Riding the social commerce wave means buying and selling goods or services directly within a social media platform. This model enables customers to complete the full buyer journey from discovery to purchase without leaving their preferred apps. Small businesses can do this by turning their social profiles into a shoppable catalog and create a seamless customer experience.
Social platforms, mainly IG, FB and TikTok, are looking to really hone in on e-commerce shopping within social platforms this year to fully round out the social media experience. It makes sense because younger generations are spending considerably more time on social platforms, so having a seamless beginning to end buying process within these platforms is crucial to sales.
Pinterest and Instagram are just two examples of platforms that have created features to facilitate sales through Pinterest’s Product Pins and Instagram’s Product Tags that allow for users to purchase the product they’re looking at through the app. The platforms are ahead of the game, as social e-commerce sales are expected to surpass $600 billion by 2027. Because of this, the entire customer purchasing journey must now be tailored to fit the e-commerce features of social media platforms. Gone are the days of searching for outside websites to make a purchase.
To create a successful sales funnel, companies must first create a social presence that is credible with their audience and have a knowledge of what their audience is looking for. Although larger businesses might have an initial leg up in the e-commerce space, it really is tailored to favor smaller businesses. Some ways small businesses can accelerate their growth via e-commerce are choosing a niche, creating trust amongst a targeted audience with knowledge and credibility, and meeting the audience where they’re at.
Candie Guay is co-founder and creative director of Scottsdale-based Envida, the nation’s leading multifamily creative agency.
