Social media is the way consumers shop, and that’s not a bad thing.
With so many people engaging in social media every day, it’s no wonder these platforms have become such a powerful force for change. Customers can find new products, learn about new brands and retailers, and interact with companies directly from their phones or desktops.
As of October 2021, there were 4.55 billion social media users worldwide, as revealed by the Digital 2021 October Global Statshot Report. That means social media has reached more than half of individuals living in the world.
That’s also a lot of people and a lot of opportunities for businesses to connect with their customers. Social media has become the primary way we communicate with each other, and it’s no surprise that it has also become a powerful tool for brands and retailers to connect with their customers.
Thus, companies should understand the impact of social media on shopping trends. In this post, we’ll try to highlight some ways through which social media is changing the shopping trends among customers.
Influencer Marketing Is on the Rise
We’ve all seen influencer marketing campaigns, and we’ve all heard about how effective they are. But what does it mean?
According to Insider Intelligence, 72.5% of US marketers will leverage influencer marketing for paid or unpaid campaigns in 2022. That’s a lot of people. And what does it mean for businesses?
In a nutshell, influencer marketing means that companies can hire people with large followers on social media to promote their products. These people are called “influencers,” and they’re often very famous people like Instagram models, celebrities, or even reality TV stars.
Their followers trust them implicitly. Thus, if an influencer says something is good, their followers will probably believe it and buy whatever that influencer is promoting.
This is great news for companies because it means they can get their message out there without having to spend tons of money on ads. They just pay an influencer who already has a large following and let them do all the work.
More Brand Loyalty and Awareness
Today, customers like to stay on top of what their favorite brands are doing on social media. And with the massive penetration of social media platforms, people are not hesitating to share their opinions about products and companies like never before.
Hence, companies need to look for ways that can enable them to build trust with their customer. That’s where social media comes in. In most cases, customers turn to social media to look for information about their favorite brands. After getting this information, they’re more likely to make purchasing decisions.
However, customers need trust before they can finally make the purchasing decision. Trust is the main factor in purchasing a product. In fact, according to Edelman’s report, nearly 81% of consumers need to trust brands before they can buy from them.
Being a customer, however, you should go for a trusted brand that has a dedicated 3PL partner. This is important because only a dedicated brand working in tandem with 3PL service providers can make you an aware customer who knows about his product right from the warehouse until it reaches his home.
In addition, a trusted brand with a 3PL service provider will improve customer satisfaction because they are familiar with their needs as customers. That would mean there are fewer mistakes or issues along the way when receiving packages or returning them for refunds/exchanges etc.
It also helps ensure that your experience as a customer will be better than ever before, thanks to this partnership between e-commerce brands and their 3PL partners.
Improved Customer Service and Feedback Management
When you think about it, shopping has always been a social experience.
If you’re not going to the store with someone else, chances are good that you’re at least going to tell a friend or two about your haul. And now, thanks to social media, companies can see exactly how their customers are talking about them and make sure they’re listening closely.
As per the Customer Experience Trends Report 2021, there was a whopping 110% increase in the number of consumers who used social messaging for customer service. That’s because people want their voices heard, and brands are listening.
Hence, more and more brands are leveraging social media to better serve their customers and receive feedback from them. Moreover, social media is changing shopping trends forever because it provides brands with more information about their customers than ever before.
It also helps them identify pain points and improve their products and services through feedback management so they can keep their customers happy and coming back for more.
Integrated Analytics Tools
Integrated analytics tools on social media have been a game-changer for brands that want to make their products available to customers, but don’t have the time or resources to build the infrastructure necessary for effective social media marketing.
These tools pull together all of your marketing data into one place so you can track how well your campaigns are performing and identify which metrics need improvement. They also allow you to see what kind of content is resonating with your customer base, so you can focus on creating more posts like those.
Integrated analytics tools help brands understand how their audience reacts to different types of content, which helps them create better content that resonates with their target audience. For example, if you’re a brand that sells clothing, you might want your Instagram feed to have lots of images of people wearing your clothes. You can use an integrated analytics tool to find out which kinds of images are most popular with your audience and then make sure those kinds of images are prominent on your feed.
Moreover, integrated analytics tools are helping brands change shopping trends forever by enabling them to spend less time on social media management and more time on improving their products and services.
Summing Up
It’s no secret that social media has revolutionized the way we consume information, but it has also changed how we shop and buy.
Social media has made it easier than ever to find the best deals, compare prices, and connect with other shoppers in your area. This is all good news for consumers, who can now get what they want when they want it without having to spend hours searching through stores or websites.
For brands, however, social media can be an excellent tool to keep their customers happy by listening carefully, responding quickly and honestly, and providing them with high-quality products or services.