers to automatically create Promoted Pins from their existing product feed. This simplifies the advertising process and allows marketers to keep their Pinterest listings up to date. This is currently being tested with selected retailers.
Scroll down to the infographic below to learn more about the potential of social shopping.
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