Social commerce is incredibly important and super straightforward. It’s when brands sell their goods or services on social media instead of relying solely on their stand-alone e-commerce sites. Social commerce also includes when someone clicks a link from social media that brings them to your e-commerce site.

The reason it’s so important to leverage social commerce is that social media is where people spend most of their time online. No matter how many active customers you have on your website, it pales in comparison to the 1 billion active users on Instagram.

Social commerce also entails leveraging artificial intelligence to understand customers’ social behaviors and preferences. We will discuss more in this article.

• What is Social Commerce?
• Types of Social Commerce
• How do Businesses Leverage Social Media?
• How Will Social Commerce Influence Businesses?
• How is Social Commerce Exploited?
• What is Social Commerce Business?
• How Can Social Media Increase Sales?
• How Social Media Improves Customer Service?
• Social Commerce Examples
• Commerce Social Strategies
• Social Commerce Growth
• Social Commerce vs E-commerce
• Facebook Social Commerce
• Platform Social Commerce
• What is The Distinction Between Social Shopping And Social Commerce?
• How to Leverage Social Media For Better Career Opportunities
• Which Social Media is Best For Selling Products?
• How do You Build a Social Media Strategy?

What is Social Commerce?

Social commerce is the process of selling products directly on social media. With social commerce, the entire shopping experience — from product discovery and research to the checkout process — takes place right on a social media platform.

Currently, social apps that allow for social commerce include Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.

With social commerce, you might see a pair of sweet strawberry-print clogs on your Instagram feed, hit “shop now” and complete the purchase right there in the app.

Read Also: Is Social Media Marketing the Future of Digital Marketing?

Or, you could spot a well priced umbrella as you’re scrolling through your Facebook feed, click “Buy.” Once your purchase is complete, you can continue to enjoy your usual Facebook experience by creeping pics of your friend’s sister’s ex-boyfriend’s new baby, without missing a beat.

These are shopping opportunities right on the digital platforms that your audience uses most. And you should be taking advantage of them.

Types of Social Commerce

We’ll look at four of the common ways to support social shopping, but recommend that you use them as just a starting point. Your audience will help you discover what works best for them, and it might be something wholly unique.

Chat features customers can use to inquire about services or products

The Facebook ecosystem is a strong player in the chat sales game, especially because it bridges both Facebook and Instagram, as well as supporting WhatsApp chat. When customers interact with your ads, pages, or brand, you can include calls-to-action for them to chat with you via Messenger and others. On many Facebook pages, too, chat notifications pop up when you arrive.

People can come to your page to ask questions and get a quick response. You can also make direct sales pitches or share landing pages, too. Let the customer drive this social shopping experience for the best results.

The service is proving profitable for a wide range of companies. Now, even third-party solutions are integrating with chat to help you sell socially with less work. HubSpot is expanding its CRM to include customer actions on the platform. This includes messaging and automation as well as using HubSpot to assign the right sales team professionals to each chat interaction.

Look for the tools and platforms you use to sell and manage your eCommerce store, and you might find similar integration capabilities. There are also smart services that turn your chatbots and messenger interactions into specific goals and activities. LEGO uses a chatbot to help you find the perfect toy as a gift. 

You answer a few questions and automatically get options delivered. Plus, you can buy within the platform and ship it out as a gift without having to leave Facebook. LEGO and its bot maker say the chatbot has reduced cost per conversions by 71%.

Electronic payments on social posts

The latest trend – and perhaps greatest for your audience – is the ability to buy things directly on social media sites. They can navigate to your post or click an ad that they see and experience social commerce without navigating away. It’s a simple and direct interaction.

Thanks to smartphones, your customers can also have mobile-friendly options using their device. Companies are also launching their own payment systems to support these. Facebook Pay works on multiple channels to help them control the social shopping experience.

Forums and groups for buying and selling products

The early days of the Internet were driven by forums, and we see them continue in places like Reddit where you can share and discuss products freely, though there’s not much selling going on in the platform itself.

You can join popular forums on Reddit, LinkedIn, and elsewhere even as a business. Post product information, links to sales pages, and more. However, the trick here is to gain an audience by building a community. Sharing information that’s useful helps people trust you and keep reading what you post. If all of your messages scream “BUY NOW!” people are going to tune you out quickly.

So, stick to the golden rule of social commerce: let the customer direct purchase decisions and you be there highlighting benefits without an overly aggressive sales message. Be there to help a customer when they need it, with whatever they need.

These interactions have expanded a little bit thanks to Facebook buy and sell groups. These specific groups allow members to list items for sale, search for items to buy, and complete purchase transactions. Think of it as a smaller subsection of the Facebook Marketplace where you can have a local group focused on specific products or communities.

Stories and new social selling options

Video and temporary content are growing extremely popular on social media. So, social commerce has followed. One of the growing trends now are shopping options in these timed services. Facebook and Instagram are well-known options because they’ve made it easy for brands to promote products.

On Instagram, you can use product tags to highlight anything that you sell within your stories. They’ll function like regular shopping posts and can get someone to a product with just a click, instead of multiple actions that were required in the past. Facebook has similar tagging and also includes the option to add a call-to-action on your Stories page.

These tools are time-sensitive, and most people will only look at them once and within a few days of posting, so you need to be continually cycling through them to be effective. It’s a smart and savvy way to reach your audience with compelling content but will take some time.

How do Businesses Leverage Social Media?

1. Figure Out Your Audience’s Preferences

Be it LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, your business needs to have a presence on one or more social channels. However, before you create your business accounts, think about where you are most likely to find your target audience.

If you are a B2B brand, you definitely need to be active on LinkedIn because it’s your best chance of engaging with decision makers. On the other hand, if your products are more visually-stimulating, Instagram is definitely a great option. In general, platforms like Instagram or Snapchat are frequented by younger audiences. And Facebook is preferred by older ones.

So get to know your audience. Google Analytics can help you with this. You can get insights into age groups, locations, and other demographic data about your audiences using it.

