Buy What You Like: Social Commerce

Social Commerce has been up-and-coming since the start of social media – people buy items on Facebook Marketplace and through links on Instagram and Pinterest all the time. But what if you could actually buy products on these platforms? Well, now you can. More and more companies are using social media to target potential customers and curate a loyal audience while selling products on their accounts. NFT’s are making this even easier as they don’t require a physical product to be shipped…just click the link and there it is!

Read to the end for tips on how to create content that boosts your social commerce potential and curates an audience who are loyal to your brand.

The audience for social commerce is constantly growing, and by 2023 the prediction is that there will be 446.8 million social commerce buyers in China. While in 2025 it is predicted that social commerce will be a $79.64 billion market in America.

Social media platforms are the new Google search, with more than 1 in 4 internet users using social media to find products to purchase – there’s very little effort that needs to go into finding products that they will love. What with hashtags and influencers, and an algorithm that slims down the decisions that consumers have to make, using their search history, like history and follow history to present products that match the tastes of the algorithm. Many buyers let influencers decide their purchases, these highly influential individuals show products that align with their ethics and tastes – which usually correspond to the ethics and tastes of their followers, while giving in-depth and ‘honest’ reviews of products and companies. 

60% of people say they discover new products on Instagram, and there are 500 million active Instagram users in the world. That’s 300,000,000 potential customers on a single social media platform. 11% of social media users will instantly make a purchase online after discovering a product, while 44% will make a purchase after some time has passed of that product which they first saw online.

With 8 out of 10 US businesses planning on using social media platforms to sell their products, it’s no surprise that social media is becoming the new billboard of brands. 93% of US executives have said that their businesses are moving more efforts to social commerce. 

Here is how to enhance your social media presence and sell your products to customers who return for more and are loyal to your brand:

• Don’t overthink posting! What does your brand stand for, what makes you and your employees passionate? What is authentically your brand? Make that obvious in everything you post online, whether it’s promoting your products or just updating people on what’s happening
• Promote a lifestyle, solve a problem…do not sell a product! Customers want to buy products from brands that have the same ethics as they do, and a lifestyle that they can aspire to. Each product has to be more than just a product 
• Love what you do, love what you sell. If you don’t someone else’s brand is going to be, and consumers tend to be much more savvy than businesses give them credit for. If you’re obsessed with your business and products, it’s only a matter of time before that translates to customers who share your passion
• Use hashtags…unapologetically
• Write alt text on posts if there’s the option to, even if you think it’s unnecessary
• Be consistent with when you post, what your style is (it should match your branding) and what tone you’re using
• Put your products in everything you post, the more that your audience sees a product the more they’ll ‘believe’ in it
• Use influencers to promote your products, collaborate with them but make sure that they have an audience your brand matches and ethics that you agree with

For help making your packaging pop online get in touch with our team of experts. They will take your packaging to the next level and give your brand a reputation for offering quality products with bespoke designed packaging.