Quite different from what you might expect, Gartner predicts that 20% of brands are likely to abandon their mobile apps by 2019 even though mobile usage is on a steady rise.
This is because there has been a gradual change in the consumer behavior. Customers are now more plugged into social media, and it is essential for brands to enhance their visibility on the platforms where their audience resides.
Although social media came into being to help people stay in touch with friends and family, they have meanwhile evolved into even bigger platforms and play a vital role in influencing the consumers’ choices.
A recent survey conducted on around 5,500 consumers in Australia, France, Germany, UK, and the US revealed that around 74% of respondents agreed that there is a link between watching a video on a social platform and making a purchasing decision.
Another recent development which reflects the growing importance of social media in eCommerce is the launch of Instagram’s shoppable feeds, which enables brands to tag their products in the posts and create a better experience for users.
Instagram’s recent addition of the native payment feature has further made it easier for the shoppers to make purchases even without leaving the platform.
Social commerce is the next big thing in the eCommerce industry, which is why 31% of online shoppers revealed that they use social platforms to browse new products.
Let’s have a closer look at different social media channels and how you can use them to sell items.
Shop Section On Facebook
Undoubtedly, Facebook is the most influential social network when it comes to driving in-store foot traffic. This is perhaps why an IKEA store in Cardiff witnessed a 31% increase in foot traffic, all due to the geo-targeted Facebook ads.
In addition to letting you boost posts and target different demographics, Facebook also allows you to add a shop section to your business page where you can display products that you are selling.
Buyable Pins On Pinterest
Pinterest is heaven for crafts and DIY projects and has more than 150 million monthly active users worldwide. Similarly to Facebook, this platform allows you to promote and sell products.
Buyable pins let the users buy products without leaving Pinterest. However, since buyable pins gain a lot of attention and visibility, businesses need to be careful about choosing the right pins which they want to sponsor.
Sponsored Posts On Instagram
Instagram is another amazing way to transform your social platform into a profitable sales funnel. There are various methods to promote and sell products on Instagram. The most common strategy is influencer marketing wherein brands connect with influencers in their niche to increase exposure.
In addition, sponsoring and tagging products in posts also helps to gain the required traction.
Furthermore, Instagram ads are often perceived by users not as adverts but as an interesting and engaging content, which brands can easily use to their advantage.
Wrapping Up
That said, the social commerce is becoming popular as there is a change in the consumer behavior on social platforms. Discovering and buying things using social media has never been easier. From ‘liking’ to ‘buying’ a product on Instagram, a lot can happen within minutes. This presents an untapped world of opportunities for all types of businesses.
However, social commerce is not the only trend governing the eCommerce industry. To find out how eCommerce is going to look like in the next few years, check the infographic below.
