The Evolving Role of Social Media in eCommerce

The Evolving Role of Social Media in eCommerce

Given that the typical person spends an hour and forty minutes per day on social media and that there will be 217 million online shoppers in the US this year, there are countless opportunities for social media and eCommerce to interact with and support one another as they become more and more integrated into our lives.

In the past, a company’s presence was indicated via newspaper advertisements and a physical storefront. In the modern era, a company’s reputation on social media may make or break it. Currently, organizations use social media to advertise, build their online presence, and provide excellent customer service.

Paid advertisements

It makes sense for brands to continue using Facebook and other social media for advertising given the almost incredible level of personalization you can add to a Facebook ad (age, geography, tastes, and more), as well as the detail with which Facebook can report your results.

Direct messaging

Analysts have detected an unexpected pattern over the past few years. While public social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter are beginning to witness usage declines, private messaging services are quickly gaining popularity. The app powerhouses WhatsApp, Snapchat, and Facebook Messenger each have extraordinary engagement rates that top billions.

Businesses must go where the people are, and through chatbots, brands are making their way into private chatting. Chatbots, AI characters that can mimic genuine human interactions, can respond to product-related queries, provide recommendations, and address client issues.

The concept is slowly gaining favour among consumers. 49.4% of customers, according to website records, would prefer to get in touch with a company via a 24/7 messaging service over the phone. It might be wise for brands to begin considering chatbot services as an additional customer-reach channel.

In-app purchases

We are less likely to follow through if something is more difficult to purchase or get. Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest, are already available for purchasing goods. Imagine how easy impulse purchases will become if Apple Pay is widely adopted. It’s almost frightening. If you see something you want on social media, one swipe will have it delivered to your home. Brands should start considering how they can advertise there presence via social networks.

What’s coming

Like it has, perhaps, for the past few years, social media will play a significant role in all facets of our social lives in addition to eCommerce this year. Additionally, a number of new social network technologies—such as powerful advertising tools, chatbots, in-app purchases, and improved design—will make e-commerce simpler and more widespread than ever