Once you know your target market well, choose a suitable social media platform. Opt for the one which your target market uses the most.

Once you start posting, analyze which groups in your target audiences are responding well. Also analyze which social media platforms are giving you the most engagement. Keep a tab on the kind of content you’re getting the most engagement from.

You can use Facebook and Instagram Insights, Twitter Analytics, and other such tools for this analysis. You’ll be able to see your users’ genders, locations, ages, interests, and a lot more. It’s a goldmine of information that you can use to your advantage.

Pictures and videos may do well on Instagram, while long blog posts may perform better on LinkedIn. Experiment a little and see what works.

Accordingly, tweak your content to suit the platform that you’re posting on. If you want to leverage social media for your business, you’ll need to get creative. Also, think of multiple ways of posting the same content in different formats.

2. Create Engaging Content

Of course, your goal is to sell. However, you can’t be blatant about it on social media. Show, don’t tell. Weave a visual story around your brand, but don’t aggressively sell your products or services. Good storytelling will help you connect better with your target audiences.

Take some inspiration from Airbnb’s Instagram posts. They have beautiful pictures, and each post is accompanied by an engaging caption. They describe the place and the experience it provides. They even capture the lives of locals.

Each of their posts beautifully supports their core value – “Embrace the adventure.” Instead of directly selling their brand, they publish posts that resonate with their values. Their tone is natural, so it helps them connect better with their audiences.

When you leverage social media for business, make sure that your posts aren’t too pushy or promotional. Instead, create informative and engaging stories so that they resonate better with your audiences.

3. Be Responsive and Offer Rewards

Social media is a space where your audiences can directly get in touch with you. Encourage them to comment on and share your posts on social media.

Be open to their questions and make sure you are responding courteously to all of their comments. Try to respond to them as soon as possible. You need to build a two-way channel so that you can earn the trust of your customers.

You can leverage social media for your business to build an open channel of communication with your audience.

According to a study by Sprout Social, responsiveness on social media prompted consumers to make a purchase. And 83% of consumers said they wanted brands to respond to them on social media. Honesty, helpfulness, and friendliness were found to be traits that boost social media engagement for brands.

Even while tackling negative comments, be polite. Understand that each comment that you make represents your brand’s personality. You may keep the tone casual, but always make sure your manners are in place.

If you find out that there was a mistake on your part, you can try offering discounts. Coupons or freebies may work too.

If a consumer does not seem satisfied with your products or services, reach out to them. Tell them that you’d like to connect with them to learn more about your shortcomings.

This shows your consumers that you truly care for them. In the long run, it will help you build brand loyalty as well.

4. Use Influencer Marketing

Another great way of leveraging social media for business is to collaborate with relevant social media influencers. Not only can they help to create buzz about your brand but also build your credibility. This in turn, can actually help you get more conversions.

A study by Twitter in 2016 made some interesting revelations. 49% of Twitter users said that they relied on recommendations and reviews by influencers. Nearly 40% users also admitted to making a purchase as a direct result of an influencer’s tweets.

So find relevant influencers in your niche and get them to promote you. Ask them to share reviews of your products that include your website links and social media handles.

Influencers are role models to their followers and so they trust their choices completely. If an influencer likes a product, their followers might give it a try as well.

Influencers focus on engagement. They ask questions, respond to comments, and even conduct quizzes and contests sometimes. If they’re backing you, you should expect more engagement on your social media account too.

5. Paid Advertisements on Social Media

You’ve may have great content and interesting products to showcase. However, simply posting them on social media isn’t always good enough. You need to also make sure it reaches the right audiences and a number of them.

Organic reach has decreased considerably across all social media platforms in the last couple of years. In a survey by Buffer, 55% of marketers said that their Facebook organic reach had declined in one year.

So how do you expect more of your followers to find your content? Paid ads on social media are the way forward. Leveraging social media for your business may require you to shell out some money for paid promotions.

But throwing some money in, and expecting it to do wonders for you won’t work. You need to understand how ads work on social media.

Try to understand your audience demographics and target your ads to specific users. Only then can you expect some good results.

Once you have posted your ad, you will need to constantly keep a tab on how well it is doing. If you see a particular age group or gender not responding well, tweak your strategy. You can always re-target ads for more effective results.

Also, paid ads work differently on different social media platforms. So invest some time to understand them. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – all of them have different strengths.

Choosing the right platform depends on what you expect from your advertisement campaigns. But in general, Instagram is the new domain that digital marketers are hailing for its success stories.

Paid ads can do your brand a lot of good if you use them wisely. Be creative, and don’t stick to just one format.

Also explore video ads, carousel ads, and Stories ads which are the latest additions to Instagram ads. Make sure you mix it up and see what works best for your brand.

How Will Social Commerce Influence Businesses?

Many people wonder if social e-commerce will work for their business. In fact, it offers a myriad of business benefits for your brand. From increasing sales to driving traffic, to increasing customer engagement and website traffic.

Here are five business benefits of social commerce:

1. Consistent Audience Growth

Every day, thousands of new users join social media sites around the world. Millions are already active on it. According to Statistia, Facebook has over a billion active users each month and many new users join every hour.

One of the most important considerations for any business is how to reach and sell to its target customer audience. For companies that use social commerce, their followings are continuously growing and accessible.

2. Higher Search Engine Ranking

Engagement on social media can lead to more than just direct transactions. It has been proven that social media commerce actually increases traffic to your website which will eventually influence your ranking on search engine results (though nobody can agree on the exact weight of this search engine ranking factor.)

Sharing links to content on your website through social media is an excellent way to drive traffic from social media users. It also allows your audience to engage with a comment, like, or share to reach an even larger audience.

3. More Authentic Engagement and Traffic

As already stated, actively working to grow your social media audience is a great first step in eventually making conversions. One of the most significant benefits of social commerce is the engagement and reach that businesses can get whenever they share content.

