3 reasons why social commerce is the future of e-commerce
Social media are indispensable to a large portion of the population today, especially for Generation Z. We all send a message to a friend on a daily basis or we post a fun holiday photo. But what some don’t know yet is that social media are now also the place to order new products. Shopping via social media, also known as social commerce, will be one of the trends that will continue to develop in the coming years.
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Book a brainstorm sessionSocial commerce versus e-commerce
Although social commerce and e-commerce have many similarities, they are not the same thing. Social commerce is the process of selling products directly on social media. With social commerce, your entire shopping experience – from product discovery to the checkout process – takes place directly on a social media platform.
E-commerce is the buying and selling of products or services through the Internet. The customer does not choose the product directly, but selects products based on pictures or descriptions.
Social commerce platforms
Because social commerce is rather a new thing, there are currently only a few of the top social platforms that already offer social commerce:
- Snapchat
- TikTok
But as interest (and revenue) increases, we are likely to see more platforms integrating “shop now” options.
Why social commerce?
Not convinced yet? Here are 3 reasons why social commerce could be an opportunity for your business.
It makes the experience more interactive
The use of social networking sites to sell products makes the experience more interactive than a purchase through e-commerce. Consumers can ask their friends for recommendations on a specific product. Or they check the comments of other users to know if a product is worth it.
It speeds up the buying process
There are no unnecessary steps in this transaction process. It’s quite simple: see, click and buy. Many posts already include CTA’s (Call to Actions) such as “buy” or “show now,” and payment can easily be made via in-app purchases.
It makes the target group larger
Social media are everywhere today and hardly anyone escapes from it. In fact, most even have accounts on four different social media platforms. Especially the younger generations, such as the Millennials and Gen Z, are present on all platforms. Companies can therefore reach a large part of the population.
About the author
This article is written by Justien Thomas, an enthusiastic Marketing Consultant at 4P square. She is interested in e-commerce, email marketing, brand management, communication, … Justien is autonomous, ambitious, eager-to-learn and a responsible go-getter who is not afraid to take on a new challenge. She loves to help companies reaching their marketing goals.
Want to know more about Justien? Feel free to start a conversation with her on LinkedIn.
