Social commerce plays a very important role in e-commerce fulfilment. Continue reading this article to learn about the difference between S-commerce E-commerce and M-commerce, along with basic information and benefits of S-commerce.
What Is Social Commerce?
Social commerce is basically the marketing of products through social media platforms, from researching the brands that are in demand to selling them on social media platforms and earning profit in social e-commerce; social media platforms are more effective and famous than physical ones. However, this shift brings unique e-commerce fulfilment challenges that businesses must address.
No doubt, listing on social media platforms about your sales can be a bit complex, but it all blends out when you earn unbelievable profits. You can also become famous if your products are of good quality and fulfil the purpose of buying within the buyers’ range. Some of the social media apps include TikTok, Instagram and Facebook. Also, purchasing products through these social commerce fulfilment platforms becomes very easy. Imagine if you want sunglasses for a picnic; you find them on your TikTok or Instagram feed. All you need to do is add that product to your cart, specify how you need it to be, and then add your card information. This way, you can purchase your product easily with the app. If you want anything you like on TikTok, you just have to press buy now, and when your purchase is finalised, you can continue watching your best shows without interruptions. You can find these products just on your Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok feeds, which makes your purchase very easy. This seamless experience highlights the importance of efficient fulfilment for social media sales.
Types Of Social E-Commerce
The following are the types of e-commerce:
Shoppable Posts
Shoppable posts make shopping really easy. They let you buy products or make your purchase without leaving the platform. Beneath your favourite product, you will find a shopping tag or a buy button from which you can purchase your product easily and then continue watching your favourite show or reels. You can find such posts on Facebook and Instagram.
Social Storefronts
If you use Facebook, you must know about social storefronts. If not, let me tell you. Social storefronts are basically full stores established on a social media platform. If I take Facebook as an example, there is an option of shops where you can browse and pick out your favourite products. Then, all you have to do is enter your card information and press buy now. This allows you to shop from stores without opening more tabs.
Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing, also known as sponsorship, is one of the most effective ways of social commerce. It involves partnering with social media influencers who have many followers who watch their videos regularly. Influencer marketing basically works by paying influencers money to introduce the world to your products in an innovative and creative way. They talk about the features and quality of the product, which is why many people buy them.
Peer-To-Peer Selling
Peer-to-peer selling is one of the most common methods of selling or buying products because it involves personally chatting with the buyer or seller to market or purchase products. You can apply this method using the DM feature in the Instagram or Facebook marketplace. If you find a product you like, you will personally message the seller to learn about its features and colours or even negotiate the price. This method can also save you money and provide more information about the product and when it will arrive. Understanding many e-commerce fulfilment challenges can make them more accessible.
Difference Between S-Commerce/E-Commerce/M-Commerce
Social Commerce:
It is also known as s-commerce, which involves selling products online through social media platforms and also supports fulfilment for small businesses. It can be done by scrolling through an app, including Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook or browsing through an option explicitly provided for this purpose.
Electronic Commerce:
It is also known as ecommerce. It involves buying products from electronic devices like mobile phones, laptops, tablets, or computers. It is not only social media platforms but also consists of shopping from any app mainly made for this purpose, like Amazon. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the trend of e-commerce has increased relatively. At that time, people were not allowed to travel outside due to lockdowns, so they had to order things at their doorstep.
Mobile Commerce:
It is also known as m-commerce, which involves sales and purchases made with your mobile phone. It makes your work easy by installing the app that provides the best products and adding your favourite ones to your cart. Then, you can add your card information and order your favourite things.
All of these three terms have different meanings, but their aim is the same: to create easy shopping through social media platforms, your mobile phones or any electronic device.
Benefits Of Integrating Social Commerce
If you need clarification about whether you should invest in integrating commerce or not? Here are some pursuing reasons for integrating social commerce and why it is the best fulfilment for small businesses:
Better Reach And Visibility
When you incorporate social commerce fulfilment into e-commerce, you can expand your business into social media platforms and become famous among the local people. Your brand will be well known and trusted if influencers have also interfered. Advertising is a very hectic and costly task, but expanding your brand’s name is also necessary. The best thing you can do here involves social commerce trends in e-commerce. Also, you can open a whole store on a social media platform. This will help local people shop for their desired products when they browse through their favourite apps and see your store.
Targeting Strategy
Remember, effective fulfilment for social media sales ensures customers receive their purchases promptly, enhancing the overall shopping experience. Therefore, when you bring your brand to a social media platform, you can analyse the basic needs and requirements of the people these days., i.e.,
- One can gain insights into market trends and individual preferences by examining likes and comments.
- You can identify opportunities to introduce additional products that align with current trends and consumer preferences by conducting a thorough analysis.
- Implementing this approach will significantly boost your marketing efforts, attracting customers who seek peace of mind and access to the latest products.
However, this also introduces e-commerce fulfilment challenges that must be managed to ensure timely delivery and customer satisfaction.
Increased Engagement
Increased engagement is one of the most important reasons you should invest in social commerce and fulfilment for social media. Social media platforms provide an official and communicative environment for buyers to confirm if it is the same product they need or customise how they want it to be. When you enable customers to like, share and comment on their favourite product, you can become famous and build trust between your customers and your brand. They can share their favourite products with their friends, and this way, you can build strong two-way communication. The trust you create will be found compelling, and not only will those people buy your products, but they will also recommend them to others if they are good. Fulfilment for small businesses can be done using social commerce trends.