By showing up in a follower’s updates feed on a regular basis, you’re participating in a powerful branding opportunity. People who have regular contact with a company are more likely to recommend that company.

Social commerce encourages people to connect with a business through two-way communication. This allows customers to not only engage with your business, but it also gives them the opportunity to use social media as an efficient customer service channel where it’s possible to solve problems.

4. Customer Loyalty and Retention

In using social commerce for your business, you are aiming to sell and promote your products/services, but you are also aiming to build good relationships with people. By using this opportunity to engage with prospects, a company can build and maintain relationships that deepen trust and loyalty.

This in turn creates customers that are happy/satisfied with your service, who will likely remain clients who make repeat purchases. Make sure to treat first-time buyers just as well as you’d treat repeat purchasers – they’re both incredibly important!

5. Business Metrics from Social

With any part of your business marketing, you should be able to analyze your efforts, and see if the results provided a positive ROI. Starting a campaign that you cannot measure or evaluate is a waste of any tangible effort. The objective you decide upon should be kept in line with company key performance indicators (KPIs).

Social media commerce makes it easy to measure and evaluate performances. Facebook pages, Instagram business accounts and tweets on Twitter have built-in metrics for impressions, engagements and reach.

In addition, most social media posts allow for the measurement of traffic to your website through website click counts. Other basic measurements to determine a positive ROI might include your total numbers of fans/followers, likes, and the overall sentiment of interactions.

Social media commerce will only be beneficial for your business if it’s done right. Formulate a solid plan and don’t be afraid to take the risk and invest a reasonable amount of time, effort, and money – social commerce companies agree that it’s more than worth it!

How is Social Commerce Exploited?

Here are the 7 key tactics to exploit the full potential of mobile and social networks in terms of commerce. 

1. A mobile website

Mobile shopping experience is not always satisfactory. First of all, many sites are still too slow to load. However, after 3 seconds of loading the user loses patience, at the risk of not returning again. The format of the websites is also still not adapted to the mobile, with difficulties to read the product sheets without using the zoom function or to consult the content with a scroll too long.

Moreover, too many applications do not allow integrated purchases, which means that the consumer has to be redirected to the website, at the risk of breaking the fluidity of the customer journey. If the business site is not mobile-friendly the customer’s conversion chances are decreased.

While many brands focus on social networks and are surprised at the lack of conversion on this channel, they often forget to rethink their website for mobile screens. But remember, you must have a responsive and mobile-friendly website where you can display your products and deals. 

For example, if someone is searching for online mattress deals on their mobile phones, a mobile-friendly site will win the competition in generating leads or conversion.

But how do you adapt your website to mobile?

Google offers two handy tools for auditing a site, such as the optimization test that, when entering the URL, allows you to preview the site as seen on a mobile device with a list of all the problems of ergonomics detected.

A speed test is also proposed to measure the performance of the mobile display through a notation. It is also recommended to opt for a responsive design so that the website automatically adapts to the mobile and it’s easier for you to sell your products online in a hassle-free manner.

In terms of speed, you have to pay particular attention to the size of the images and the number of requests in order to reduce the response time and avoid all that is flash and pop-up technology.

2. Carousel ads

Carrousel ads are interesting from the point of view of aesthetics and dynamism. You can add up to 10 images or videos to be scanned horizontally with their own link and a call-to-action button. The first images or videos displayed are generally the most powerful.

But for what uses?

One can choose to present a single product to vary the colors or angles, or work on several products of the same range. Note also the possibility of doing story telling by declining the use of the product, through the experience of a consumer for example.

3. Catalog sales

Catalog sales consist of generating dynamic product ads from a catalog that is also called a product thread. Simply upload a file to Facebook via the Business Manager feature that includes product information like link and description. Then, you have to create an advertisement with the objective “catalog sale” by indicating what type of catalog is desired.

At the level of the format, there is the possibility of choosing a single image or a carousel. The result: a dynamic generation of ads, adapted to mobile consultation.

4. The Facebook store

The Facebook store is a service that is available for free for businesses. It consists of grafting to the page of the mark a shopping tab with the possibility of adding photos or video. Payment is made to him on a third party site, usually that of the brand or an intermediary. 

This solution then provides access to statistics such as the number of views and clicks. Once the store is created, do not forget to promote it through publications in the news channel of fans of the brand.

5. Instagram product tags

The tags produced on Instagram have not yet been deployed in all markets, they are still in testing phase in the United States. Traders are already very present on Instagram with a goal of notoriety but they tend more and more towards the conversion and the discovery product. The principle is simple, a “Tap to view” icon is displayed ready for the product photographed to allow access to all the information concerning this product.

6. Instagram stories

Instagram stories were launched only in August 2016, but they already have more than 150 million daily users. This is a full-screen slideshow featuring photos and videos, available for 24 hours. These allow to be creative since they offer the possibility to draw, to write on the images, to add filters or emoji’s, without forgetting the video live. It is also possible to add links and thus allow to redirect to the commercial sites. 

7. Chatbots

Chatbots have recently been upgraded to Facebook by integrating it into Messenger, giving businesses the ability to create their own dedicated customer relationship bot. They are able to manage a part of the simple tasks handled by humans for a much lower cost and with a speed without common measure.

However, human intervention is essential at certain stages of the journey. Besides reaching a large audience in the eyes of the regular users of the messaging application, chatbots allow to catch a public very present on the social networks and more difficult to touch on other channels, millennials or generation Z.

Accustomed to instant, last-minute content (with the logistical constraints that this entails), this more selective and demanding generation needs quick answers and is more self-service adept when the situation allows.

It is therefore an unparalleled tool for engaging this audience who is difficult to approach by traditional means. The profile of the typical consumer has evolved, forcing brands to adapt to new consumer behaviors and habits.

What is Social Commerce Business?

