As a retailer, what platforms do you use to sell online? The most common options are to have your website or e-commerce app, partner/register on marketplaces such as Flipkart, Amazon, eBay, etc., and use the traffic there to sell your products. But what about social media? Social media platforms have over 3.5 billion active users, and almost all users have at least 7-6 social media accounts. They spend over 142 minutes a day interacting with each other, which is a huge opportunity.
Recently, social media platforms have opened up new sales opportunities for millions of businesses. This post will discuss social commerce and how it can positively impact your business. Also, don’t miss out on the fantastic tools we mention in this blog to improve your online sales opportunities on social media platforms.
Social Commerce
Social Commerce is a strategic method of selling and buying products directly from social media platforms.
Social media is no longer a place for advertising. Still, retail and marketing models now include social media as a tool in the discovery process to increase click-through rates and drive sales. In short, Social Commerce allows users to buy directly from social media applications rather than relying on e-commerce sites.
Theoretically, the longer the checkout process, the higher the chance buyers will not engage and leave the platform. By not leaving the platform and buying directly from social media, you can maintain a high level of engagement and reduce the chance of churn. It also opens up new opportunities for retailers. Do you have a WordPress store?
What Do The Trends Say?
Before investing, it is essential to know the success of each model. According to one report, by 2020, the Social Commerce market will reach $89.4 billion by the middle of a pandemic. Over the next seven years to $604.5 billion.
This is an evolving theory, and the major social media platforms are preparing to provide all the tools required to run an online store. Here are the social media platforms you can use to sell online.
Social Commerce Platforms That You Can Use To Start Selling Online 
Some leading social media platforms enabling social selling are Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Snapchat. However, many other social media platforms are also replicating their model and stepping up to offer retailers maximum opportunities. It is not unreasonable to say that Social Commerce will soon become part of online communities, groups, and other places where people interact with a particular niche, further segregating the market.
you’re a Facebook user; you’re probably recognizable with Facebook Stores. These stores are similar to e-commerce sites, allowing users to browse products and services and make in-app purchases.
One of the best features of Facebook Stores is that you can import your product catalog directly from your e-commerce store, so you don’t have to spend years posting millions of products to your Facebook store. In addition, customizing your store allows you to manage your store better.
On the customer side, it offers direct messaging that improves communication. You can also redirect people to your store’s website if you want.
Facebook has one of the largest user bases among all social media platforms in the world; therefore, its potential can be tapped to start any eCommerce business. Maintaining an active profile and connecting with people will increase brand credibility and open up other opportunities. In addition, Facebook’s advertising opportunities successfully target potential buyers based on their interests, search history, geographic data, etc.
Key Features:
- Personalized Shop
- Easy Brand Discovery
- Shopping With Messenger
- Valuable Insights
Display products and services. You can use the platform to promote your products through stories, explore bars, scrolls, and even ads. Instagram also offers the possibility to create and personalize storefronts.
This social media platform also offers in-app purchases. People can use their Facebook payments to make purchases. Instagram is considered a very dynamic platform and has a young user base. If your products are aimed at customers between 18 and 29, you can generate a high sales volume with an Instagram store.
Snapchat
Snapchat also offers you sales opportunities. The platform offers buyers a unique user experience with features like branded profiles. Instead of selecting by pages, customers can search for products in the app and make a purchase. In terms of technology, the app’s branded profile feature was developed by Shopify, making it reliable.
This feature applies to clothes, make-up, sunglasses, and other products. It allows brand owners to create shoppable product catalogs and uses augmented reality filters through the Lenses feature. To enhance the customer experience, users can also take selfies with Lenses and see how clothes or products would look.
Snapchat is very popular with young people, and if your target audience is young and uses social media frequently, Snapchat is another Social Commerce platform you should try.
Pinterest Shop
“Pinterest is not a social media platform, but a community platform where you can follow trends in different industries. When you go to Pinterest, you can highlight products in the Pinterest shop using product pins. These pins would direct the person to the company’s website. However, since people are looking for trends and information on Pinterest, this is an excellent feature for businesses that want to increase their website traffic and benefit from it.
“Pinterest is a great platform to find sellers of home décor, cooking, kitchenware, travel products, clothing, health and fitness products, and more.
Key Features:
- Catalogs
- Rich Pins
- Product Groups
- Promote Products
- Insights & Optimization
Social Commerce Benefits 
Social media platforms offer tremendous opportunities, but let’s understand how they affect businesses and why you should invest in social e-commerce.
1. Continuous Growth Of The Target Audience
With billions of consumers using social media platforms to engage with brands, celebrities, influencers, and people in general, social media platforms give you a defined audience to pitch your products to, and you can take advantage of this opportunity to monetize sales.
There are billions of active users on social media, with new ones joining every hour. The most significant trend in digital commerce is social marketing, which allows you to increase the reach of your business and sell to people.
2. Better Positioning In Search Engines
It’s not just about generating more traffic. User experience is key to retaining consumers and building trust in a brand, and increased website traffic ultimately affects SERP rankings. Moreover, engagement does not force users to leave the site but keeps them involved in buying.
