Words: Kevin Li
Social selling and social commerce have emerged as vital components of a brand’s online success. Social selling emphasises building trust and customer relationships through personalised engagement, while social commerce simplifies the purchasing process by enabling transactions directly on social platforms.
Despite their similarities, understanding the big differences between these two approaches is essential for businesses aiming to maximise their impact on social media. Here’s why.
What is social selling?
Social selling uses social media platforms to build relationships and engage with potential customers. It’s important to constantly build trust and credibility with the audience, which may lead to sales over time. Understanding the key strategies for social selling is crucial for the longevity of a brand’s online identity.
Key aspects include:
Relationship building: brands use social media to connect with prospects, share relevant content and engage in meaningful conversations.
Lead generation: social selling helps identify potential leads and understand their needs and preferences.
Content sharing: sharing valuable content that addresses the pain points of their audience helps brands position themselves as thought leaders and industry experts.
Long-term engagement: creating a continuous dialogue with prospects and existing customers builds trust.
Integrating online influencers: collaborating with influencers who share similar interests and have a following of their own can expose the brand to the new audiences and build credibility.
An example of social selling is Nike sharing posts about their sustainability efforts. Showcasing their attempts to make a positive impact on the environment resonates heavily with their audience. It also strengthens their brand image by building a community of loyal customers who care about companies that highlight sustainability.
With a more digitally dominant world, social selling is about building trust over time, unlike its counterpart social commerce.
Social commerce: making shopping easy
Social commerce is the direct selling of products and services through using social media platforms. It involves integrating e-commerce functionalities within social media to facilitate seamless transactions.
Social commerce has gained traction through a proliferation of apps creating portals to make online shopping frictionless.
Some key aspects of social commerce include:
- Direct selling: the focus is on selling products directly through social media channels so users can browse, select, and purchase products without leaving the platform.
- Shoppable posts: these allow users to click on a product and make a purchase instantly from the post or story.
- Integrated checkout: platforms like Instagram and Facebook have integrated checkout systems, enabling users to complete transactions within the app.
- Impulse buying: by making the purchasing process quick and easy – sometimes with a limited offer – brands can increase sales.
An example of social commerce is Starbucks using Facebook and Instagram’s shopping features to sell products. By using visually appealing content and promotions to drive sales directly through social media platforms, users can purchase their products online.
Why both matter for building customer relationships
Social selling and social commerce are vital for building strong customer relationships in today’s mobile-friendly digital world.
Social selling focuses on building trust and credibility by engaging with potential customers on a personal level. Being able to see a user’s profile picture, name and personal photos can give the brand a front-row seat to understanding the user’s lifestyle. This is great for market research and getting direct feedback from your products or services, and allows brands to tailor specific content to target that demographic.
Social commerce enhances customer relationships by offering a seamless shopping experience directly on social media platforms. Customers can conveniently browse and purchase products without leaving the platform, creating an interactive shopping environment. It also allows immediate, direct feedback to the brand, allowing them to address customer needs quickly, leading to higher satisfaction, and stronger customer relationships.
Social selling and commerce should be integral to a brand’s comprehensive social media marketing strategy. Understanding the differences and integrating both strategies effectively can help brands leverage social media to its fullest potential.
Keen to build your brand, but don’t know where to start? Start by contacting us! As a full-service digital marketing agency, we have the expertise to create the ideal campaign and strategy for your brand.