Social commerce professionals create and post messages and interactive features that promote online sales and other e-commerce initiatives. Some of the marketing tactics social commerce employs include:

• Inviting users to vote on product style or choices
• Offering personalized buyer options
• Applying large and striking graphics to attract viewer clicks
• Using videos to show the product in use and from multiple angles
• Encouraging user-submitted photos, commentary, and feedback
• Using celebrity endorsements of the product line
• Linking directly to the checkout or shopping cart
• Offering promotions or giveaways to users who share the product on their feeds

Social commerce encourages social shopping tools such as forums and communities in which buyers and sellers discuss their online shopping experiences and compare notes.

How Can Social Media Increase Sales?

One of the biggest questions businesses present about the use of social media is how it works to increase your sales. Not all businesses want to focus on exposure, one of the commonly listed benefits of social media, and would rather see bottom line results. This is a viable use for social media, and it’s not an impossible goal! 

Social Media Works for Brands of All Sizes

Small and large companies are both able to increase sales through social media marketing, although the process must be tailored to match their brand, industry, and size. It’s easy to imagine that exposure and building a brand personality are some of the only real business uses for social media.

While these are two possible outcomes, they can also be building blocks for an effective sales strategy using social media. It all depends on how large the business is and what type of strategy is employed.

There are many different strategies that can be used to increase sales through social media marketing. Let’s take a look at some of the most effective strategies for large businesses and small businesses separately.

Large Business Social Media Strategies

Larger businesses are categorized by a larger following on many social media accounts. Size of the business is usually in direct relation to the size of the social media following. It’s important to note that this doesn’t apply in B2B industries. The focus of these strategies is direct B2C businesses.

– Direct Sales through Social Media

Social media platforms have made it very easy for large companies to introduce products and services to their followers directly. Taking a direct sales approach only works when the business has a large number of followers, as it’s more likely they will get some amount of buy-in for their posts.

If a large business directly markets a product or service and points to where it can be bought or incorporates an online sales portal through social media directly, they can see success in sales.

Success doesn’t mean that a lot of followers will buy. But, if there are enough followers, even a small percentage seeing the product or service and deciding to buy will equal to a good boost in sales from a relatively low-cost marketing campaign. However, if this strategy is used too frequently it can lose its effectiveness as followers grow tired of it.

– Purchasing Social Media Ad Space

One way to solve some of the common problems of the direct sales method is to use ad space on social media networks instead. This has a higher cost associated with it, but it helps businesses to target individuals who are more likely to make a purchase or show interest in their product, rather than mass marketing to everyone.

Because of this, the business can focus on building value and creating an engaged fan base with their main social media accounts while simultaneously selling directly to more targeted followers. However, ads are more likely to be ignored, especially when surrounded by other content. Ads may also be blocked by followers or may start to erode a positive brand image over time. 

– Indirect Advertising and Marketing Promotions

Indirect social media strategies don’t point followers to an exact product or purchase but give them some other reason to look at the products or services offered by a business. A good example of this would be a business running promotional posts around Valentine’s Day giving ideas for gifts to your loved one.

They may not be directly advertising a specific product or service but are still pointing followers towards their company in an effort to increase sales.

Many discounts and promotions are used in this type of indirect social media advertisement.

– Influencer Marketing

Using social media influencers can be costly, but may yield a very high ROI for some businesses. The right influencer can help a business spread their reach to people who aren’t yet following them while also giving a recommendation for the business through a source those people trust.  

Small Business Social Media Strategies

Small B2C businesses have to focus on other strategies to increase sales through social media. They usually do not have large bases of followers, so it requires a little more creativity to get the desired sales increases.

– Staying in View of the Customer

A huge function of social media for small businesses should be staying within a customer’s mind more consistently. If a small business doesn’t want to be a victim of the old adage “out of sight, out of mind”, they need to maintain a presence where their customer base will see them.

Social media is an excellent resource for this and can encourage previous customers to return and use the business again, especially if they are given some sort of incentive.

– Leading to a Sale

Most small businesses are better off focusing on indirect sales through social media. Given the smaller base of followers, it’s not always practical to advertise products and services directly, since the resulting sales would probably be negligible. Instead, social media should be the first step in the buying process. Many digital marketers would call this the beginning of the sales funnel.

Whatever you call it, social media is a valuable first step towards people buying products and services. It’s wise to point potential customers to a permanent company website by providing them some sort of value for free.

Providing value to customers before a purchase is made creates goodwill towards a company and can lead to an increase in sales in many cases. Value doesn’t have to be monetary and is often provided in the form of informational content.

– Building a Brand Personality

Making a relatable brand personality on social media is a surprisingly effective strategy for small businesses. A helpful, friendly, and responsive social media strategy can lead to a direct increase in sales, according to Sprout Social’s 2017 Q2 report.

Responsiveness is the most sought-after quality in a business social media account, and it’s the one thing that’s most likely to lead to sales in all demographics of online customers. This is an inexpensive strategy that’s highly effective for small businesses.

Not all social media strategies work for all businesses or customer bases. However, you can directly or indirectly affect your company’s sales through the use of social media marketing. Choose the right strategy for your business size, industry, and audience if you want the best results.

How Social Media Improves Customer Service?

The following excerpts reveal 4 more ways that enterprise leaders use emerging social media practices to improve customer service.

1. Transparency

Social media provides enterprises with a fast, simple and transparent channel for communicating with consumers. Any consumer with an Internet connection can see and watch your customer service activities via social media.

This means that companies and organizations have the opportunity to really showcase that they are a top-notch enterprise that really cares about and listens to their customers.

If companies fail to respond to media mentions, it’s going to be obvious to everyone using those social channels.

2. Reduced Expenses

Social media customer service is the most cost-effective way to respond to consumer queries and concerns. It costs about $1 per interaction, while traditional phone support costs around $6. More than half of all United States consumers use social media platforms.

In addition to using social media to connect with family members, friends and professional peers, consumers are increasingly adopting social media as way to reach a customer service representative at various enterprises. In fact, 67-percent of today’s consumers use social media to connect with brands.

