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I hope you are doing well my fellow petrol heads.
I read a very interesting article this week regarding the trend of Social Shopping, and I thought I would share it with you.
“More than half of all luxury brands that use social shopping report better communication with their shoppers. This makes a lot of sense. After all, a third of all shoppers use social media to discover and buy products. And for all shoppers under the age of 34, these metric jumps to nearly half.
Social shopping is here to stay. It elevates traditional eCommerce, transforming it into more than just a transaction. And as more shoppers embrace it, it’s important brands understand why. This way, they can curate an even better digital experience for their shoppers.
1. SHARING EXPERIENCES
Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat keep us in contact with the people we love most. Our friends, our families. And just like anyone else, shoppers want to share their experiences, too. Good or bad, they want to be heard.
Social commerce mixes social media and shopping, fusing them. Shoppers get to buy their favorite products and explore new ones. Then they get to tell their story online to their followers, or anyone that’s interested in the brand.
After all, storytelling is a powerful tool. It’s what’s at the center of word-of-mouth. When shoppers love products, they have a story to tell. And social shopping lets them do this effortlessly — it puts them in the driver’s seat, and it gives them control.
2. USER-GENERATED CONTENT
Nearly half of online shoppers won’t buy a product online if there’s no UGC — also known as user-generated content. UGC is static or video content that’s posted by other shoppers online. It’s a real assessment, with real images, of real products.
And authenticity is critical here. Shoppers want to browse customer photos, reviews, and pro tips online. UGC enhances the digital shopping experience. And it’s something most shoppers can’t get IRL.
Sure, shoppers can watch other customers who happen to be in store, trying products. But it’s no match to instant access online. Shoppers can browse, search for, and swipe through thousands of posts about any product. And shoppers simply can’t get enough of these endorsements.
3. BRAND-GENERATED CONTENT
More specifically, it’s expert-created content. As many luxury brands already know, the IRL brick-and-mortar shops are the new content creation studios. This is where the magic happens, and this is where most content should come from.
And instead of influencers, the fan-favorite creators are in-store product experts. Most shoppers trust friends, store associates, and experts to inform their purchasing decisions. And they prefer these groups over influencers.
Plus, social shopping lets customers see experts in action. They do it through short bursts of valuable, helpful video content. And it empowers shoppers to engage with showcased products in a new way online. Therefore products with video content keep winning over the ones that don’t.
4. INSTANT ACCESS
It’s no secret at this point. Shoppers need a digital experience that’s nearly identical to one they would have in a brick-and-mortar storefront. And if we get real for a second, shoppers want a digital experience that’s even better than IRL.
This means instant access to everything. Communication, products, inventory, specs — you name it, they want it. And social commerce delivers. Social shopping empowers customers and beauty advisors alike to talk with each other. Whether this is one-to-one or one-to-many, lines of communication stay open 24/7.
DMs, comments, shares, and chat sessions keep shoppers and beauty experts connected. Just as they’d be in a brick-and-mortar shop.
5. BRAND CONNECTIONS
Emotional bonds keep shoppers and brands connected. Usually, these bonds cultivate in person, and in a storefront. Yet nearly half of Gen Z and half of all Millennials use social media to discover (and purchase) new products
Shoppers love to support the brands that resonate with them. And social shopping, or social commerce, makes this incredibly easy to do. Therefore social commerce is the new glue. It’s the new emotional bond. In other words, social shopping is a unique flavor of virtual connectedness.
And it’s one of the most effective ways for brands to stay in touch with their shoppers — and make connections with new ones.” – (source usehero.com)
SOCIAL COMMERCE: FINAL THOUGHTS
Social commerce isn’t just the future of shopping. It’s the right now of shopping. And here’s a quick recap of the top thing’s shoppers love about it:
Shoppers like sharing their experiences online
User-generated content is a must
Product experts are the new influencers
Shoppers want instant access to associates and product info
Social shopping creates bonds between brands and shoppers
Some very interesting reading to say the least.
Please feel free to always share with us some of your insights via our website and helpline, who knows …you could be our next social influencer?
Oh yes, before I forget, here are some of this week’s top sellers, happy shopping.
Stay Safe, Stay Connected
