Social E-commerce has long been in existence since November 11, 2005, but it experienced a breakthrough in 2020 when the advent of COVID-19 pandemic and its ramifications bought out its importance. Companies and customers prefer online activities, sales etc. which social E-commerce provides.
Concept and Purpose of Social Commerce
This concept was developed by David Biesel and Steve Rubiel to include collaborative E-commerce tools that enable shoppers “to get advice from trusted individuals, find goods and services and then purchase them”.
Social ecommerce is a subset of electronic commerce (E-commerce) that involves social media; it blends E-commerce and social media best practices as a lucrative and exciting evolution in retail marketing.
Social e-commerce aims to assist companies in achieving the following purposes
Helping companies engage customers with their brands according to their customer social behaviours.
Provides and incentive for customers to return to their website.
It provides the information customers need to compare, research that leads to the customer ultimately choose you over to competitor and vice-versa
It provides a platform for customers to talk about their brand on websites
Advantages of Social E-commerce
Increased Customers Engagement: Companies can now communicate more with their consumers, allowing them to speak with them one-on-one and providing customers with a forum to air their opinions, challenges, and contributions to the company's progress.
A larger market: It is feasible to reach customers all around the country and around the world with social ecommerce solutions.
Cost-effective: Several companies who used the platform were able to remove the high cost of advertising. The cost used is less but the number of active customers on the platform is greater.
Brand improvement: Companies now have a plethora of internet tools at their disposal to assist them boost their brand's visibility among the millions of potential customers.
Social E-Commerce Tools – some are
Instagram
Facebook
Hootsuite
Taggbox commerce
Snapchat
WeChat
Little Red Book
Why Social E-commerce Is the Next Big Thing
Behavioural Differences in Different Generations: Social E-commerce becoming the leader in the e-commerce sector has more to do with consumers behaviour patterns. For example, Generation Z spends two to three times more time purchasing on social channels than the typical customer, utilizing Instagram and Snapchat, while Generation X prefers Facebook. With Generation Z always online, primarily on social media, and on course to become the greatest consumer generation, the value of social commerce cannot be overstated. To keep up with upstart social commerce platforms, Instagram and Snapchat are both working on built-in ecommerce projects.
Easy Access & Trustworthy: With a single click, social E-commerce may connect people on social media to brands. It gives smaller businesses the opportunity to gain visibility easier and attract more customers. It also instils trust, which is absent in the traditional E-commerce sector - social ecommerce allows for real-time reviews, live interactions with merchants, and simple clicks to purchase while simultaneously allowing users to spend time on social media.
Rapid Technology Development: With every new version of a smart phone, it has grown easier for individuals to use their phones for more functions. As a result, younger generations are spending more time on social media since it is simple, convenient, and fun. As a result, social commerce has emerged as the next big thing in e-commerce.
The social ecommerce space is growing rapidly globally. According to report by Essence, the social commerce market size was valued at $474.8billion in 2020 and projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 28.4% from 2021 to 2028.
In summary, the COVID-19 Pandemic increased the number of customers who accept social commerce, regard it as a standard for buying, and have absorbed it into their daily life. Social E-commerce is unquestionably here to stay, and it is already flourishing in many parts of the globe. Incorporating a social component into one's E-commerce strategy may be exactly what is required to revitalize one's online business.
We at OVAC Group can help you incorporate a social component into your E-commerce strategy. Email us at: enquiries@ovacgroup.com for a free consultation with our team specialists.
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