23. Social Media: The New Shopping Destination

Source: www.hudsonintegrated.com/

According to an article published by Brand Equity on 15th October 2019, Instagram is the new shopping destination for small-town Indians. Similarly, it has been suggested by Forbes, that we are entering an era of social shopping. Today, a majority of Indian prefers to shop via social networking platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. The reason for this varies. Social media platforms are areas where consumers spend their maximum amount of time in a day. The interactive features of these platforms have induced purchase decisions among consumers. Besides, it is very easy to shop on these platforms.

Today, businesses are utilizing social media as a sales platform than ever before. According to data by Forbes, almost 25% of business owners are selling through Facebook and 40% are using social media to generate sales.

Social media and e-commerce is a very good combination. It is a must for every business in today’s competition-driven world. Every business needs to have a digital presence if they want to sustain in the long run. These social media sites have started replacing traditional online sites. With detailed targeting of the audience, social media platforms enable the business to reach the potential buyers easily. People are highly influenced by social media when it comes to their purchase decisions, 

This was not the case a few years later. Many of these brands had questions on how to use the brand. This is the case even today. For example, brands desire a strong presence on Twitter because that’s where the maximum customer engagement is. But today, social media platforms offer features that allow for an easier transaction, such as Messenger Payments on Facebook, Buy now button on Instagram and Twitter, etc. Shopping on sites like Facebook and Instagram gives options for an immersive experience for people to explore the products with a single tap. Brands can post up to five products in a post, including an image, product description, and price information. Most often, consumers are given a direct link to the website which makes the shopping experience seamless. Shopping on social media platforms has also other benefits, such as discount codes and coupons.

Online shopping on social media has immense potential. With new features coming into these platforms online shopping on social media sites will become even more convenient and efficient in the coming years.