It seems the announcement of Facebook Shops could not have come at a better time. With small businesses around the world looking for other opportunities to drive sales while stores are closed, social commerce could be a key avenue to support small businesses through this pandemic.
Which begs the question, how do advertisers respond to, what seems like the evolution of social commerce and how does this shift impacts marketing strategies.
Marketing Strategies
Advertisers have had the option for a while, to adopt a multi-channel marketing strategy to support the consumer journey and deliver a seamless experience across various channels. This multi-channel approach has included advertising organically or via paid social on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram (to name a few).
Typically, social media marketing has been used to target those at the top to mid-level of the conversion funnel. However, Facebook Shops now enables advertisers to move users further down the funnel through to conversion. Consequently, advertisers can now target users at all levels of the funnel on Facebook, without leaving the platform.
Because of this, consumers will also expect a personalised journey on Facebook and across different devices. Therefore brands, especially bigger brands, will need to consider their assets and ensure they are providing the best customer experience.
Competition
Many believe Facebook Shops is the birth of social commerce, which will continue to develop in years to come. Others have suggested Facebook Shops could cause issues for Amazon and potentially eCommerce. However, we cannot ignore the trust element that Amazon and eCommerce has amongst consumers. This could be a key issue Facebook might have to face, especially with the older generation.
Therefore, when considering if this will increase competition in the long-term, think about your target audience demographics. Will some be comfortable using social commerce while others would prefer finishing their journey on a website? If so, can you support that journey and make it as seamless as possible?
There is no denying the announcement of Facebook Shops is something all advertisers need to respond to and plan for in their multi-channel marketing strategies. However, it should not be assumed that competition will automatically increase.
Rather, brands and advertisers should consider their target audience demographics, interests and utilise their multi-channel marketing strategy to support the various customer journeys available today.
For more information or support on how you can benefit from Facebook advertising and the multi-channel approach, get in touch with our SEO and Paid Media experts today on 0161 820 7628 or sales@pushon.co.uk.
