If you think the future of shopping is showing up on a closed proprietary website and buying products, think again. Change is afoot, and more customers want companies to integrate social elements into the online retail experience.
That’s what’s driving social commerce platforms to new heights of popularity. These services provide a mixture of shopping, discovery, and customer engagement for a brand-new online experience.
What Is A Social Commerce Platform?
The social commerce concept is relatively new, so people are still trying to get their heads around it. The best way to think of it is a way of online shopping that encourages users to communicate with each other and buy at the same time. It combines elements of ecommerce stores with social network functionality.
Experts break social commerce platforms up into native social commerce and third-party social commerce. The former refers to integrated social media platforms, such as Pinterest Shops, Instagram Shops, and Facebook Shops, while the latter is independent platforms that leverage social media platforms for increased functionality.
These platforms have specific characteristics. For example, every social commerce platform integrates products. This means businesses can display their wares in catalogs alongside descriptions and high-quality images.
These platforms also have social proof and reviews. Customers can leave reviews, testimonials, and comments to enhance trust and credibility.
Some also integrate live commerce elements where shoppers can partake in Q&A sessions and interactive shopping experiences. These drive engagement and boost sales by helping to overcome customer pain points.
The last element of social commerce platforms is their seamless checkouts. Users don’t need to leave the “social” part of the site and go to the “commerce” area to buy. It all happens through the same interface.
Why Are Social Commerce Platforms So Popular?
The appeal of social commerce platforms isn’t immediately obvious. In fact, it took many social media companies over a decade to implement it.
With that said, the benefits are considerable:
- More Customer reach. Social commerce makes it straightforward to reach customers who don’t often venture beyond the confines of their favorite social media sites. Brands can expand their audiences without spending a fortune on marketing.
- Data-driven insights. Social media platforms are in a unique position to collect consumer information, enabling sellers to leverage profound insights for better marketing and product placement.
- Improved customer experience. Seamlessly integrating products with social networks makes the buying experience more delightful. No longer do users need to leave their favorite sites to go shopping.
- Higher conversion rates. Lastly, social commerce platforms do a better job of encouraging customers to buy. The combination of convenience and social proof makes products so much more compelling.
What Social Commerce Platforms Are Already Operating?
Several social commerce platforms are already in operation, some of which we discussed above. These use various strategies to attract users and improve the shopping experience.
Facebook Shops
Facebook Shops is the most popular social commerce platform today. It lets sellers sell directly from social media posts and ads.
The platform’s functionality is second to none. Businesses can add detailed product descriptions and set up checkout processes natively. Brands can also arrange product catalogs and provide shoppers with social proof in the form of testimonials and product reviews from verified users.
Instagram Shops
The other big player is Instagram Shops. This platform relies on visuals for businesses to display their products inside the Instagram App. Like Facebook, brands can develop shoppable product catalogs and enable direct purchases from users’ profiles. This feature means there isn’t a barrier between the social and commercial elements of the site. Users can switch from one to another with ease.
Instagram Shop’s standout feature is its mobile-optimized shopping. It’s just so easy to find what you want on your smartphone.
There’s also substantial community engagement where shoppers can learn more about the products they want to buy. It’s not just company marketing but real customers’ opinions.
Pinterest Shops
Pinterest Shops is another social commerce platform already operating. The highly-visual network was one of the first to enable consumers to buy products from curated images, spawning an entire industry.
Personalization is Pinterest’s best feature. Shoppers get contextual product recommendations based on their browsing history and stated interests. The shopping experience is also highly integrated, meaning users can transition from images to stores and vice versa smoothly.
Other Platforms
Other platforms include Shopify Plus and Ecwid. The former is a unified ecommerce platform, while the latter offers social commerce plugins.
Wrapping Up
Given the rise of social commerce platforms, the switch to this shopping experience seems inevitable. Shopping was always a social experience, but now this is going digital.
