Navigating the ever-evolving landscape of ecommerce can be daunting, with new trends and technologies constantly emerging. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the realm of social commerce and live shopping, keeping you abreast of the latest developments.

Social commerce involves leveraging social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to promote and sell products directly to consumers. This approach enables customers to make purchases seamlessly within their social media apps, eliminating the need to visit a separate website.

The allure of social commerce lies in its convenience and efficiency. For instance, while casually browsing through Instagram, users may encounter a curated selection of skincare products, prompting them to click “Shop Now,” add items to their cart, and complete the purchase without ever leaving the app.

With social shopping gaining significant traction among ecommerce businesses, it’s essential to explore how you can leverage this trend to enhance your own store’s performance. Let’s delve into the strategies and opportunities associated with social commerce.

Why is it so popular?

Social commerce offers customers a seamless and engaging shopping journey, driven by their preference for instant gratification—seeing a product and purchasing it immediately. This demand for “see now, buy now” experiences has fueled the continuous ascent of social commerce’s popularity. Projections indicate that this trend will persist, with social commerce expected to surge to $2.9 trillion by 2026.

One of the key advantages of social commerce is its versatility across all stages of the sales funnel, from brand awareness to driving actual sales.

For instance, customers leverage social commerce to:

• Discover new brands
• Conduct product research
• Engage with customer support
• Make purchases directly

Similarly, as a seller, you can utilize social commerce to:

• Simplify the purchasing process
• Establish social credibility and trust
• Connect with your target audience on their preferred platforms
• Collect valuable insights and data about your audience’s preferences and behaviors

By embracing social commerce, businesses can not only streamline the buying journey for customers but also capitalize on the vast opportunities for engagement and conversion across various stages of the sales process.

Which platforms offer social commerce?

Presently, four major apps boast built-in social commerce capabilities: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest. Each platform offers unique tools to facilitate the creation of virtual storefronts and enable sales transactions.

A staggering 71% of global Facebook users have made purchases on the platform at least once, equating to approximately 59.4 million potential buyers accessible through a Facebook Shop. Thus, for small brands venturing into social commerce, initiating with Facebook is a logical choice.

Here’s a concise overview of the offerings provided by each platform:

Facebook: Users can establish a Facebook shop, a customizable online storefront, and set up a product catalogue to facilitate transactions. Customers can inquire about products via Facebook Messenger and make purchases through Facebook Checkout. Additionally, Facebook offers integration with Shopify, enabling the creation of shoppable posts and ads.

Instagram: With approximately 44% of users shopping on Instagram weekly, the platform excels in building brand awareness, fostering brand identity, and delivering an engaging shopping experience. Similar to Facebook, Instagram enables the creation of virtual shops, shoppable posts, and ads, with customers also able to shop directly via messages.

TikTok: Surprisingly, TikTok now supports shopping functionalities. The platform collaborated with Shopify to introduce in-app social shopping in 2021, allowing users to establish virtual storefronts and enable direct shopping within the app.

Pinterest: Pinterest facilitates the sharing of images featuring shoppable products, known as shoppable pins. These pins are optimized for brand names and product types, enhancing discoverability for customers.

Now armed with a foundational understanding of social commerce, let’s delve deeper into an emerging trend within this realm: live shopping.

What is live shopping?

Live Shopping represents a modernized version of TV Home Shopping adapted to the digital age. Instead of traditional television broadcasts, it utilizes social media livestreams, replacing the “Call Now” prompt with a clickable button for instant engagement.

This form of social commerce offers consumers an immersive and interactive experience. They can witness product demonstrations or try-ons in real-time while adding their own comments and interactions. Often, live streams feature influencers who inject personality into the brand, enhancing engagement and authenticity.

What are the benefits of live shopping?

Live shopping is experiencing a surge in popularity, evident from Shopify’s report revealing a 61% increase in sellers adopting live shopping apps in 2021. This upward trend is anticipated to persist, driven by several potential advantages associated with live shopping:

1. Elevated Conversion Rates: Live shopping often leads to higher conversion rates as it provides real-time product demonstrations and interactive experiences, prompting immediate purchase decisions.
2. Enhanced Engagement: Live streams captivate audiences with dynamic content, fostering active participation and dialogue, thereby boosting engagement levels significantly.
3. Improved Customer Satisfaction: By offering live demonstrations and addressing customer queries in real-time, live shopping experiences enhance customer satisfaction and minimize the likelihood of returns by providing comprehensive product information upfront.
4. Effective Product Demonstration and Education: Live shopping enables sellers to showcase product features, benefits, and usage scenarios, facilitating better product understanding and educating customers effectively.

How to host a live shopping event:

Ready to dive into live shopping? Here’s a quick guide to help you set up and host your own successful live shopping event:

1. Choose Your Platform: Select a suitable platform for your live shopping event, such as Instagram or Facebook, based on your target audience’s preferences and platform usage.
2. Determine Your Format: Consider the format of your live shopping event, whether it’s a product demonstration, workshop, tutorial, DIY session, interviews, Q&A session, or behind-the-scenes glimpse. Tailor the format to align with your audience’s interests and needs.
3. Ensure Entertainment and Conciseness: Keep your live shopping event engaging and concise to maintain audience interest throughout the broadcast. Incorporate elements of entertainment, storytelling, and excitement to captivate viewers and encourage participation.
4. Choose the Right Host: The success of your live shopping event hinges on selecting the right host. Choose a host who is genuine, charismatic, and able to connect with your audience effectively. They should possess strong communication skills and be capable of building rapport with viewers.
5. Keep It Personal: Foster a personal connection with your audience by addressing them directly, responding to comments and questions in real-time, and sharing personal anecdotes or experiences related to the products. This personal touch enhances engagement and encourages viewers to participate actively.

Is this the future of ecommerce?

E-commerce has revolutionized shopping with its speed and convenience, but it often lacks the human touch. Live shopping reintroduces this vital element, making the buying experience more engaging and personal. It represents an exciting new opportunity to bridge the gap between online shopping and human interaction.