Social media today has become an integral part of our everyday lives. Platforms such as  Twitter, MYn, Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp have a lot more to offer than just connecting with individuals online. So how are these applications shaping up to be the backbone of today’s e-commerce? Let’s find out.  

On an average, people spend about 2.5 hours of their busy days on social media apps, and this is a great avenue for e-commerce businesses to market their products or services to a targeted audience. Especially since the pandemic hit, people have shifted from shopping offline to online, and this has made things easier for everyone. An exclusive advantage there is to social media marketing is gathering information about suitable and potential clients. We have all received sponsored advertisements while browsing through Instagram, and some of them seem so enticing that we end up going to their website and purchasing that product or service. Based on the information gathered about online users, consumer behaviour can be traced and analysed. This ultimately drives up the sales and revenue for the brands.  

Another advantage that social media platforms offer is the ability to build brand loyalty. When a brand has a social media presence, it can establish direct communication between itself and its customers. This engagement can be of immense help to gain the customer’s trust and form a relationship that builds loyalty. It is essential that brands listen to their customers and their reviews. These play a vital role in attracting new clients to the brand. According to Forbes, 30% of millennials have a tendency to check brands out online,  read user reviews, consider the number of followers, and then make a decision about whether or not to purchase that product or service. Therefore, building brand loyalty among customers has become very important.  

In addition, studies also showed that social media helps with reducing the costs of operating,  inventory, and sales while at the same time increasing the rates of ordering, delivery, and payment for their goods and services, which can be justified as the reach that brands have on these platforms is tremendously higher.  

As a brand builds an online profile and attracts a decent clientele, they can use the platform to educate their customers about the latest product launches and any ongoing or upcoming profitable deals to keep their audience engaged. This could also help with building traffic to their own page on the platform. They can also use the platform to convey their mission and vision to their client base and raise awareness about their brand. 

Social media has also paved a path for brands to understand their competition and build a  network. Most fields today are highly concentrated with heavy competition between brands.  Therefore, platforms such as Facebook and Instagram can be utilized to showcase the  uniqueness of the brand.  

Since the popularisation of social media, an interesting and new way of marketing has emerged through ‘Influencers’. These individuals have built a dedicated and trusting audience and endorse products and services for a living. They form a crucial part of the social media world and can make a huge difference in the way that the brand is perceived in the eyes of the customer.  

All in all, if social media is understood and put to use efficiently, brands can increase their revenue enormously without having to put in a lot of monetary or physical effort. These platforms are a true game-changer for every e-commerce business out there.