Is social commerce the Next Big Thing in influencer marketing, or the Next Big Fizzle? I’m sure you’ve seen some of the eleventy-bajillion articles in recent months that have positioned social shopping as either 1) the one marketing strategy to rule them all, or 2) another flash-in-the-pan trend that will go the way of the Pet Rock.
The truth is, social commerce is on the rise but it hasn’t yet matured into an industry with clearly-defined benchmarks and best practices. Platforms are somewhat in flux when it comes to supporting shopping features, and it’s not yet clear which social player will dominate the commerce game.
However, for brands who are willing to experiment, this is actually the perfect time to delve into social commerce.
With the holidays looming right around the seasonal corner, and the social commerce playing field not nearly as crowded as it will eventually be (forget the Pet Rock thing, because social commerce is expected to grow three times as fast as traditional commerce to $1.2 trillion by 2025), this is the year to wade in.
Consider the payoffs for brands who can offer consumers easy discovery and seamless checkout, right from the social channels where audiences are choosing to spend their time. Or the differences between a shopper browsing shelves at a beauty brand retailer, and a shopper engaged in a livestream of a beauty influencer sharing all the authentic reasons they prefer their recommended brands.
Organic discovery. Personalized recommendations. Fewer barriers to purchase. Deeper brand engagement. Frictionless commerce that truly meets audiences where they are.
I could go on and on (just like those articles!) but you get it: I’m bullish on social shopping. Here at Sway Group we’re excited to be developing more shopping campaigns for the brand clients we work with — and we’re ready to get started on yours.