3. Authenticity
There are many brands globally, and it’s easy for people not to trust you if you are not a well-known brand. If you are on social media and interact with people regularly, you have a chance to gain their trust. People search for a brand on different platforms and determine whether an online shop is fake or genuine.
The two-way communication that Social Commerce provides helps people connect with businesses and better engage with them. People can see how you respond to their questions and offer solutions. And how quickly you respond to them. In addition, they can use the sharing, commenting, and ‘liking’ functions.
4. Loyalty And Retention
Engaging people is made more accessible through social media because it gives you a space for constant contact with your customers. You merge with them regularly through posts, stories, customer reviews, and more. There’s a range of content and materials that you can use to win the trust of your customers and keep them for the long term.
5. Business Metrics From Social
Social media isn’t just about socializing; it’s a serious business that gives you a detailed analysis of everything in your Social Commerce store. You can use this specific data to improve your marketing strategy.
What’s more, most e-commerce websites invest a lot of time and money to drive visitors from social media platforms to your website. Enhances their digital marketing efforts and improves lead conversion opportunities.
The simplified approach and data analytics make this a unique online marketing platform. For example, social media platforms can create impressions, engagement, and reach metrics. In addition, you can use social media posts to measure reach or traffic, such as how high the click-through rate is and how many people are converting. If people follow you on social media platforms, you can endlessly provide them with your content, and they will engage with it. This way, you don’t have to go the extra mile and collect their data, such as email and phone numbers, to strengthen your email marketing strategy.
Social Commerce Tips To Get Started
Want to know how to start your Social Commerce journey? Here are five tips to help you lead the way. Required reading.
1. Be Consistent
It’s difficult, but not impossible, to build a good user base and keep it throughout the lifecycle of your business. Be patient initially and start slowly attracting people to your platform. You may make mistakes, but metrics and analytics will help you understand where you’ve fallen short. Once you’ve identified what is most likely to appeal to your target audience, you can replicate this strategy in different forms and reap the benefits.
2. Be Compelling
Niche-specific content will help you achieve great results. Develop a brand book with your target audience in mind, giving your designers, copywriters, and content creators guidelines on tones, colors, fonts, etc., to create content that grabs attention.
The longer people stick around with you on social media, the access it will be to convert them. Social media platforms can help you find your voice amid the noise.
3. Stay Generous
There are several ways to increase engagement and make a strong sales push. One of the best ways to gain followers is to give viewers something for free. The best is to drive traffic through contests. People love free stuff and will do anything to get their hands on it and learn about your brand. Don’t forget to offer discounts and special offers to your customers to attract more users to follow you.
4. Be More Than A Salesperson
People don’t go to social media to sell something. That’s not what social media platforms were created for. People come for trends, interaction, and information. A shop on a social media platform is just the icing on the cake. So don’t treat your customers like customers. Instead, interact with them. Push strategic content that encourages interaction, allowing customers to talk to you, get closer to you, and connect with you on levels other than just shoppers.
5. Lower-Priced Products
Luxury products are less frequently sold on social media platforms, and this is because people want some guarantee and want to see a trusted name to contact to buy the product quickly. However, engagement and sales can be good if the product is affordable. According to statistics, Social Commerce platforms have great products that range from over $79 to $140.
Because people usually want to try and buy. Secondly, Social Commerce is relatively new, and people do not come to the platform intentionally to buy. As mentioned, these platforms encourage interaction, and the opportunity to sell is just a luxury for retailers.
It is yet early to say anything about selling expensive goods via social media. However, there are positive signs of growth.
6. Automated Bot Checkout
The customer purchasing path has been the subject of speculation for years. The longer it is, the more likely the customer will abandon the shopping basket. A technologically superior alternative shortens the shopping process and offers a superior user experience. Unnecessary steps are eliminated, and customers can proceed to checkout, just like in a peer-to-peer online store.
The experience on Social Commerce platforms is also not yet perfect. You need to understand the limitations of what they can offer and ensure you are taking advantage of all the options available to you. An automated checkout is just one way to do this.
Chatbots have been in our lives for a long time and have evolved considerably in recent years; their use has become almost mandatory on every website. If you are setting up a Facebook store, you should check out Jumper.ai. It’s a great tool that allows you to automate many of the conversations in your store, and it will improve your customer service on many levels.
7. Integration Of Social Commerce Into Your E-Commerce Platform
Social trading pays off when you have a following that you have to work hard to build. When people follow you and interact with you, you have the opportunity to bring more people to the platform and give them confidence in your brand.
Here’s a great tool to help you get more visitors to your social media platforms and get them to follow you. Solwin Infotech’s Social Stream Designer is an exciting tool that allows you to add a template design to your social media content and showcase it on your online store. Attractive design and edgy customization will help you get more people to follow you in many ways.
8. Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is another way to increase your company’s sales. According to a report published by Emarketer, it can increase your sales by 30%.
There are a variety of engagement models you can try to connect influencers with your brands. They charge you a fee for a sale or a one-off fee, and you benefit from all the sales they can bring you.
Wrapping Up
Hope you enjoyed today’s blog. Social Commerce is one of the primary focuses of many brands. One of the reasons you should do it is because your competitors are doing it. Before your potential buyers search you on search engines, they are already converting them and making them their loyal customers.
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