Elevating E-commerce: The Future of Business Lies in Seamless Social Media Integration for Maximum Reach

Social commerce or s-commerce is an approach in which sellers sell products or services using social networking tools. The peculiarity of the approach is in the new experience of interaction between sellers and buyers; thanks to the technologies of different platforms, companies create interactive, entertaining and unusual content that skillfully leads the audience to purchase.

For example, a favorite celebrity or blogger talks about their favorite cosmetics live, including products from a specific brand. And social media tools allow the user to click on the mentioned product directly in the video and seamlessly transfer the client to payment immediately, without leaving the platform.

Some Statistics to Understand the Situation

Sellers are actually capitalizing on buyers' attention: US adults spend nearly 18% of their time on social media every day, according to eMarketer. That's 4.5 hours of intense attention per day during which salespeople can promote a product. The productivity and efficiency of the segment is also proven by analyst data: according to forecasts, by 2025 the volume of the global s-commerce market in monetary terms will be $2.2 billion, which is $1 billion more than in 2023. Thus, social commerce can no longer be called just a trend: it is a logical response to the evolution of consumer behavior and their increasing immersion in social networks.

Mechanics of S-Commerce Work

The mechanics of social commerce are based on human trust in personal recommendations. When a user watches a blogger they've followed for years talk convincingly about a product they've tried, it's the equivalent of a friend reviewing their purchase. You want to trust such a recommendation, so the buyer is highly likely to either purchase the product, or this video will become another touch point on the path to purchase.

Personal trust is what distinguishes social commerce from other segments of online commerce. The audience trusts their favorite blogger more than an impersonal advertisement among posts in the feed. Potential buyers feel like they've just seen an unbiased recommendation. And even if the integration was paid, bloggers who monitor their own reputation say that they would not advertise products that they did not like.

At the same time, the value of sales on social networks is the unlimited audience. Just as contextual advertising works only with hot demand, and media advertising works only with brand awareness, social networks allow you to reach a large number of users and create demand from scratch. At the same time, this imposes reciprocal obligations on sellers. Even minimal user contact needs to be handled correctly: give detailed answers and help the buyer, and not hang him up. The company's attention allows you to bring a potential client to a purchase.

Trends: What Retailers Should Consider to Stay Ahead

Trend No.1 — Omnichannel 

The main task of an omnichannel business is to provide the client with the same high level of service and product quality, regardless of the channel from which it came. In an ideal omnichannel business, the buyer should be able to:

• view the catalog on the website or in an offline location. At the same time, the range and prices should be the same;
• order a product online and pick it up at a retail outlet in your city or the nearest pick-up point. And if something doesn’t suit you, return it;
• buy additional goods in an offline store when you came for an online order;
• take advantage of the loyalty program: receive bonuses, write them off, check your balance.

Trend No.2 — Transformation of Purchasing Behavior 

People are giving up impulse purchases. They spend more time searching and selecting goods, otherwise they plan expenses. Customers are moving from the “I want it here and now” model to short-term purchase planning.

The retailer needs to adapt to the buyer and provide him with an offer that will suit him in terms of execution time. For example, delivering orders the same day is not the best solution. Often the client does not have time to accept delivery on the day of the order or the money to pay for it upon receipt.

Trend No.3 — Growing Popularity of Mono-Brand Stores 

The advantage of such stores is their wide range. For example, a client comes to buy a snowboard, and along with it orders equipment, accessories, and complex equipment.

The second advantage is narrow expertise. If the buyer is not an expert, he will turn to a specialized store. Consumers need to buy from sellers they trust.

What do businesses get from social commerce?

1. Personalized, interactive user experience. Customers find products through reviews and recommendations from celebrities, bloggers, and influencers they trust. This contributes to a feeling of authenticity.
2. High level of involvement. The platforms provide a wide and convenient toolkit that allows you to find products quickly and share them with friends, as well as create engaging content.
3. Streamlined conversion process and improved business experience: Built-in payment tools allow you to make purchases within a specific platform, which speeds up the purchase and increases the likelihood of conversion and also correspond with a business representative in private messages.
4. Virality. Even a small business can make itself known.

Social E-Commerce Toolkit

In general, social media tools can be divided into three areas: UGC content, campaigns with bloggers and integration of shopping functions on the platform:

• In the first case, companies launch UGC campaigns, encouraging customers to share reviews, unboxing videos, or creative ways to use their purchases. Demonstration of life situations has a positive effect on the strength of the brand and increases audience loyalty.
• In the case of influencer marketing, campaigns with bloggers from niche to millionaires are an effective way to strengthen your position. Bloggers in most cases know how to create attractive, aesthetically pleasing content, skillfully integrate the product into their own recommendations and involve users in the discussion. Moreover, reviews from opinion leaders resonate strongly with the audience and most often stimulate a positive purchasing decision.
• When it comes to integrating shopping functionality, most platforms have a variety of tools that allow you to actually buy a product “from the content.” Businesses can tag products in their posts, short videos and stories, and live streams, making it easier to discover and purchase.

The graceful integration of social networks and e-commerce is not just a trend, but an opportunity to adapt your business to current realities and succeed in it. Using Top4SMM solutions, your brand can successfully conquer the ocean of online trading.