In May, the private market research group, Insider Intelligence, released its annual report on social commerce. It predicts that in 2021, "US social commerce sales will rise by 35.8% to $36.62 billion." 

Additionally, it indicates that over a third of US internet users will make at least one social commerce purchase by the end of the year. This is good news for anyone who uses the internet to do business, especially retailers who suffered losses in 2020 and 2021 due to state-mandated shelter in place orders, which had the unfortunate effect of eroding the profit margins of many conventional brick and mortar-style shops. 

However, what is social commerce, and how can your business benefit from it? 

What is Social Commerce? 

Social commerce refers to any internet-based business that employs social media platforms; such as Facebook and Instagram; to directly market and transact with customers. The simplest form of this is the use of targeted ads appearing in a social media user's feed, containing links or action buttons that allow them to make a direct purchase. 

Even though different business sectors will have different strategies for marketing products, Insider Intelligence points out that, "all brands can utilize influencers, calls to action, and user-generated content, to successfully compete in the social commerce market." 

Facebook is currently the biggest social commerce platform in the US with a whopping 56.1 million buyers this year. Instagram and Pinterest, both of which have easy-to-use shopping features, also sport large buyer bases. 

Making Social Commerce Work for You

Dennis Doerfl, former Groupon executive and co-founder of the influencer marketing firm Fourstarzz Media, wrote this April in an article for Forbes that one of the key methods for tapping into the social commerce boom is to use the power of influencer culture to sell your products: "In 2021, look for influencer culture to inspire more powerful social media retail integrations with almost limitless earning power for creators and the platforms that serve them." 

Influencers, who thrive on platforms like Instagram, frequently accept sponsorships from brands, encouraging their fans to buy. Insider Intelligence's report agrees, predicting that, "67.9% of US marketers from companies with 100 employees or more will use influencer marketing this year." 

In addition, calls to action are a must-have for any brand that markets on social media. A customer needs to be able to buy your product as quickly and easily as possible, ideally with the touch of a button.

Any brand that is looking to capitalize on social commerce, particularly on large platforms like Facebook and Instagram, needs to ensure that its calls to action are accessible. To give some examples, the report states, "Phrases such as 'swipe up to purchase,' or 'store link in bio,' have become extremely popular calls to action—pushing social media users to purchase the items or services they see advertised on their newsfeeds."

We're Here to Help You

Web and Marketing Bureau offer easy e-commerce plans to integrate your marketing efforts into popular social media platforms like Facebook. We can also help you capitalize on more specialized e-commerce platforms like Etsy and Amazon and hone your products' SEO so that anyone who knows how to use Google (maybe you've heard of it) can instantly find and purchase your brand's products. 

If you'd like to chat about how we can help your business thrive, whether online or in real life, click the request button below, or fill out our contact form to schedule a consultation. And be sure to stay tuned for more marketing news.