Social commerce is a subset of electronic commerce that involves social media and online media that supports social interaction, and user contributions to assist online buying and selling of products and services. It is the use of social media platforms to promote and sell products and services, allowing users to buy products directly within social media platforms without leaving the app. Social commerce aims to engage customers with brands according to their social behaviors, provide an incentive for customers to return to a website, and provide customers with a platform to talk about their brand on their website.
Some key features of social commerce include:
- Native shopping: Social commerce allows users to buy products directly within social media platforms, never having to open another browser.
- Streamlined checkout process: Social commerce removes the drop-off points that can result in abandoned transactions, which is especially important as over 50% of all internet traffic is from mobile devices.
- Personalized interactions: Social commerce provides businesses with unique opportunities for engaging directly with consumers while simultaneously driving sales conversions at a cheaper price point than traditional advertising methods.
Social commerce involves the entire shopping experience over social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, including marketing, browsing, shopping, and completing purchases. The success of social commerce campaigns is measured by the degree to which consumers interact with the companys marketing through retweets, likes, and shares.
