Social commerce: how to sell on social media

Find out what social commerce is and how this channel can help your business grow.

 

 

After social isolation became a reality, the importance of Social Commerce for those who want to build, and their e-commerce companies has become even more evident. Social media are no longer platforms for just sharing lifestyle and things that happen in our daily lives but has rather become a place for brands to be part of their business strategies. 

 

Just as it is difficult to find someone who does not use social media on a daily basis, very soon it will not be easy to find people who have never made a purchase – or obtained information that led to it – navigating through their social media profiles. So, if you want to reach the Brazilian market a super connected audience, you need to know what Social Commerce is and what kind of advantages it can bring.

 

Social commerce: what is it?

 

Social commerce or S-commerce is a sales strategy applied to social media such as Facebook and Instagram, for example. Retailers can take advantage of the popularity of these platforms to create channels that enable the products to be displayed to their target audience, to communicate with their public and increase sales and engagement. Customers do not need to be redirected from the social media to checkout but can complete the transaction on the platform. 

 

Aware of the power of influence they hold in their hands, developers of these platforms are constantly improving their features. The “buy” button appeared on Facebook in 2014. Nowadays, it is possible to have an entire store within it, which may or may not be integrated with the online store. Instagram also has specific features for selling, which include tagging products in photos, for example. Conversion becomes much higher when the object that the user wishes to purchase is just a tap away.

 

In addition to the platform where commerce takes place, the feature that makes S-commerce work and produce good results for retailers is Social Proof. As an open channel for comments and ratings, brand profiles provide consumers with a far greater sense of trust than a controlled, one-way communication environment such as an online store. In social commerce, in addition to marketing actions involving influencers, live commerce, stores also benefit from a closer relationship with their customer base and a much more “human interaction”.

 

Remember that social commerce takes place in any environment where interaction between consumers is possible, suche as forums and chats. In Brazil, WhatsApp is the messenger that leads both in number of users and in features for sale. You can create an online catalog, have a business account and, more recently, it has also become possible to charge and transfer amounts within the platform through WhatsApp Pay. 

 

TikTok is already an option for social commerce

 

TikTok, a video-sharing social media platform, has grown significantly in popularity due to social isolation, as happened with social commerce likewise. There is nothing more natural than joining the two trends in a solution to sell to millions of users of this media. TikTok commerce is still being tested, but there are already actions taking place in the UK. 

 

L’Óreal recently announced that it is participating in an e-commerce pilot program using the application, according to the AdAge portal. Some of the company’s brands, such as NYX Cosmetics and Elf Cosmetics, have already experienced an increase in popularity and sales thanks to the app, even without the built-in sale feature. Consumers can now find links to items that appear in video posts and live broadcasts, as well as a product demo guide on these brands’ profiles. The goal of the action is to connect with new generations of consumers, shorten the buying journey and, of course, sell more.

 

Social commerce in Brazil

 

Currently, Brazil is the country with the highest average time spent on social media applications. Brazilians spend on average 5.4 hours a day in this activity. In second and third place are Indonesia (5.3 hours) and India (4.9 hours). This data is from a study by mobile market analysis agency App Annie, released exclusively by Forbes.

 

Of course, all that time spent on applications also is also spent sales related activites. In the Webshoppers 44 report, carried out by Ebit/Nielsen in partnership with Bexs, indicates that in the first half of 2021, there were more orders and higher sales on mobile than on desktop applications: 53% of Brazilian e-commerce revenue came from smartphones, as well as 56% of orders. 

 

Aware of this market, large e-commerce platforms are developing their own S-commerce tools. In June, B2W launched a platform in partnership with the British company OOOOO. The public has access to short videos, with product demonstrations, and also to Americanas ao Vivo, a live commerce project in which users can buy products while watching a live broadcast. AliExpress launched Pechincha, an app for sharing offers in exchange for product discounts.

 

Social commerce payment solutions in Brazil

 

Brazil is a fertile ground for online sales, whether through e-commerce, social media or a combination of both. The range of options to stand out in this market is huge: it ranges from content production for brand channels to partnerships with influencers, including online advertising campaigns. But none of this will work if the payment method that Brazilians usually use is not offered and language localization.

Bexs can ensure your business reaches this large consumer market. By accepting local payment methods, such as bank slips, national credit cards and even PIX, you increase your chances of converting sales. Contact our experts and find the payment solution that best suits your business.