Brand generation, opening of new communication and sales channels, and new forms of segmentation are some of the opportunities that these platforms offer to social networks for online commerce. An article from Social Publi.
Social networks are a fundamental tool for any type of business. Thanks to them we can reach an endless number of potential customers and publicize our brand and what we offer. This relevance is greater, if possible, when we talk about electronic commerce, for which they have become mandatory.
Without going any further, the 2019 annual study of social networks carried out by IAB Spain, ensures that 55% of users search for information on social networks before deciding to buy directly through the ecommerce website. According to this document, the social networks through which people search for this information before buying online are, in order of importance, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp and Pinterest.
On the other hand, 41% of users leave comments and evaluations of the products, in addition to their problems or doubts, on a social network. 64% consider these positive comments to obtain information when buying, being totally decisive for 52% of these.
The 5 benefits of RRSS for ecommerce
Although it is true that, with these data on the table, many benefits that social networks bring to digital business could be listed, but there are 5 that are really worth highlighting.
1) Generate brand image and maintain a good online reputation
Social networks give us the opportunity to make ourselves known as a brand and, in addition to giving visibility to the products or services we sell, reinforce that image through the way we communicate.
On the other hand, these channels allow us to interact with our public, so if we are active and meet the needs of our users, they will help us improve our online reputation. Aligned with the customer service department, they facilitate obtaining good ratings as a company and will improve our positioning against our competition.
2) Create different communication channels and generate traffic
Network profiles act as new channels that redirect to our website, our app or wherever we want to send online traffic.
Knowing the channel that generates the most traffic, we will be able to get the most out of our special communications, such as offers or discounts, and enhance their performance by also including them in our social ads plan.
3) Create another direct sales channel
Today, many social networks offer the option of selling through their platforms by being able to link directly to our website, so they can be a complementary sales channel to the e-commerce itself without any kind of extra cost.
Being much more visual and booming, platforms like Instagram are having a lot of success in direct sales through their “shoppable Instagram” functionality.
4) Monitor and transform the social media part into data
We can track and synchronize all the data obtained from social networks with our ecommerce, in order to measure the conversions that come from them. We will be able to calculate the income that they bring us and compare them with the rest of the sales channels.
5) Expand our segmentation
Finally, social networks help us target specific audiences through their multiple segmentation options (by country, interests, etc.). This not only influences the effectiveness of our campaigns (we reach the right person at the right time and with the right product) but also allows us to reach new potential audiences that are sometimes only accessible through that channel. .
These are five of the many reasons why social networks have become key elements in any ecommerce communication and sales strategy. Of course, getting the most out of them requires time and dedication and, above all, a good prior selection −it is not about being in all of them by default but choosing those that are most appropriate for our type of products and services−. But there is no doubt that they have managed to largely condition the success of electronic commerce.And that the best is yet to come.
