Guest Post from our partner, Nextopia.
As a brand or business’s social media presence grows, so does their marketing clout. Unfortunately, Instagram “likes” don’t pay bills. Accordingly, the question arises – how best to transform followers into engaged shoppers and derive value from the platform?
That’s where social commerce comes in.
To clearly define the term, social commerce is the use of social networks in the context of eCommerce transactions.
In the digital age, media is consumed through nontraditional channels, such as social network sites readily available online and through mobile devices. Constantly accessible to the consumer, social media offers a massive pool of potential customers to market towards.
Reaching customers through the channels they are regularly active on means both connecting with them and simplifying their shopping experience. Resultantly, social networks have become the new shopping malls.
Driving sales through social, specifically through Instagram, means maximizing the value of your audience. The organic next step for your eCommerce store, Evocative Shoppable Instagram Galleries provide a variety of photos the user can directly purchase from. Simply add the Evocative link to your Instagram bio for an authentic, personalized feed, making it easier for followers to buy the products they “like” on Instagram. With Evocative, your brand’s Instagram page becomes a storefront.
Both simplicity and authenticity are critical to the Instagram user. Maintaining a sense of realness is dependent upon incorporating UGC into your brand’s marketing mix. Customers, particularly millennials, believe in UGC; they find visual reviews from friends and influencers more trustworthy than branded content. Implementing authentic customer photos as visual reviews of your brand allows your organization to leverage social proof, demonstrating how real people enjoy your products. When customers see a brand genuinely engaging with an advocate on social, it helps to build credibility and validate the brand’s online presence. Incorporating UGC will make your social commerce efforts doubly as successful.
To summarize, social shopping is the future. Integrate it into your digital strategy to reap major rewards.
