Social media networks have infiltrated so much of our lives. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest are just a few of the most popular social media platforms available to us. We go to them to bond with others, find something funny or cute, and discuss current events in real time.
However, the use of social media in ecommerce is becoming increasingly important as well!
According to Statista, as of January 2023, the global social media penetration rate made it to approximately 60%. Northern Europe and Western Europe were the regions with the highest social media usage, with rates of 83.6% and 83.3% respectively.
Digital commerce featuring a social element, also known as “social commerce,” has significantly changed the way that people shop online. Users can now simply scroll through their favorite social networks to find the products they desire.
With all the social media platforms available, users are also able to more easily research ecommerce brands and products before making a purchase.
Posting quality content and having a well-planned social media marketing strategy is more critical than ever for an online business to increase sales. Though social commerce differs from ecommerce, it can be very beneficial for online retailers when used strategically.
Why is social media important for your ecommerce store?
Social media content provides numerous ways for you to connect with followers, to cultivate a relationship with them, and to build trust. It also offers your business a means to create a community in which customers and prospective customers interact with each other.
Though the benefits of social media for digital commerce are prolific, several of the most valuable are described below.
Helps build a brand
One of the most visible aspects of your ecommerce store is how you’re portraying yourself on social media.
How do you want to appear? What colors and designs do you want to use? Which types of communication methods do you want to engage in?
Use your social media outlets to communicate all of the above in your content to aid in constructing your brand identity.
Finds potential customers
The sheer number of people using social media is a significant benefit in and of itself. By creating social media accounts, you put yourself into a virtual space where you can potentially reach millions and even billions of people.
Engage in conversations with your followers. Take advantage of hashtags. Be active. All of this will help improve your social media presence and ecommerce marketing efforts, leading to a boost in sales.
Improves customer service
With the increase in online shopping, there’s bound to be a variety of customer service issues that will occasionally occur. Social media platforms provide a way for brands to quickly respond to inquiries and complaints.
A business can also use social media to learn more about customers’ expectations and how to meet them. In addition, customers will appreciate having more information about what online stores have to offer by viewing the content on their social media platforms.
Drives visitors to your ecommerce website
It’s one thing to reach consumers. You also want to drive them to your website to buy your products with a rockstar marketing strategy, ultimately allowing you to get more customers for your ecommerce business. Social media platforms can help you do that.
This can be done indirectly by pushing your brand and providing solid customer service. It can also be accomplished directly with links to your products and services. To increase sales, users following your brand should be able to easily go from your social media platform to your website.
Boosts your SEO
Having an active social media presence has been shown to significantly improve an ecommerce website’s search engine optimization (SEO). This is important, as your SEO has the potential to dramatically improve your revenue.
When ranking websites, Google reviews how brands contact and communicate with their audiences. Google also takes a look at what people are saying about the business, including any ratings and criticism that the brand has received.
Establishes a community with your customers
The community that you develop on social media is of utmost importance. Consider Goodreads. It’s created an online community of booklovers who discuss what they’re reading, interact with each other, and make recommendations.
Goodreads combines this social aspect with the ability to purchase those books with a simple click, the commerce aspect. Creating a community can similarily be done via social media, assisting businesses in developing brand loyalty.
Popular social media sites for ecommerce
The popularity of social media sites is immense. According to Statista, as of October 2023, Facebook is the most used social media platform. It tops the group with 3.03 billion active users, with another 1.04 billion people using Facebook Messenger.
The large number of users on this platform make it a top choice for brands looking to increase sales of their products via social media. A digital commerce business can especially benefit from the targeted advertising capabilities that Facebook features.
Statista also reported that in terms of social media popularity, Facebook was followed by YouTube (2.5 billion users), WhatsApp (2 billion users), and Instagram (2 billion users). Other sites of note include WeChat (1.33 billion users), TikTok (1.22 billion users), Telegram (800 million users), and Snapchat (750 million users).
Instagram’s features such as Instagram Checkout and Shopping on Instagram make the platform especially beneficial for online stores. These social commerce functions assist in creating an enjoyable, seamless customer experience.
It’s important to not just have profiles on the most popular social media sites. You also want to be active with those that fit your desired demographic.
For instance, Pinterest, with 465 million users, is a social media site that’s not as popular as the others. Nevertheless, it might fit perfectly with what your ecommerce store involves.
Pinterest has the ability to link social media and digital commerce particularly well with brands being able to create “Rich Pins.” These pins feature recommendations for products, links, and references for users to view.
Final thoughts
Social media is a powerful form of online marketing. It offers many benefits that your business would be wise to take advantage of to boost sales of your products. Plus, it’s free to create profiles!
There’s a financial cost for some of their business features, and there’s also a time cost for crafting quality content. However, simply creating an online presence for your business doesn’t cost a thing.
Get started with your social media marketing strategy today and watch it ultimately improve your business and your bottom line.
Already using social media for your online store? How has it helped you to grow your own business? Let us know in the comments below!