3. Improved Customer Service

Customer service representatives should be there to help, not to hide. Enterprises with poor customer service spend valuable resources attempting to repair brand credibility and image, and too many customer service platforms are difficult to use and can seem to take forever.

Not only do you make the customer come to you, but you also waste a good deal of their time. By meeting consumers where they spend a lot of their time – social media – you can greatly improve the quality of your customer service.

Despite the fact that rapid customer service response is the new status quo, only 12-percent of today’s enterprises respond to social media customer service inquiries – at all.

Obviously, firms have a lot of work to do before meeting this new expectation, presenting an opportunity for enterprise leaders that bring their organizations up to par. In the end, impeccable customer service improves enterprise profits.

4. Direct Access to Target Market

Social media cuts out the middleman and gives companies and organizations direct access to their target markets, enabling firms to see what consumers want, what changes they’d like to see and what enterprises can do to improve their performance.

This is especially true for improving performance within marketing efforts. Thanks to social media, audiences are calling out companies and organizations that are making missteps in regards to social and political values.

Take diversity, for example, where up to 83% of audiences have found marketing campaigns most successful when they better represent our diverse modern society.

Studies show that 49-percent of consumers will make a purchase after receiving a prompt response to queries via social media. Consumers who receive prompt responses through social media channels are more likely to remain brand loyal and provide word-of-mouth referrals.

When implemented correctly, social media customer service encourages consumer spending, improves operational efficiency and increases organizational performance.

While forward-thinking executives use social media to optimize service efficiency, they also use the resulting data to gain valuable insights into a consumer-enterprise engagement. Big data analysis helps enterprises form strategies for meeting corporate objectives.

Social Commerce Examples

Social commerce examples from popular brands are an outline on how to find the correct method to convert social media networks into a sales platform.

However, knowing social commerce is not enough. You need to gain proper knowledge of how to apply it to your own business. To get you out from this trouble we have accumulated some of the best social commerce examples for different platforms starting from Facebook to Instagram and Pinterest. 

So, what are you waiting for, let’s dive in to know the best practices and latest social commerce examples.

1. Jordan Take Advantage of Snapchat’s Top Priority

In 2018, Jordan the iconic line of shoes associated together with Snapchat to capitalize on the NBA All-Star game.

The brand offered all its consumers within a specific span of the field to obtain access to an exclusive launch sale. The offer was on its special edition Air Jordan III ‘Tinker’ shoe which was accessible within a certain court area where the game is played.

This integration of social media and shopping makes the sale more interesting and brings people together. It becomes a seamless experience for the customers to buy the shoes.

This is an excellent tactic to steer social media users to empower your marketing efforts and at the same time, increase your brand sales. Snapchat was a perfect choice as people do tend to make stories in such events.

2. Eureka Street Adds Shoppable Instagram & UGC Gallery

Eureka street furniture, a popular furniture store from Australia, is the perfect example of social commerce. They have added shoppable Instagram & shoppable UGC galleries on their website. 

They have used Taggbox Commerce to create and publish both of these shoppable social galleries. Where shoppable Instagram gallery features their own Instagram brand posts. 

Shoppable UGC gallery features visual UGC from social media where they have been tagged or mentioned. With Taggbox Commerce, they curated this UGC from social media, tagged products to it, and then published on their website as “INSPIRATION”

3. Dollar Shave Club- Strength of Social Proof

Another popular social commerce example is from Dollar Shave Club. It is the brands that can build the trust of their followers or break it.

Even though the present customers are not petrified to spend, therefore, brands should do everything possible to gain the trust of their customers.

One of the most important and valuable marketing tools for any business or brand is its social proof.

Using the positive feedback from your shoppers acts as a powerful social proof in an eCommerce space packed with competition. This will not only act as an infallible way to set yourself apart from the pack but also helps to build the trust of consumers. 

Take Dollar Shave Club example, they have a Pinterest board that is dedicated to the feedback of positive customers and unboxing photos.

This smart blend of user-generated content and social proof is a double-whammy of splendid social commerce in real life. It helps in gaining brand trust, authenticity, credibility, and more profitable returns.

4. Avon Make Smart Use of Messenger Chatbots

With the use of chatbots, customer engagement can be improved with a lot of fascinating opportunities.

Understand this by the example of Avon that used messenger chatbot smartly. Using a special plugin and camera filters permitted them to test a lipstick shade before buying it.

Using this social commerce concept you do not require to fabricate fancy AR filters to draw in more customers.

This is a vivid and noteworthy method through which you can also send a newsletter or distribute promo codes.

Commerce Social Strategies

Having a social commerce strategy is critical to your marketing success. A social commerce strategy is well-planned and uses tools that are relevant and will help you sell your products and services on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and even Pinterest. Using the right strategy and tactics will give you more brand visibility and increase sales.

1. Identify the Right Social Media

You will need to find out which social media channels will mesh with your products and services. Art, wedding decorations, or fashion items, for example, will do best on visual platforms like Instagram and Pinterest. Meanwhile, tech and gadgets are products that will do better on Facebook or Twitter.

The Nike brand, for example, uses Instagram to post high-quality images of athletes in action and uses filters and hashtags to extend their brand awareness. Use platforms where your audience spends most of their time.

2. Customer Service Experience

Approximately 67% of customers are seeking customer service through social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. When you offer an undeniably great customer service experience on social media platforms, it creates more loyal followers and attracts new customers. Consumers will spend more on brands they engage with on social media, which is a great way to boost sales.

3. Provide High-Quality Content

Provide your audience with relevant and helpful information. Sharing helpful posts that your audience can enjoy is a perfect way to engage them and create a loyal following.

For example, Sony actively shares content about new Playstation games and gaming footage on Twitter, and Coca-Cola shares content about current events on Facebook, which keeps their customers engaged throughout their buying process.

4. Connect with Influencers

Identify influencers in your industry and connect with them. Engaging with influencers on social media is good for your brand’s credibility. A mention from an influencer will make people trust your brand, and you can tap into the influencer’s loyal audience, which can lead to more conversions and higher sales.

