The e-commerce industry has undergone several changes. And now it is social media to mark a new revolution. Explore how social media serves to be an important tool for e-commerce marketing and growth.

Do you know on an average, a person spends around an hour and 40 minutes, browsing on social media every day? It has conquered the world in a short time. All this was possible by connecting people and businesses in new and exciting ways. Undoubtedly, social media has taken over the world immensely. And e-commerce industry is not any exception!

The experts from e-commerce industry have observed a significant shift towards social sharing in the past few years. While it leads to increase in website traffic.

on the other hand visitors coming from social networks tend to buy more. As per the Yotpo’s user base, online stores with a social presence have 32% more sales on average than stores that don’t.

Let’s find out how things have evolved, and promise to give a boost to the industry.

1. The change in form of advertisement

Gone are the days when a business’s presence was signified by advertisements in the paper or through a physical storefront. It is the digital era and here business’ reputation exists with their social media standing. Being increasingly enmeshed in people’s life, different social media platforms serves businesses with the opportunity to interact with and bolster their brands, services, and products.

2. The change in customer’s approach

Well, social commerce started off in a pretty organic way. Earlier it was used by people to post the things they were buying on social media. But now these social platforms have turned into a place to interact with one another. May be through those memes, or through comments, people are responding. You might be surprised to know that 86% of women turn to social networks before making a purchase. It is clear, people are using different channels to communicate, find information, and shop for products. And this makes social commerce emerge out a new source of conversions.

3. The change in purpose

Initially, channels like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram were used to connect with the target audience. However, with ecommerce marketers recognizing the power of social media, these channels are used by brands to increase their online presence, advertise, and deliver high-quality customer service. After all, social media (64%) serves to be one among the top three content marketing tactics including blogging (65%) and case studies (64%).

4. The change in ROI

Web businesses have benefitted significantly from effective social marketing. Representing real value, social networks help reach first-time customers, engage, and turn them into potential customers.  Shrinking the gap between consumer and product, these channels drive more sales. Moreover, there is an opportunity to collect direct feedback, improved demographic and behavioral data. Hence, it helps companies to have in-depth understanding of their consumer base and respond accordingly.

5. The change in social commerce

Whether it is about brand building or driving more sales, social media platforms too have dipped their toes into commerce. Recently, Facebook announced to attain more than 5 million active advertisers. And why only Facebook, every network including Instagram, Pinterest, etc. seems to race in the social commerce game. Pinterest’s “Gifts feed”, which features Product Pins with pricing, availability and buy links, serves to be a suitable example.

Lastly, you need to understand that social media marketing game is changing with each innovation. And now it isn’t just about being on social media. It’s about maximizing the potential of the same.

About the author

An enthusiastic Human Being with a zeal to express as much she can in words... and Blogs gave her a medium to express and share her knowledge. Has written for eminent blogs and fields like the social media, internet marketing, technology, lifestyle (tattoos, body art, fashion, etc.), politics, and the list is still increasing.