When the COVID-19 epidemic broke out, many people rushed to the internet to order things they couldn’t get in stores. By July 2020, global retail eCommerce sites had received a total of 22 billion monthly visits, a new high.
As businesses sought to expand their online offerings, social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp began rolling out eCommerce technologies to let firms sell more items straight from their social accounts.
It’s apparent that social media eCommerce is gaining traction as social media networks continue to expand their in-platform shopping options. “Are consumers truly buying items while exploring social media?” you might question, as with any new marketing fad.
It’s worth pondering the aforementioned query. Even with the support of an intelligent social media platform, developing an online catalog or eCommerce process takes time and work as a marketer.
Not only will you have to decide which things will be sold online and how you’ll supply them to clients, but your crew may also have to undergo some technological training. Before enabling social network shopping options, you’ll probably want to make sure that customers are actively using them. You can also visit VZZR.
Do People Really Buy Things on Social Media?
On social media, there are now more options for purchasing items than ever before. However, because some social media purchasing technologies are still relatively new to consumers and brands, you might believe that they haven’t been used much.
However, when we inquired, “Have you ever made a transaction through a social networking platform? If so, which one(s) are you talking about?” More than half of consumers had bought anything on at least one platform.
9 percent of the 49.5 percent of respondents who haven’t purchased a product directly from a social networking platform plan to do so in the future, while 40.5 percent prefer to buy things from eCommerce websites. Although the 9% of customers who expect to purchase on social media one day appears to be a tiny amount, it is likely to expand in the coming months as social media shopping platforms gain greater use, popularity, and trust.
While social network purchasing features are still relatively new to consumers, they may make sense for firms searching for a scalable entry into the eCommerce market.
Among the excitement that comes with social media commerce, it’s also important to brush up on how to develop trust with your customers as a marketer. To understand more, see our video instructions on how to prevent social scams.
Which social media sites are people actually using to shop?
Moreover, a third of those who responded to the survey have purchased anything directly from Facebook.
The success of Facebook’s online purchasing is unsurprising. Users rushed to Facebook Marketplace even before the 2020 launch of Facebook Shops to find commodities or products being offered by local citizens, independent vendors, or even local stores.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the newest Facebook shopping options:
Shops on Facebook
Facebook Shops, which launched last summer, allows admins of company pages to create a “Shop” with a list of products or product groups.
Users who visit the brand’s Facebook Business Page can see products, add them to their basket, and purchase them immediately from a Facebook Checkout page by tapping or clicking a View Shop button.
Messenger on Facebook
Social media users who don’t want to wade through a Shop’s product list can approach brands using Facebook Messenger. When a business launches a Facebook Shop, they can link it to their Messenger, WhatsApp, or Instagram accounts for a seamless client shopping experience right in their conversations.
Customers who message companies with Shop integrations to learn more about certain products will receive automated messages from the Shop owner with product suggestions.
The Messenger integration in Facebook Shops isn’t the first time Facebook has allowed users to shop through a conversation thread. Between 2016 and 2019, Facebook allowed company pages to send messages with a product shot, a simple description, and a Buy Now button, which allowed customers to purchase things using their phone’s payment feature in the Messenger app.
Marketers’ Takeaways
Launching a Facebook Shop is now one of the most effective ways to sell things on social media networks. Facebook Shops can also interface with Instagram and WhatsApp, allowing you to simply expand to multiple social media platforms when you’re ready. Facebook has the greatest and broadest reach of all the platforms on this list.
Even if you already have an eCommerce site, Facebook Shops can be useful if you have a significant social media following that predominantly uses mobile phones and applications to access the internet.
Despite the fact that the majority of Instagram’s buying features were implemented after Facebook Shops started, nearly a quarter of respondents said they had purchased things using the platform.
Shops on Instagram
Instagram Shops is similar to Facebook Shops in terms of appearance, layout, and technology, but it is only linked to Instagram Business Pages. To use this functionality, you’ll need admin access to a Facebook Business Page and a Facebook Shop, much like with Facebook Shops.
To make use of this functionality, simply go to your Facebook Commerce Manager settings, link your Facebook and Instagram Business pages, and enable your Shop on your Instagram Business profile so that your visitors see a View Shop button.
Instagram Posts That Can Be Purchased
While you’ll still need a Facebook catalog to sell your products, Instagram Shoppable posts don’t require a Facebook Shop. This functionality allows you to link directly from your Instagram feed to the product’s Instagram Checkout page.
While it started with feed-style posts, it has now expanded to include Instagram Stories, Instagram Live, and, most recently, Instagram Reels.
While an Instagram Shop lets your followers see all of the primary products or collections you’re offering, Instagram Shoppable posts let you promote your product with creative content like reviews or demos while also leading to a purchase page. Users can find a product, witness it in action, and buy it virtually quickly as a result of this.
