How To Win with Social Commerce and Remote Selling
Posted by Amanda McLaughlin on Nov 2, 2020
Deliver modern, mobile-first shopping experiences that delight your customers. Drive ROI back to your business across all customer touchpoints—in-store, online, and on mobile. Book a time with our team to learn how we can help transform your business with our omnichannel solutions.
*Privacy Notice: By hitting "Submit," I acknowledge receipt of the NewStore Privacy Policy.
Taking care of customers today means not only meeting them where they are, but giving them ways to buy from you where they are. Amazon has only grown stronger in recent months, so it is more important than ever for consumer brands to enhance their selling strategies. Look no further than social media. More than 4 billion people in the world use it. And with sites like Instagram (and even TikTok) rolling out features specifically for shopping, social commerce is a revenue stream that can’t be left on the table.
For the first time, U.S. adults now spend more time on their mobile devices than they do watching TV. And in the last few years, they’ve gone from spending 90 minutes per day on social media to almost three hours. It reflects consumer behavior and is why social commerce is such a hot trend. So, what is it exactly?
Social commerce is when a brand sells its products through social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Snapchat. Some industry executives also describe it as an approach involving content, community, and commerce. Sometimes all at once for direct selling, and sometimes to build or nurture an audience.
Whereas social media marketing drives a consumer from a promotion to an online storefront, social commerce keeps the entire shopping experience in-app – from product discovery through to checkout. It is an easy way for brands to capitalize on intent since buying on social media is generally more streamlined and seamless than moving between channels. With both payment and delivery autofill, purchases can be made in just a few taps. This helps brands reduce common ecommerce problems such as cart abandonment while driving conversions.
Social media isn’t just a place to discover a new brand or product or make a purchase. According to Sprout Social, 90% of people reach out to brands on sites like Twitter and Instagram for customer service inquiries. Think questions like where is my order? How do I make a return? In fact, shoppers are using social media more than they are phone or email. And who better to answer consumer inquiries than a brand’s biggest ambassadors: retail associates. Better yet, omnichannel retail associates.
The omnichannel retail associate is a new breed of retail employee that can help customers in the four walls of the store or digitally. Store associates are now integrated into ecommerce web chats…why not do the same on social media?
We know people are spending more time online, so the opportunity is huge. You can maximize the role of store associates, both during downtime in stores and as a unique job function. If they are able to manage customer care online, in-store, and social media, they can build more relationships. This is the true value of clienteling – giving the associate one view of the customer across all touchpoints.
If you think about it, activating an associate to sell on social media is remote selling. Also called virtual selling, remote selling is when a sales conversation happens in a digital location – a text message, email, or social media. With omnichannel data available in a connected form factor such as a mobile device, associates can be productive even from the comfort of their own homes.
Brands are getting really creative blending remote selling with social commerce. Brands are leaning into social media to get customers involved in the conversation about products. For example, store associates are hosting frequent live streams like Instagram Live to show off new arrivals. Instead of directing customers to the website to buy the hat, associates are sending NewStore Checkout links in the Instagram Live chat—NewStore Checkout is a direct payment method that leverages Apple Pay to complete the sale in seconds.
It’s important to note that live stream shopping isn’t exactly new. Think of QVC and social selling in other parts of the world like China. Regardless, what makes it relevant now is that it creates a live, filter-free environment to discover and buy products – much like you would find in a physical store. So, even if stores are closed or customers aren’t comfortable visiting them, they have a way to shop and socialize at once. It is the intersection of everything people love.
Social commerce and remote selling are both here to stay. Moving forward, brands need to hire associates that are comfortable interacting with customers in every channel. This may be corporate properties like the website, your mobile app, or a branded social media account, but it may also be personal pages where relevant.
@shop_saks is the Instagram page of a Saks Fifth Avenue digital sales stylist. She said recently that social media accounts for 80% of her sales. For the purposeful shopper, it’s the ideal way to buy – the convenience of digital and the personalization of physical. As the omnichannel associate expands across retail, expect social commerce to be at the core.