5. Use Analytics

Social media analytics will give you helpful insights and let you know if your social commerce strategy is working or needs to be adjusted. You will know the content that your customers are engaging with more, and identify the content to remove when it isn’t effective.

You get to know this information from the number of likes, shares, and even comments that your post receives. Metrics on customer behavior are also important for understanding the customer journey, even as you measure sales.

6. Seamless Checkout

Having a seamless checkout on your social media platform is critical. Cutting the amount of steps that customers have to take to make a purchase will help boost sales. When customers see a product they like, they want to make a quick purchase and go back to their newsfeed.

Making this possible will encourage them to make the purchase and repurchase your products in the future. Integrating features like Amazon Pay will help you to eliminate the many purchasing steps and offer your customers a hassle-free checkout process.

Social Commerce Growth

Over the last 20 years we’ve seen a progressive shift from simple, text-based updates, to increasingly visual and ephemeral content, championed by app-based platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, and at the same time, social commerce has flourished.

And whilst newer entrants such as TikTok have taken this trend even further, there have also been innovations in one-to-one communication seen in the development of messenger apps such as WeChat, WhatsApp and Messenger

It’s been interesting to see how some of these trends have converged to drive innovation in social media beyond communicating with friends and family. The impact and growth of social media has meant that brands now play an even bigger part in what we see across all channels.

Whilst it’s been proven that users are very unlikely to engage or pay attention to brand content, what has caught consumers’ imaginations is the ability to browse and buy products within different digital environments.

Social Commerce vs E-commerce

E-commerce refers to a shopping experience via a website or dedicated branded app. Social commerce, by definition, allowing the customer to make their purchase within their social media experience. Social commerce is not e-commerce.

Social commerce is also not social selling. Social selling refers to cultivating relationships on social media in order to build your sales prospect list.

Differences between E-commerce and Social Commerce
	E-commerce	Social Commerce
Trading scope	Global trading scope	Limited trading scope
Monitoring	Doesn’t need daily monitoring	Needs daily monitoring
Communication	One-way communication	Two-way communication
Time	More time-consuming	Less time-consuming
Customer Engagement	Less comprehensive customer engagement	More comprehensive customer engagement
Trust	More trustworthy	Less trustworthy
Offered by	Amazon, Flipkart, Alibaba, etc.	Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.

Similarities between E-commerce and Social Commerce
Fraud	Credit card fraud has been observed in both cases.
Inability to touch the product	The customer cannot touch the products until it is shipped to his/her preferred address.  The products in both cases may not match customer expectations.
Internet Acess	To order products or services from either of them, the consumer must have an internet connection.
Market Costs	Both of them provides the products to the customers at discounted prices.
Market Trend	Sellers can keep a check on market trends in both cases.

So, these were some of the differences and similarities between E-commerce and Social Commerce. 

Facebook Social Commerce

People come to Facebook and Instagram to connect with their friends, family and brands they love. These days, people spend more time browsing social media, and naturally, the way they shop is changing too.

Because people use our apps so frequently, it makes sense for businesses to be where their customers already are.

Today, customers can shop directly from the posts they see on Facebook and Instagram.

Selling your products on our platforms makes it easy for customers to discover your business and even complete their purchases in just a few clicks. And with our tools, businesses can also handle these transactions from start to finish.

By connecting commerce with the community, businesses like yours have the opportunity to grow, and potential customers can see your products all over Facebook and Instagram.

Platform Social Commerce

As with most types of inbound marketing, firms have begun to develop tools and platforms to make social commerce easier for both buyers and sellers. These provide solutions to brands looking for ways to make social promotions and sell through social media. The social commerce platforms also make the social shopping experience more user-friendly and palatable for consumers.

1. Instagram

Nowadays, the primary way that Instagram acts as a social commerce platform is with its “Shoppable Posts” feature. 

Instagram has always had an advantage over many of its social competitors because of its inherently visual nature. It has always been the ideal social platform to display products, particularly if you make an effort to make your images enticing. It is the perfect medium for visual storytelling. 

Initially, Instagram didn’t allow for pure social commerce. When somebody clicked on one of your Shoppable Posts, they followed a link to the appropriate page on your online store, rather than making the sale entirely on Instagram itself.

However, Instagram has since upgraded the capabilities of Shoppable Posts, and they now include an in-app checkout feature, so the customer never has to leave Instagram to make their purchase.

2. Facebook

Facebook is building a collection of social commerce tools to help brands. It now lets many US businesses use Instagram’s in-app checkout so that customers can experience the entire buying process within their Facebook app. 

With Facebook Shops, merchants can create a customizable store from which consumers can shop within Facebook and Instagram. Facebook Shops have dedicated places on the platform for consumers to browse and make purchases.

Facebook Shops have a messaging button so consumers can communicate with sellers through Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp. Facebook also encourages brands to livestream and is looking at allowing consumers to purchase directly from a livestream. 

3. Pinterest

Like Instagram, Pinterest focuses on creative things. Their visual discovery engine is ideal for social commerce. They feature a visual search engine, Lens, that works with shoppable Product Pins. These find items, based on users’ photos, that Pinterest thinks might interest the user. Pinterest makes suggestions to users of shoppable products, with a direct link to a retailer’s checkout. Research shows that 80% of Pinners start with visual search when shopping, compared to 58% of non-Pinners. 

Pinterest also offers Shop the Look ads that allow traders to feature multiple products in a single ad. Pinners can discover great products related to a Pin’s image and click to check out on the retailer’s site. Sellers can tag up to 25 items in a photo.

4. Snapchat

Although Snapchat hasn’t particularly focused on social commerce in the past, they have encouraged augmented reality (AR) that has interesting social commerce possibilities. Snapchat calls its AR lenses. Users can take selfies using a lens that helps them digitally try on makeup and sunglasses. Indeed, they can now virtually try on any type of clothing. 

