Come utilizzare i social media per aumentare le vendite online in Italia

# SOCIAL MEDIA AND SOCIAL COMMERCE

**SOCIAL MEDIA:** Already towards the end of the 1990s, the concept began to emerge that the internet differed from other more traditional media that had been exploited until then for mass marketing. The Internet, from its early days, made it possible for users to establish direct conversations that would radically transform previous commerce practices.

This prediction actually materialized within a short time, in a Web 2.0 perspective, where users are active participants and feel more involved in interacting with each other through the content they consume daily (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, blogs and forums). This is how consumption habits, in the era of electronic commerce, could only benefit from the most recent innovations offered by Social platforms.

## SOCIAL MEDIA USEFUL FOR INCREASING ONLINE SALES AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES

Today, a strategy oriented towards Social Commerce represents a growth opportunity for brands and consumer users, since they can have the possibility to purchase products and services directly through Apps and social network sites, sharing their purchasing experience with other users.

This new channel of promotion and sales takes a further step forward compared to the concept of online shopping and e-commerce, determining the urgency for brands not only to generate new leads and continue to make themselves known through social media, creating content and promotions, but to be able to use them for finalizing direct sales to their followers, ready to be converted into customers.

## THE ADVANTAGES OF SOCIAL COMMERCE

Social commerce allows brands to:

- use social media as an effective revenue stream

- diversify their marketing channels

- take advantage of influencer marketing and brand partnerships

- reduce the sales cycle, creating a faster click-to-close experience

- personalize purchasable content with the help of social data

- get the most out of major shopping events like holidays, seasonal sales, and consumer trends

- promote and maintain customer loyalty

These are just some of the advantages derived from integrating social e-commerce into your omnichannel strategy.

## SOCIAL MEDIA THAT DOMINATE THE SECTOR USEFUL FOR INCREASING ONLINE SALES

Most brands and consumers know what the big players are when it comes to social e-commerce: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok. (it would be ideal to include links to these social platforms since they are highly recognized)

### TIKTOK

With its success, we can affirm that TikTok has risen to prominence in the world of social commerce.

With social commerce on TikTok, brands can:

- **develop a community:** tap into the microinfluencer audience to create awareness and develop challenges through hashtag usage to promote engagement

- **level up marketing:** launch short and fun video content and develop a loyal audience with live video streaming

- **increase sales:** collaborate with influential creators to have them promote, review or present the brand

- **extend visibility:** publish strategic paid advertisements with TikTok ads to get the brand to the right target and attract potential customers

- **improve customer service:** respond directly to customers by tagging them on TikTok

- **obtain useful information:** implement social media insights with TikTok's algorithm that takes into account the number of comments and likes on posts to determine engagement

### INSTAGRAM

Instagram is one of the most suitable social media for social shopping, given by its distinctive design. Consumers can follow their favorite brands and influencers, discover new products through Instagram ads and share brand experiences with their followers.

You can also integrate an e-commerce solution into your Instagram Shopping account. This allows you to upload your product catalog directly to Instagram, so you can tag products in posts for faster purchasing.

With social commerce on Instagram, brands can:

- **increase sales:** the Swipe Up feature allows you to increase sales by making shopping practical and simple

- **level up marketing:** developing brand awareness through Instagram ads, tags and hashtags

- **improve customer service:** monitor and respond to customer comments and direct messages and organize live shopping events to engage customers during the decision-making phase of the purchase journey

- **obtain useful information:** through the use of Instagram insights you can analyze consumer stories, in order to create loyalty and credibility

### X

X offers brands and influencers a platform for creating partnerships and publishing sponsored posts and also the possibility to tag other brands to expand their coverage.

X has collaborated with a series of companies and e-commerce partners to make online selling simple and smooth, even for brands that have never used social commerce; its success is due to the possibility of creating quick and short content, which is very popular with consumers today.

With social commerce on X, brands can:

- **Create a community:** share shopping experiences with followers and with new groups within communities

- **increase sales:** merchants can use X Shops to showcase up to 50 products from their online stores

- **extend visibility:** publish ads on X to promote products, services and offers to a wide audience

- **improve customer service:** respond directly to customers through direct messages on X

- **obtain useful information:** use X Analytics to discover useful information about audience demographics, behaviors, preferences and attitudes

Additionally, brands can show consumers a preview of products before the official launch with Product Drop. X offers a solid approach to trending content and can produce a group of niche social commerce sales for your brand.

## INCREASING BRAND AWARENESS WITH SOCIAL COMMERCE

It's important to remember what makes social commerce so different from other channels: the social aspect and the focus on community. Social commerce acts more like a conversation and users expect experiences in this regard to be a two-way street.

A successful social commerce strategy depends on interactions between brand and customer. It's enough to invite followers and friends to participate in conversations; in fact, social commerce strategies take into consideration the conversational nature of social media.

Social commerce is not just a way to sell your products: it's a way to communicate, build relationships and understand your customers.