5 social commerce best practices you shouldn't forget as a brand

E-commerce firms have been relying on the power of social media to reach customers beyond India's big metros in a fast-digitising country. Social media platforms have changed the way we interact with others and brands on the internet. In fact, in India 50% of online buyers use social media to learn about businesses, goods, and services.

Social commerce, or the use of social media to connect customers with the ecommerce experience, has made this possible. Brands of all sizes (small, medium, and large) have been doing it and experimenting with new ways to engage with their customer base. Here are some trends and best practices that stand out and can shape a promising future for social commerce.

• Create meaningful interactions with clients by providing localised, relevant content.

Brands can take part in discussions and engage with customers in a more personalised, one-on-one manner. Consumers prefer relevant information and conversations suited to their specific needs, and conversational social platforms allow brands to meet customers in the middle by responding to and resolving issues in real time. Brands like Flipkart, Myntra, Sugar, Meesho, and many others have harnessed user-generated content to boost sales. Furthermore, as consumers increasingly gravitate toward material in their preferred language, marketers have the chance to engage them more deeply through localised, culturally relevant content.

• Use voice, other new-age technology to create seamless, immersive experiences.

New-age innovations such as augmented reality, virtual reality and 3D technology have presented ways to make the online shopping experience increasingly real and very close to in-store shopping. Voice technology presents the opportunity to effectively engage with today’s fast-moving digital shoppers. Brands are now able to generate awareness and help shoppers evaluate their products or services and new offerings through online reviews and announcements—making it easier for them to shop. E-commerce platforms like Amazon India have leaned into the potential of social audio to connect with customers through interactive experiences.

The growth of social commerce has received an enormous push due to influencer and creator led live commerce in the country which has revitalised the shopping experience for many.

• The might of creators, influencers, and communities.

Popular voices, influencers, and content providers are frequently at the forefront of social media conversations and communities. These well-known new-age celebrities lend legitimacy to a brand, making it appear more trustworthy and approachable, while also facilitating discovery by extending the business's reach to their network of plugged-in fans. Brands can use earned influence to increase their authenticity and relatability.

Another type of shopper entertainment is combining the power of influencers with the power of live videos. This enables companies to realise the full potential of social commerce by allowing audiences to interact with the influencers and brands in an interactive digital experience that encourages them to shop for products highlighted in-app. Since influencers have such a large voice in regional dialogues, small companies and local retailers can increasingly use their authority to reach audiences and turn them into consumers.

• Using networks in conjunction with purchase points to increase conversions

Connecting social media's vast networking potential with e-commerce websites, so that communities of followers or friends on a social platform may traverse their purchase possibilities together, is sure to help social commerce grow. This would provide a personalised shopping experience similar to that of shopping with friends. The combination of low-cost, quick-delivery services and digitised payment alternatives, as well as user interaction, will strengthen the rising market.

• NFTs: A new introduction

It's difficult not to think of NFTs while discussing digital business and transactions (non-fungible tokens). While NFTs are still relatively new to the social commerce business, they are becoming more mainstream by the day, and many brands are incorporating them into their e-commerce platforms. NFTs are intended to empower creators, collectors, and small enterprises, and they have the potential to become one of the numerous products supplied by brands in today's digital economy. The possibilities are boundless, and we've only scratched the surface of what's possible yet.

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