Snapchat reports that more than 170 million users engage with AR on the platform daily.

At this stage, while you can try on products within Snapchat, using its AR lenses, you still need to click outside Snapchat to make the purchase, however.

5. TikTok

It is relatively early for TikTok involvement with social commerce, but the video-sharing platform has been making trials in this area. It has already established a global partnership with Shopify.

Shopify merchants can create, run, and optimize TikTok marketing campaigns directly from the Shopify dashboard by installing a new TikTok channel app from the Shopify App Store. Merchants can create native, shareable content that turns their products into In-Feed shoppable video ads. 

Shopify and TikTok have also trialed a new shopping button that allowed TikTok creators to link their Shopify storefront from their videos.

6. WeChat

WeChat has done much to facilitate the growth of social selling. WeChat mini programs are pivotal to the success of social commerce on the platform. They allow users to share eCommerce-related content and shopping experiences.

Companies have created marketplaces using WeChat mini programs. Probably the best known is Pinduoduo, which sells to users, giving them steep discounts if they team up with other users to make bulk purchases.

The real advantage of WeChat mini programs is that users can make purchases and communicate with sellers from within WeChat. They can share the products they like with their friends and family. In fact, they can participate in all phases of the buying process without leaving WeChat.

What is The Distinction Between Social Shopping And Social Commerce?

It was not long ago that social media presence was enough for brands to have an advantage from their competitors. Social media became a crucial point of communication and brand advocacy for many companies, and as more and more companies have begun to use social media, the focus shifted. The spotlight from interpersonal communication online changed to sharing opinions about different brands. 

People started using social media for different purposes – to read the news, follow trends, and even shop. It also seems that it is in the nature of social media to share, recommend, and basically to shortcut the shopping customer journey. Given all of that, the possibility of purchasing products directly from social media platforms seems like a logical step. 

But let’s get back to the start. What is social commerce anyway? It is often described as online commerce that involves social media. Moreover, it represents social media as a selling point for different products. Essentially, it’s a simple way for people to complete the purchase of the product.

Social shopping gives a break from the usual complex purchase journey on e-commerce sites that often involves redirecting from one platform to another. An excellent example of social commerce can be found on Instagram – where user-generated content and advertisement assist the online buying process.

Still, also, there is the possibility to tag products. On top of that, Instagram is working on the Instagram Shopping option. But is social shopping a realistic opportunity? Statistics are on the social commerce side – more than 30% of millennials and Generation Z are willing to buy directly on social media.

And with over 72% of users already making buying decisions based on Instagram posts, it is clear that social shopping is the next big thing in e-commerce. 

Social shopping uses the best from social media – product sharing and consumer influence and puts it into one shopping experience, created especially for the user. It differs from the usual social media marketing, as you are not redirecting your potential consumers to an online store or webshop. Yet, you are offering them the ability to purchase directly on the social media network they’re using at that moment.

How to Leverage Social Media For Better Career Opportunities

Social media offers you an incredible chance to network with industry leaders, build your brand, and create an online resume that will attract potential employers. That may sound overwhelming, but don’t worry, it’s much easier than you think. Keep reading to learn how to leverage social media for better career opportunities. 

Create an Online Presence

Employers want you to be on social media. “According to a CareerBuilder survey from 2017, around 70 percent of polled employers screen a candidate’s social media accounts before bringing them in for an interview. That same poll also found that over 50 percent of employers found candidates with no social footprint problematic,” according to this New York Times article. 

You don’t have to be on every social media platform, but you should at least be active on LinkedIn and Twitter, and you need a website. Let’s dive deeper into each of these: 

LinkedIn

“It is critical to have a presence … on LinkedIn,” says Kelli Burns, associate professor at USF’s Zimmerman School of Advertising & Mass Communications and author of Social Media: A Reference Handbook. Before reaching out to potential contacts on LinkedIn, make sure you have the basics: 

• A professional profile photo. Steer clear of group shots or selfies; aim for a photo where “the background is simple, your face is shown clearly, and you’re in casual business attire,” suggests Business Insider.
• A professional headline below 120 characters. This tells potential contacts who you are.

Once you have the basics, it’s time to optimize your LinkedIn profile for career opportunities. 

• Treat your profile like an online resume: Add your work history, education, volunteer experiences, and areas of expertise.
• Create a unique URL that you can include on your business card.
• Update your profile with your latest certifications. (USF’s CTPE programs offer digital badges you can feature.)
• Write an “About” section that includes industry terms. Diana Prado, a media strategy manager at USF, says it’s important to use the right keywords because “that’s how you come up when people are looking to … hire someone.” 
• Check LinkedIn at least once a week so you can accept invitations from other professionals who want to connect with you. 
• Include links to your Twitter profile and website.

Now that you have a polished profile, use LinkedIn to make valuable connections. For example, you can join groups that are specific to your industry, Prado says.

Twitter

“I do encourage Twitter for networking,” Burns says. “I think it’s really the best place to network with professionals in your field.” Here are a few tips to establish yourself on Twitter:

• Remember that high-quality, professional photo you uploaded for your LinkedIn profile? Use the same one for your Twitter. A consistent photo across all platforms will help people connect your name to your face, Burns says. 
• Write your bio. That can be tricky in such a small space, but these templates will help you make the most of your 160 characters. 
• Follow thought leaders in your field. Comment on their tweets and retweet them.
• Contribute to the conversation by posting articles and commentary about your industry.
• Share personal (but appropriate) content, such as a photo of your recent graduation.
• Don’t forget to include links to your LinkedIn profile and website.

Your Personal Website

Some employers will request your website URL when you apply for a job, which means it’s essential to have a site that’s up and running. Plus, a website gives you a competitive edge: It helps you showcase your work, tell your story, and build your brand. You’ll find it easy to create one on WordPress.

