What Is Social Commerce and How Can It Drive Shopify Sales?
Published June 8, 2022.
Social commerce is the use of social media platforms to facilitate or enhance online transactions and boost e-commerce profit margins. Social media can include anything from discussion forums and review sites to social networks and blogs. It can provide information about products, share opinions, and connect with other consumers. Social commerce can help businesses reach new customers, build brand loyalty, and get feedback about their products.
Social Commerce vs. E-Commerce
Social commerce is the process of buying and selling goods and services through social media platforms. This can include buying and selling directly on the social media platform or using a third-party application or website to complete the transaction. E-commerce, on the other hand, refers to the buying and selling of goods and services over the internet. This can include online stores that sell physical or digital products, such as e-books or software.
Aside from social commerce, there are quite a few influences that account for e-commerce sales. To learn more, see our post on using e-commerce influencers for more sales.
Benefits of Social Commerce
When it comes to the digital world of e-commerce, social media has become an unavoidable force. With over 2.3 billion active users, social media is a powerful platform for brands and businesses to connect with potential and current customers. As social media continues to evolve, so does its potential for e-commerce. Social commerce is now becoming one of the most important aspects of online retail.
There are two key benefits to social commerce, including:
- Increased exposure and reach Social media platforms have massive user bases, so retailers that sell products and services through them can reach a large audience quickly and easily. When customers share links to products they’ve purchased on social media and certain platforms, their friends and followers can see their purchases, increasing exposure.
- Increased traffic and sales Social media platforms are great drivers of traffic and sales. When retailers post links to their products on social media, people often click through to the website to learn more or make a purchase.
Another benefit of social commerce is it facilitates upselling. Click here to learn more about how to boost sales with upselling.
How Social Commerce Drives Shopify Sales and Customer Engagement
One of the reasons for Shopify's growth is its focus on social commerce. For instance, Shopify integrates with many popular social media platforms, making it easy for businesses to drive sales and customer engagement through social media.
In fact, research shows that over 35% of Shopify website traffic is sourced directly from social media, collectively more than organic sources (26.5%) and direct search (24.3%).
For example, businesses can create Facebook pages for their stores and share product updates, discounts, and special offers with their followers. They can also run contests and giveaways on their Facebook pages to increase customer engagement.
Social commerce isn’t the only means to drive Shopify sales. To learn more, check out these Shopify programs to boost sales.
Best Platforms for Social Commerce
There are a variety of platforms that allow businesses to sell their products and services through social media. Some platforms are better than others for certain types of businesses. Here are three of the best platforms for social commerce.
1. Facebook
Facebook is a great platform for businesses that want to sell products and services to people already connected to them on Facebook. It is also a great platform for building brand awareness. Most importantly, the platform allows e-commerce advertising and dynamic ads, which are powerful selling tools.
2. Instagram
Instagram is a visual platform that is great for promoting products. With over 1 billion users, it is a great place to reach potential customers. Instagram offers businesses the ability to create profiles, post photos and videos, and interact with followers.
3. Pinterest
Pinterest is another visual platform that is perfect for social commerce. With over 250 million users, it is a great place to find potential customers. Pinterest offers businesses the ability to create profiles, post pins, and interact with followers.
Another powerful selling platform for e-commerce is, of course, Google. To learn how to track e-commerce sales on Google, check our post on Google Ads conversion tracking.
