Tag: Facebook

Social commerce on the rise in China

Commerce is becoming more integrated with social media

Social commerce is a relatively new term being used in the Western world. It is not a term that is often used, even with regards to e-commerce, but the phenomenon behind this world is gaining power throughout the world. Social commerce refers to the use of social networks in the context of e-commerce transactions. In China, this has become a powerful force and the country’s social networking sites are beginning to evolve to become more mobile-centric and engage consumers in commerce.

Mobile commerce is changing the way people interact with businesses

Commerce is beginning to change due to the adoption of mobile technology. More consumers are using their smartphones and tablets to make their lives easier and more convenient. These devices are trafficking consumer information and have successfully changed the way people interact with one another and with businesses. As people become more aligned with mobile technology, businesses are taking steps to embrace mobile commerce. A growing number of these businesses are beginning to see that they can find success through leveraging social media to promote mobile shopping.

Tmall shows off the capabilities of its social commerce platform

Social CommerceTmall, an online retailer similar to Amazon, is one recent example of a company embracing social commerce. The retailer has integrated a social media platform that is being used as a consumer-power review system. The platform allows users to rate products and companies based on various factors, such as the accuracy of a product description and the customer service being offered by a company. Products with high rating receive more promotion from Tmall through the social platform.

There is more spending power among active social media users in China than in the US

One of the reasons social commerce has become so powerful in China has to do with who actually uses social media platforms. In the U.S., the largest demographic of active Facebook users are those that have recently graduated college, whom tend to have very little spending power. In China, however, the majority of those that are active on social media sites have higher incomes and more spending power, making them an ideal demographic for social commerce.

Social media marketing reporting available over multiple devices through Facebook

The company has now announced that advertisers will be able to track conversions from desktop through mobile.

Facebook has now announced that its social media marketing ads will allow advertisers to be able to track their conversion rates over both traditional desktop channels as well as over mobile, such as smartphones and tablets.

This data tracking uses a “conversion pixel” worked into the marketer’s website, along with the Facebook SDK.

It has now been added to the existing cross channel targeting over various forms of devices from Facebook, as well as to its measurement functionality for delivery and conversions. This type of attribution increases in its importance along with the rise of the number of devices being utilized by each individual user. A statement released by Facebook about this social media marketing has pointed out that while smartphone and tablet based ads are not very likely to drive a purchase that will occur right away and on that device, they do have the potential to influence one made on another device at a later time.

This means that it will be easier to track social media marketing viewed over mobile that leads to a sale on a PC.

social media marketing - facebookTests on this mobile marketing tracking technology were carried out this year from May through July. They indicated that among the individuals who had shown interest in an ad that they saw over Facebook mobile, there was a conversion rate of 32 percent on the desktop computers of those individuals at some point during the 28 days that followed.

Until now, it has been impossible for marketers to be able to track the impact that their ads have had when a user changed devices in order to take action on Facebook advertisements that they had seen. This feature is changing that so that when a user switches from one device to another, it is still possible to track their behaviors.

The Facebook blog illustrated the social media marketing point by saying “Imagine seeing an ad for a product on your mobile phone while in line at the bank. Do you immediately make a purchase on your phone?,” and adding “Probably not. But perhaps you go back to your office later that day and buy on your desktop computer.”