By Karthik Reddy
Have you ever heard about Fcommerce? You probably have: Facebook Commerce was supposed to be the future of ecommerce. It was supposed to be that way, but now we know that things are not that simple. One cannot multiply own revenue simply by adding a ‘Shop’ tab on its Facebook Page; that is, it is not possible to rely only on Facebook for this matter. This is one of the reasons why Fcommerce is just a tiny part of what social media can bring to emerchants.
First things first, let me remind you of the definition of social commerce. Wikipedia states: ‘Social commerce is a subset of electronic commerce that involves using social media and online media to support social interaction and user contributions, to assist in the online buying and selling of products and services.’
But the truth is that there is no revolution: social commerce already existed in the last century through Amazon and eBay. The moment people were able to post reviews and share opinions about products, social commerce emerged.
But what is social commerce really about? Well, there are several business practices that have been identified and associated with social commerce. These include purchase sharing, group buying, a buyers’ community, co-shopping, social advice and curation.
Now that we have defined what social commerce is all about, let’s talk a bit about how you can benefit from it. Using social media in order to maximize your sales can be achieved through several different techniques.
Using Social Media to Maximize Your Sales
The first one is visibility, because social media platforms are the perfect way to extend the reach of your offers. Old Spice and Blendtec are great examples of how much traffic a targeted, well-managed social media presence can generate.
Next is reputation, because online conversation is a really effective mean to build a great brand image. Dave of Saddleback Leather and Ramon from Domino’s Pizza are two solid examples of entrepreneurs who gathered an online community through online social interactions.
Another one is proximity, because social media allow your potential customers to get closer with your brand or products. Beauty Swatch shows how everyday women can sell beauty products to customers, creating loyal and engaged buyers.
Then there is contextualization, because it is all about reaching the right customer at the right place and the right moment. Canon is doing a great job gathering members inside its official groups on Flickr. If you’re wondering whether it’s better to be present on Flickr or Facebook, we could say that both are good. But you will have much better conversations on the social platform specifically designed for your type of product or service
There are also recommendations. Numerous social platforms are there to help you choose your next purchase through photo powered technology, profile based recommendations, or the algorithm driven ones.
Last but not the least – customer care. Social media is a place where people ask for help or complain about their shopping experiences. Hence, there is no better place to demonstrate love for your clients.
As you can see, social commerce is deeply connected to traditional ecommerce and customer relationship management.
If you’re looking to learn more about it, take a look at the infographic below.
