3 Ways Social Media Sets New Trends for E-Commerce
As an avid online shopper, I never took the time to step back and think about how that adorable leopard print work shirt happened to enter my Instagram feed, two days after I mentioned looking for one to a friend. Was it really Siri creeping through my messages, or were my past 6 months of shopping habits collected to create a targeted campaign? Siri does creep through your texts, but she wasn’t the reason all these tempting purchases entered your feed.
Data collection personalizes your ad experience.
Public relations firms have opened the discussion on the opportunities social media has made for market research. Entering the minds of the consumer is lending more and more to personalized information. As stated by Agility PR, Social media provides insight into consumer interest through real-time market research. Activity data is collected and used to tailor campaigns, increasing conversion rates and customer loyalty. Social shopping has grown to be a popular buzz topic among all platforms. According to Forbes, almost 25% of business owners are selling through Facebook and 40% are using social media as a whole for the generation of sales. Those seemingly too good to be true ads have a little thought put behind them.
Influencers shape their follower’s spending
How many times have you bought a product or at the very least Googled something because your favorite celeb highlighted it on their Instagram story? Online we follow not only our family and friends but also a network of people and influencers who tell stories. As humans, we buy into these stories as a bedrock of human communication. Creating a seamless shopping experience is important to Instagram. Launched in 2018, Instagram Shopping allows brands to tag up to 5 products in a post. Since making this feature available, Forbes has found brands to have increased revenue by 8%. Products are now showcased in meaningful collaborations and we associate the lifestyle we’re following with a physical product. We trust the recommendations of van life travel girl as much as our aunt Linda. Forbes states that 23% of the recommended sales are influenced by social media.
Aesthetic storefronts create free advertising for brands
Ever passed a store entrance that perfectly complimented your outfit or made you stop and take a longer look, maybe even take a picture? That post helps brands connect with their consumers. Earned media gained through these promotional efforts is like candy to these brands. Forbes tells us that 30% of consumers say they would make purchases through Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, or Snapchat. Social media has created the opportunity for brands and retailers to link online associations with in-store experiences, as described by Marketing Technology Insights. Storefronts are becoming social media backdrops focusing on aesthetically pleasing storefronts and installments in hopes to generate buzz online. Constructing an engaging experience is key in this mobile social consumer base, as explained by Agility PR. Social media has transformed e-commerce in a positive way.
As a PR professional, knowing what producers want and collect from me has made me a smarter shopper. I still fall for those Instagram clothing store sales, but at least I can appreciate the work that went into targeting me, they’ve done a good job. It’s only getting better and more personalized. The more connections you have online and the broader your network of interactions, the more an accurate the profile becomes. Your searches, the accounts you follow, the places you visit personalize your experience. It sounds a little creepy, but I can’t say I’ll complain the next time an alert for the J.Crew clearance sale hits my feed.
About Riley:
Riley Youngs is a senior majoring in advertising and public relations. When she’s not nannying she loves home decor and DIY crafting. She is so happy to have found PR and that she joined GrandPR and PRSSA.