The Six Vital Pillars for Social Commerce Success

The chances are that you’ve already heard about ‘F-commerce’. Once upon a time, Facebook commerce was supposed to be the future of online selling. Of course, we quickly realized that internet marketing is not that simple. As much as a business may like to multiply their revenue by adding a ‘shop’ tab to their Facebook page, this would focus far too much on a very small portion of social commerce. Social media has a lot to give to online merchants, but only if it is utilized correctly, and as a whole. For those wondering how social media can actually maximize sale results, these are the six vital pillars for adding a social edge to your online business.

1. Reputation

Online conversations are a fantastic way to build up your brand image and identify yourself as an authority figure within your niche. If your company exists within the clothing industry and you can get some big name designers to tweet you back or comment on something that you have achieved, then you’re going to generate a lot of positive responses. Just make sure that you’re not starting conversations for all of the wrong reasons.

1. Visibility

Having a social media presence online makes you far more likely to draw in a larger potential customer base. If you follow other brands within your niche and convince some of their fans to follow you, then the more you impress them, the more likely they are to share your page with their friends, who will then share further, and further, leading to unstoppable levels of growth.

1. Context

Being successful within your industry isn’t just about gathering a larger audience, it’s about appealing to the right audience. If you’re a car accessories company, then you don’t want to thousands of individuals browsing your website that don’t own a vehicle in the first place. Social media allows you to reach out to the people who could be valuable to your brand. Look at the groups that already exist for your similar competitors and see whom you can connect with. Remember to engage as much as possible with existing networks and communities and use the right social platform for your needs. If a lot of your advertisement is picture-based, use Pinterest and Flickr, if you prefer sharing quick quotes, stick to twitter.

1. Customer Care

One of the main reasons that customers follow the brands and companies that they like on social media platforms is that it can lead to faster, more effective customer service. Social media allows consumers to ask for help or complain about experiences that they didn’t enjoy, whilst commending experiences that they did. As such, there’s no better place for you to demonstrate how much you care about your clients and what they do for you. Show that you’re ready to jump into action when something goes wrong, and you’ll draw in a more loyal following.

1. Recommendation

Today there are numerous social platforms that can help you select your next platform through photo-based technology, profile-based recommendations based on items that you previously purchased, and algorithm-driven responses, it helps your brand to reach new people every day, and increases your chances of conversion.

1. Proximity

Finally, social media is a fantastic way to help you bridge the gap between your brand and your target market. When done right, a good social media presence can help you to shorten the distance between what your customers need, and what you’re offering, which in turn will boost your sales and increase your revenue.