If you’ve been scrolling through your social media feed, you’ve undoubtedly noticed something interesting: the ability to shop directly from the platform.
While social media shopping (or social commerce) is not entirely new, it is considered to be in its early days. As such, there is still some debate about the future of social media shopping and whether opening up an online storefront is worth the effort.
Are users actually shopping on social media? Will social commerce become the new standard for shopping? Or will it fizzle out like a bad social media trend?
To make the long story short, the consensus from experts is that social media shopping will only become more popular and beneficial as time goes on. Here are some stats to prove it:
- Sales from social media shopping are anticipated to hit $605 billion by 2027.
- Revenue from social media shopping is anticipated to reach well over $3.4 billion in 2028.
- 93% of executives in the U.S. plan on shifting their eCommerce efforts to social commerce.
- 71% of small businesses plan to sell on social media platforms.
But before social commerce can truly take off, one major issue needs to be addressed: a lack of trust from users, specifically about product quality and privacy concerns.
So here’s what you need to know before you open the virtual doors of your social media storefront (and how to build the trust your customers expect).
Choose the Right Platform
Selecting the best platform for your online storefront requires an in-depth analysis of every social media platform and how each can support your specific business goals (all of which can be discovered with the help of a friendly marketing expert).
However, a simple approach to narrowing down social media platforms that are good options for your online storefront is to think of your current customers, the customers you want, and the platforms they use. For example, if your target audience is Gen Zers, consider choosing YouTube, TikTok and Twitter over Facebook and Instagram.
Once you select the best social media platform (or platforms), the next step is creating a community where you can develop the trust your customers want.
Develop a Trusting Community
Building trust is a difficult thing to do, especially when you’re online, but it becomes easier with the right approach. If you keep your online shopping experience as simple and transparent as possible, your customers will feel comfortable making purchases through their social media accounts. Here’s how:
- Use social media for more than just shopping: The easiest way to build trust is to use social media in the way it’s intended. That means connecting with others and building an active community. When you engage with your customers and encourage them to share, they won’t hesitate to tell everyone on social media how much they love your products and how much they trust your brand.
- Be honest with simple language: Whether it’s a product description or your return policy, be detailed and straightforward. Using vague language will only make your customers suspicious about the quality of your product and the legitimacy of your brand. Also, as with any shopping experience, provide world-class customer service.
It’s safe to say that as long as social media platforms continue to exist, commerce will be a part of it. So start assembling the digital building blocks of your virtual storefront sooner rather than later. If you need help successfully stepping into the world of social commerce, reach out to DeanHouston!