First of all, social media is important to commerce. Period. If you’re in business, basically any business, you should be leveraging the vast benefits and opportunities that social media offer. But why are these platforms particularly useful for eCommerce?
Try these stats on for size:
78% of people said the posts by companies they follow on social media impact their purchases.
74% of consumers rely on social networks to help them with their purchasing decisions.
74% said they would encourage friends to try new products because of social media.
Is your mind blown?
It should be because social media is a beast. An absolute juggernaut. Using it effectively can be a literal game changer for your eCommerce business.
Beyond those lofty numbers though, what’s the story? Why is it so necessary to be in this game?
Why Social Media Is Important in eCommerce
We’ve said it before, and we’ll keep saying it, your audience and target demographics are invariably on social.
Sure, if you’re selling to older folks, maybe those numbers are a bit lower (but even nearly half of those 65+ are on Facebook, so there’s really no excuse). If you’re targeting younger consumers, the numbers increase seemingly exponentially as you get down to Gen Z.
Talking to your buyers and meeting them where they are is sort of a no-brainer. It’s most convenient for them and it’s extremely cost-effective for you. Kind of a textbook win-win.
What else though?
Customer Service
For better or worse, we’ve all grown accustomed to the instant gratification era we’re living in. Even if we don’t personally love, a lot of your customers have come to expect it. Social media is a tool that can deliver that in spades. You can not only solve problems in real-time but when other followers see that you’re responding and fixing things quickly, it can shift their perception and perspective on you positively.
A few years back it was estimated that by 2020, 90% of businesses would be using social for customer service. Add to that the coronavirus pushing even more people and business functions into the digital space and you get a sense that 90% is a low estimate.
Two-Way Communication and Brand Image
Customer service works so well on social platforms because it’s two-way communication. There is real engagement that happens between you and your audience/customers. You go from a static, monolithic company to something that feels alive.
As you put out more content, being careful not to be purely selling (only 20% of your post should be overt sales and self-serving, provide value with the rest), you start to hone and shape your brand image.
Understanding Your Customers
The more you can engage with your customers on a personal level, the better you truly understand what they need and want. What could be better research from the perspective of eCommerce than going directly to the source to get intel?
Promos
Given all the above, when the time is right and you’ve developed campaigns/goals, you can use social for sales, discounts and deals for your eComm store. This not only keeps people engaged but is a great way to create further loyalty.
Ads
Last but not least, advertising on social media is almost a requirement these days. It takes a deft touch and a deep knowledge of your target market but social media ad campaigns for eCommerce, when executed and created correctly, can be incredibly effective.
Get Help With the Snow Agency
If you know you need to be using social to up your eComm game but aren’t sure where to start, get in touch with us at The Snow Agency and we can help you get the ball rolling. We are a full service digital marketing agency who helps brands grow and become their absolute best.