What is the Impact of Social Media on Ecommerce?

Did you know that 3 out of 4 customers use social media to make a purchase?

Over the years, marketers are more and more dependent on these platforms and are utilizing them to their advantage. They realized that social media networks offer buyers an opportunity to interact with their brands while researching products/services before making a purchase.

But, how far does social media go into sustaining your business? How do they play a role in your ecommerce business?

These platforms create an online commerce experience that accompanies your customers throughout their buyer’s journey. You can steer your accounts into enticing your customers to visit your stores, make them stay, convince them to buy, and ultimately, make them come back.

Understand the shopper's buying journey to sell & grow online

We’re going to look at how you can efficiently use social media in favor of your ecommerce website and impact the customers at every stage of their buying journey.

Increases Brand Awareness

The first stage of the buyer’s journey is to attract customers to your website.

According to Statusbrew, there are approximately 3.04 Billion active social media users worldwide. Just imagine the amount of exposure you can get if you market your business on social media platforms, and then drive them to your website.

“Brand awareness is important when launching new products and services, and it drives consumers’ decisions when differentiating between competing companies”

Source: baerpm.com

There are many techniques to create traffic to your account and increase your number of followers.

Storytelling

Storytelling or the power of quality content.

Brand awareness isn’t just whether your audience knows the name of your brand, but it’s how well they understand the qualities that make your brand unique.

In order to create this distinction, your content needs to highlight the qualities that set your brand apart from your competitors and to create an emotional bond with your audience.

You can accomplish this through effective storytelling and Nike is the perfect example of a brand centralized around the “human element”.

They don’t just post product related posts but focus on using a human-centric approach and creating an inspirational story around their models.

Their advertising and posts tell a story about achievements and wins.

Source: Instagram.com

The collaboration between Nike and these figures is the key component here.

They feature celebrities wearing Nike items of clothing and it’s automatically related that Nike is synonymous with hard work and perseverance.

This is their way of showing to their users that with Nike, you win. Hence, their infamous tagline and hashtag #justdoit.

Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is a type of social media marketing that uses endorsements and product mentions from influencers–individuals who have a dedicated social following and are viewed as experts within their niche.

It works because of the relationship these influencers have built up with their following, and recommendations from them serve as a form of social proof to your brand’s potential customers.

The perfect example to mention in this case is Target collaborating with several influencers.

Source: Instagram.com

Within a 30-day window, Target partnered with Instagram influencers ranging from a dog to a plus-sized model to market its diverse product offerings. The brand worked with two influencers in particular to advertise its easter candy and decorations.

Digital magician Zach King created one sponsored video for Target alongside lifestyle blogger Naomi Davis (@taza).

King expertly integrated Target’s branded messaging into his Instagram feed by sticking to the digital magic trick format he is known for.

Though the word “Target” is never uttered in the video, the presence of a Target shopping cart and bags discreetly encourage followers to head to the store and make a purchase.

At this stage, it’s important to realize that your target audience (or buyer personas) are not actively looking for a product/service.

They are simply visiting different social media channels for, well, social networking. Your objective is to entice them to follow you and engage.

Boosts Customer Engagement and Retetion
Content is king.

There are approximately 3.04 Billion active users on social media worldwide.

And the majority are on these platforms for entertainment. This is one of the most important aspects to focus on when generating content.

Social networking accounts have enabled a new way of engaging with your customers. The more you engage the more you turn your page into a community.

Your target here is to let your audience “in”. Don’t be afraid to go for it and use your account to reach out to your potential customers. Consider making them part of your brand.

Humans of New York is the perfect example of how an account can increase its following through engaging content.

Source: Facebook.com

Humans of New York has a massive following on all platforms because people relate.

They use a combination of relatable content and appealing visuals to create this need to read an entire story.

Take a look at Sezane, a french clothing retailer that uses Instagram as their playground. They employ different methods to engage followers in a playful manner.