Mastering Social Commerce: Strategies for Selling in the Social Media Age
Digital Marketing
Dec 04
Social media has revolutionized marketing by reshaping the online shopping experience. When you add a global pandemic into the mix, it’s clear why businesses saw a surge in customer interactions and purchases via social platforms.
What Is Social Commerce?
Social commerce is under the umbrella of ecommerce. It occurs when you sell your services or products through any kind of social media platform, which often means your audience can buy your product through the social media site itself. Social commerce puts the product in front of the audience and can easily convert visitors to customers with targeted ads and a prominent presence.
According to Adtaxi’s 2024 Social & Commerce Survey, an impressive 87% of respondents use social media daily. Nearly half of these monthly users actively search for products or services, and a notable 68% of adults have made purchases directly through these platforms.
This highlights that social media is not just for connecting with friends—it’s also a powerful sales channel. Savvy marketers know this and leverage these platforms to engage with their audiences to boost sales.
Why Marketers Need Social Commerce
Ignoring social commerce means missing out on connecting with a significant segment of your audience. It’s a powerful way to expand your reach. Here are some key reasons marketers should focus on social commerce.
Simplify Your Process
Social commerce helps make shopping easier by minimizing obstacles during the purchase process. Simplifying the process makes everything more user-friendly so customers can complete a transaction. By default, shopping on a mobile phone requires a simpler experience than shopping on a desktop or other device since the phone forces the design and wireframes to be as simple as possible. The more you push social commerce, the more likely your processes will be simplified and tailored to fit the customer’s needs.
Receive Instant Customer Feedback
Never before has your business been able to access so many users and their feedback. This data is gold and the analytics are often instant. You can pull from messages, likes, comments, tags, and even canvass your audience about new products, and product issues, and get to know your super shoppers or influencers.
Build Your Online Credibility
One of the best ways to build trust with your base is understanding “social proof.” This happens when people do the same thing as other users or mimic their actions. For example, a bad product review that encourages the customer to avoid the product will likely garner social proof and convince potential customers to head elsewhere. Social media is such an engaging and immersive experience that brand awareness spreads fast on an online marketplace. Taking part in social commerce gives you a closer touch to managing your brand’s credibility, establishing trust, and creating more conversions.
Social Commerce Strategies for Success
The bottom line is that the industry is heading toward social commerce more each day. If you haven’t gotten started yet, here are a few ways to begin using social commerce to your advantage:
–Use a TikTok Shop to sell products conveniently. If a user sees a video with a certain product, it can easily be linked to a shop for purchase. As one of the top social media platforms, TikTok requires just a few steps to apply to sell.
-Collect data on your customers to figure out what demographic is represented the most. From there, it’s easier to choose the most effective top social platforms for your social commerce strategy. According to EMARKETER, millennials are still the highest demographic using social media, with Gen Z rapidly matching that number (and using Instagram more than any other group). These digital-savvy groups are likely to continue their online purchasing power through social channels, which means the social commerce presence will only deepen with time.
-Set up an Instagram Shop where you can show the products for sale, customize the details you share, and tag products. With 44% of Instagram users shopping on the platform weekly, leveraging Instagram’s capabilities offers a great opportunity for generating sales and building social proof.
Adtaxi’s 2024 Social & Commerce Survey highlights the growing importance of social media as both a marketplace and a powerful consumer influence. While the number of U.S. adults joining social platforms seems to be leveling off, they are spending more time and engaging more frequently than before. This sustained attention significantly impacts the selling of products and services. To effectively reach these audiences, marketers need to adopt authentic and organic strategies on these platforms. Developing a robust social commerce approach now is crucial for brands looking to adapt and thrive in today’s social media-driven market.
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