Learn how brands leverage social selling and its features to create a new revenue stream.
Social media incorporating e-commerce elements has ushered in a new world of opportunities for businesses worldwide. With over 50% of users following their favorite brands and billions of active users consuming these platforms, social media has become a strong marketplace for shoppers to increase brand awareness, engagement and sell their products.
At the core of this revolution is social selling. So what exactly is social selling?
“ Social selling is a dynamic approach that leverages the power of social media to drive sales and building a community around the brand”
The Rise of Social Commerce
Social media has evolved into virtual storefronts and gone are the days ecommerce transactions were limited to traditional websites and online marketplaces. From in-app purchasing to influencer endorsements brands can use multiple ways to engage with their target audience and drive revenue.
Instagram, Tiktok and Pinterest are great platforms brands can use to increase conversions generating more income.
Here’s how Instagram Shops
Instagram is undoubtedly the largest social media platform after Facebook with over 500 million posts uploaded each day. Today Instagram has grown from a simple photo and video sharing tool to an influential marketing tool with a significant impact on consumer behavior. In a Facebook study, 90% of users follow a brand on Instagram, 83% discover new products/services from Instagram, and 80% make purchases based on products or services they discover. With Instagram shop now customers can directly shop your photos and videos anywhere in the app. Brands can use its shop’s virtual storefront, collections,product tags, checkout on instagram and product launch features to influence the interested user’s buying journey.
The Summer Friday is one of the brands crushing it on instagram integrating their shoppable posts seamlessly into their page. They maintain a balance of shoppable posts in their feed and their instagram features their entire product range with detailed product pages. This brand leverages instagram shoppable reels showcasing how to use their products. This makes it easier for followers to make purchases.
Tiktok- social media star
Tiktok is growing at an exponential rate. Today users spend twice the time spent on Instagram on average on tiktok. It has evolved into a dynamic platform with built in ecommerce and no longer just a a place for viral and comedy videos. Tiktok stores is a great tool brands can leverage to increase their sales. Hubspot’s 2023 Social Media Trend Report reveals that Tiktok is among the top 5 social media platforms generating highest revenue for in platform sales.
Tiktok claims two out of every three people using the app will likely make a purchase.
Given such stats, brands should list their products on TikTok Shop to facilitate in-app shopping converting visitors into customers. Gymshark is a sportswear brand that has amassed five million followers due to its engaging fitness videos. The brand promotes its products creatively by sharing fitness tips and motivational posts that resonate with its active and youthful audience.
Gymshark uses Tiktok Shops to encourage interested users to easily purchase its products without leaving the app.
Pinterest Shoppable Pins
Pinterest is one of the most underused platforms by many brands. But with over 431 million monthly users browsing Pinterest for inspiration it can be identified as one of the most effective platforms to build your audience and get your product in front of your potential customers at the right time when they are ready to buy.
So this is what brands can do on Pinterest-
Pinterest buyable pins also known as shoppable pins are posts that allow users to directly buy the products from the pins. Brands can tag products to the pins and add a CTA for shopping so users can buy products directly. These are mobile-friendly, secure, and easy ways to buy favorite products with just a few clicks.
Brands also can leverage Shop The Look Feature. When you add the “Shop the Look” feature with your buyable pin, you must put an aesthetic picture that speaks to the theme of Pinterest. When buyers see those pictures, they are more likely to stop and click on the pin. This significantly increases the probability of interested shoppers actually buying the products. IKEA is a brand that takes the maximum use of these features. IKEA is reducing customer overwhelm through creative Pinterest marketing by utilizing its Renocations quiz to unlock which IKEA items would best suit their home. At the end of the quiz, users are given a Pinterest board of IKEA products they may like. They can either pin these options to their personal boards for inspiration or shop directly through Pinterest when they’re ready to buy.
Many social media ecommerce tools and features are introduced every day, including the three we discussed. Coming up with new ideas, strategizing and executing each platform is very overwhelming at times. Start with your most active target audience’s platforms and experiment with the type of content they consume the most. So it’s all about knowing your audience. It is important to learn how to utilize different social media platforms for best results. If this is not your forte, seek expert advice to increase your revenue and lower your acquisition costs.
About the writer-
Jayani Samarakkody B.A., a Marketing and Public Relations expert with extensive experience in Dubai’s PR and Advertising industry. With a passion for communication and crisis management, Jayani has helped businesses navigate the challenges of the digital age, enabling them to communicate effectively with their stakeholders and protect their reputations. Drawing on her knowledge of social media, PR strategy, and crisis management, Jayani brings a fresh perspective to the complex challenges faced by companies in today’s fast-paced and ever-changing world.