Avoid Posting Inappropriate Content

Before you post something, ask yourself how you’d feel if a potential employer saw it. Even if your account is private, “you don’t know who a recruiter knows,” Burns says. You could be just one mutual friend away from losing a job opportunity. 

So, what is inappropriate content, exactly? This CareerBuilder study lists the main reasons employers rejected a candidate because of social media:

• Posting provocative or inappropriate photographs, videos or information: 39 percent
• Posting information about themselves drinking, or using drugs: 38 percent
• Posting discriminatory comments related to race, gender, or religion: 32 percent
• Bad-mouthing a previous company or fellow employee: 30 percent
• Lying about qualifications: 27 percent
• Displaying poor communication skills: 27 percent
• Linking themselves to criminal behavior: 26 percent
• Sharing confidential information from previous employers: 23 percent
• Posting an unprofessional screen name: 22 percent
• Lying about an absence: 17 percent
• Posting too frequently: 17 percent

Although political content doesn’t make this list, it’s something you should carefully consider before posting, especially during an election year (hello, 2020!).

Find Jobs Using Social Media 

Good news: This is a job-seeker’s market, and companies are locked in a war for talent. You can position yourself for success with these social media tips: 

• On Twitter, follow job search hashtags like #JobListing or #JobOpening, suggests U.S. News & World Report. You can also search for hashtags that are specific to a brand, a company, or your field (such as #MediaJobs).
• Identify companies that interest you, follow their profiles, and engage with their content.
• If you’re interested in a company, look at their employees’ LinkedIn profiles to see if you have any connections. “When reaching out to new people, introduce yourself and explain you are interested in learning more about the contact’s position and company and ask for an informational call or meeting,” explains this CNN

Research Companies Using Social Media

Congratulations, you’ve landed an interview! Now you can use social media to research your potential employer:

• Look at your interviewers’ profiles before you meet them, Burns suggests. Do you have a common interest, a mutual friend, or a shared professional association? Try to find a point of connection that you can bring up in the interview. They’ll be impressed that you did your research.
• Explore the company’s social presence to get a sense of its culture. U.S. News & World Report recommends you “look at the posts and how the company responds to questions or comments.”
• Read reviews on sites like Glassdoor. If you notice the company gets bad feedback about a certain issue – like a micromanaging supervisor – you can make a note to discreetly ask about this during your interview.

Which Social Media is Best For Selling Products?

Selling products on your own ecommerce platform is important, but one of the next places you should consider selling online is on social media platforms.

There are plenty of social media sites you can use to sell your products but the ones best suited to your brand will depend on:

• Where your target audience likes to hang out online
• What kind of content your customers like to consume
• Where your target customers are more likely to engage with online ads

You may need to test out different social media selling platforms to see which one converts the best for your audience, but doing some simple competitor research should help to guide your initial social media selling strategy.

The platforms we’re looking at are:

1. Facebook
2. Instagram
3. Twitter
4. LinkedIn
5. YouTube
6. Reddit
7. Pinterest
8. Quora

How do You Build a Social Media Strategy?

With all the new tools and platforms constantly emerging, it’s very easy to fall into the trap of thinking about social media through a tactical prism instead of a strategic one. The best social media strategic plans are tool-agnostic and set forth objectives and metrics that supersede any particular social venue. Let’s take a look at the best way to create a winning social strategy.

Step 1: Build Your Cross-Functional Team

Nobody should “own” social media strategy in your organization. Social impacts all corners of the company and should be more like air (everywhere) than like water (you have to go get it). Thus, the first step in the process is to create a cross-functional team to help conceive and operate the rest of the strategy. Decide who will be involved, including sales, customer service, marketing, content, etc.

Step 2: Set Your Objectives (What’s the Point?)

Yes, you can use social media to help accomplish several business objectives. But the best social media strategies are those that focus (at least initially) on a narrower rationale for social. For what do you primarily want to use social? Awareness? Sales? Loyalty and retention? Pick one.

Step 3: Listen to Your Audience and Competitors

It’s an old social media strategy chestnut by now, but “listen” is still good advice that’s often ignored. The reality is that your customers (and competitors) will give you a good guide to where and how you should be active in social media, if you broaden your social listening beyond your brand name.

Read Also: 10 Advantages of Social Media Marketing for Your Business

Analyzing how and where your audience is naturally holding digital conversations can save a world of trouble. Rather than starting from scratch, find channels in which you can interact with audiences who are already talking about (or attempting to talk to) your brand.

Step 4: Identify Your Audience

Now that you’ve listened to your audience, decide with whom you will be interacting in social media. What are the demographic and psychographic characteristics of your current or prospective customers? How does that impact what you can and should attempt in social media?

Configuring audience personas, including their online behavior, values and challenges, will help you determine not only how to talk to your audiences but also where to carry on these conversations. Audiences of certain demographics and behaviors are more easily activated on some channels than others.

Step 5: Select Success Metrics

How are you going to determine whether this is actually making a difference in your business? What key measures will you use to evaluate social media strategy effectiveness? How will you transcend (hopefully) likes and engagement?

Selecting KPIs (key performance metrics) sets organizational expectations about how the ROI of your social media efforts will be measured.

A social media strategy is an exercise plan, not a quick fix. Success will be seen, but only through patience and perseverance. Thoughtful KPIs and realistic quantifiable quarterly goals are necessary in maintaining leadership buy in for the long haul.

Your organization’s success metrics are reflective of your expertise. For example, advanced organizations track customers through the funnel — from social media engagement to sale. Beginner organizations focus on reach, impressions and various engagements.

Step 6: What’s Your One Thing?

Good is no longer good enough: your brand, and your content, must be outstanding.

Conclusion

Social commerce is a growing and changing field of online marketing that works in conjunction with social media and online shopping growth. Fashion and shopping-related blogs use social commerce and media to entice shoppers to purchase linked items online.

For example, many popular fashion blogs have Instagram accounts that allow followers to like, share, and comment on the offered product. The tagged article frequently links directly to the store’s shopping cart or checkout desk.