More than a conduit for daily entertainment, social media has proven to be a powerful tool for e-commerce businesses. Learn about the appeal of social commerce and social media marketing (SMM) tactics to drive success.
Social media has grown exponentially in recent years. Though already a major source of information and mode of communication, it is nowhere near its popularity peak. With over 53% of the world’s population actively using social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram for an average of 2.5 hours daily, brands are finding new ways to connect with their customers through these channels.
Despite the large-scale lockdowns due to the pandemic, Australia experienced a boom in e-commerce back in 2020. With brick-and-mortar businesses disrupted, digital commerce saw a 53% growth, and sees no sign of slowing down any time soon. As social commerce becomes mainstream, the appetite for shopping through social media has firmed up and is posed to be a more appealing alternative to traditional e-commerce transactions. As a matter of fact, 71% of Australian consumers have reported the likelihood of making purchases through social media channels in the future.
What is social commerce?
As its name suggests, social commerce is a process in which consumers make purchases directly through social media platforms instead of e-commerce websites. Delivering a new shopping experience, the entire buyer’s journey from product research to check out is done on social apps that inherently have their unique audience.
The appeal of social commerce
Since it is now almost unimaginable for businesses to grow without any social media presence, social commerce does more than cultivate brand awareness and widen reach. A practical tool that provides an omnichannel shopping experience, it supports expansion in the e-commerce space by driving traffic to an e-commerce or physical store. Going hand in hand with mobile commerce, it presents an opportunity for businesses of all sizes to test ideas without investing in exorbitant infrastructure, given its low barriers of entry.
Building a solid social media marketing (SMM) strategy
Although a direct-to-consumer model seems like the next big step for business growth, even for B2B e-commerce, the commitment that is attached can be daunting. From determining which platform will scale your business to conducting a thorough e-commerce competitor analysis, there are several social selling tips that can maximise your brand’s social media sales. However, after these are done, the next step is to come up with a social media marketing strategy that ensures your consumers enjoy a more interactive experience compared to a standard e-commerce spree. Hence, to set your e-commerce social media business up for success, consider doing the following for your social media marketing plans:
1. Start with the marketing basics
Whether you’ve just kickstarted your e-commerce social media business or plan on improving an existing SMM strategy, every marketing plan needs to have its basics established. Be it goals and KPIs or defining a brand voice, several benchmarks must be present before tackling other tactics. To do so, evaluate your target audience and determine what they want and need. Even your e-commerce website’s analytics can be leveraged for detailed insights on customer behaviour and what has been historically effective.
2. Use social media advertising
Organic reach has recently been on a decline, especially with social platforms operating on a pay-to-play model. As such, after setting up a stellar organic social media strategy, think about incorporating ads into your social campaign. Social media advertising comes in the form of boosted posts and actual ads. Optimised for different purposes, both modes of advertising guarantee visibility, put your content on the screens of the right people, and increase engagement and exposure to new audiences. Customisable by nature, each of your unique advertising goals can thus be met with ease.
3. Reshape customer engagement with livestreams
Optimising the customer experience is always at the forefront when trying to improve customer loyalty. No longer a novelty, live streaming has been transforming the way brands interact with their audiences. Unlike other social media formats that may capture the attention of a customer base for mere seconds, tools like Facebook Live and Instagram Live Shopping authentically engage its viewers. With 82% of consumers preferring live video over social posts, the impactful benefits such as reaching a wider global audience and directly connecting with buyers pose as additional aspects to gain from.
Capable of supporting businesses in overcoming barriers to growth, social commerce offers great possibilities to optimise customer experience and boost e-commerce sales. A new mode of shopping, jumping on this bandwagon is one of the key ways to thrive in the evolving e-commerce sector. However, to ensure optimal customer experience, establishing a stellar social media marketing strategy is only the first step. From offering time-sensitive delivery services to optional services, MyDHL+ supports your e-commerce growth strategy through every step. Simply open a business account with us to ship with confidence and rest assured that your social campaigns and marketing plans pay off with a great delivery experience for your customers.