How Social Media Has Changed E-commerce

Social media has changed quite a bit about the World Wide Web over the last few years, from how people stay in touch with one another and send messages to each other, to how they share photos and videos and make new connections. But social media hasn’t just changed the way that individuals interact; it has also changed the way that businesses market themselves and connect with their customers. It has even made an impact on e-commerce. Continue reading to learn about how social media has changed the world of e-commerce.

Sharing on Social Media Attracts More Customers

Savvy businesspeople that conduct business online have already started using their social media pages to promote their various products that are for sale on the Internet. This is referred to as social ecommerce, and the research proves that it works, as it turns out that implementing this tactic leads to higher website traffic and higher conversions.

Shoppers are not only finding out about great products that are for sale online by following their favourite brands and businesses on social media, but they are also going ahead and sharing those product related posts with their own networks. This translates to free marketing for the e-commerce business owner, as well as increased profits.

Buying Direct on Social Media Website

Social media websites will be changing in the near future, as more and more of them, from Twitter to Pinterest, start adding pricing and buying options to their posts. This will allow consumers to have even more direct access to the products that they are interested in purchasing online, and it will make it even easier for people to make a purchase with a single click, rather than having to navigate through several links to get to what they are looking for. In essence, these changes will allow people to actually shop on social media.

Advertising on Social Media

Advertisements are found on every social media channel, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. These sponsored posts blend in surprisingly well with the rest of the content on a person’s feed, so they do not always appear so obvious. Plus, there are ads on the sides of some social media websites, such as Facebook, that point users to relevant products that can be purchased online. These ads are based upon a user’s search history and cookies, so they are relevant to that individual.

E-commerce businesses can easily and affordably take advantage of these social media ads to target the consumers that will be most interested in what they have to offer. This can then lead to increased conversions and profits. Plus, the businesses will be advertising to consumers where they spend the majority of their time online: on social media.

As you can see, there are a variety of ways in which social media has truly changed the way that the world of e-commerce operates. It has opened up new opportunities for connecting with existing customers, advertising to potential customers, and posting about products so that people can help spread the word through shares.

 

Marketme

Marketme is a leading small business to small business news, marketing advice and product review website. Supporting business across the UK with sponsored article submissions and promotions to a community of over 50,000 on Twitter.