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The future of commerce is social. 5 brands getting it right.

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The future of commerce is social. 5 brands getting it right.

Social commerce is the future of online retail. By 2025, Accenture estimates social commerce to more than double to a $1.2 trillion market worldwide. Following the onset of COVID-19, consumers adopted social commerce behaviors, such as discovering, purchasing, and finding support directly on social media apps, at an accelerated rate. Now, brands are embracing these tools to deliver a personalized customer experience on whatever platform customers prefer. 

Live shopping, for example, is a powerful way for brands to educate, engage with, and sell to customers in an interactive live stream event featuring brand representatives or influencers. The audience can comment live, ask questions, and even make purchases from links in the live stream. In 2021, the number of people who purchased products in a live stream event increased by 76% globally. 

Social media platforms are innovating to meet this growing demand for social commerce. Twitter announced a new Twitter Shops feature that allows brands to showcase up to 50 products on their profiles. Similarly, TikTok is testing shopping features to help brands manage their e-commerce within a second TikTok app. Moving forward, e-commerce brands will have more tools at their disposal to sell directly on social media and provide increasingly seamless customer experiences. 

Brands Leading in Social Commerce

As the popularity and accessibility of social commerce grows, these brands have jumped in with both feet to connect with customers where they are:


  1. Charlotte Tilbury

    Charlotte Tilbury provides engaging, personalized interactions for its customers on several channels using the latest live stream and meta verse technologies. The cosmetics brand was one of the first to create a digital storefront using virtual reality (VR). In November 2020, the brand launched a 3D digital store where shoppers can explore, shop, and receive personalized recommendations from virtual store associates. Charlotte Tilbury also hosts live events including makeup and skincare tutorials within the digital store. 

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    A new feature, “Shop with Friends,” allows customers to invite friends and family to join a video call and navigate the virtual store together. The technology, similar to that in multiplayer video games, mimics the in-person shopping experience. While in the VR store, customers can also play a game where they navigate the store to find and collect hidden keys. 

    In addition to this social shopping experience, Charlotte Tilbury holds live shopping events on TikTok. During these events, the brand partners with influencers to showcase and demonstrate its products and even offers exclusive discounts for those who purchase directly on TikTok UK. 


  2. Petco

    Petco uses live streaming, influencer marketing, and social shops to provide innovative experiences for its customers. The brand partners with Facebook to engage pet lovers and pet parents in shoppable live stream events. Its first live shopping event combined a pet fashion show with a dog adoption drive hosted by actress and model Arielle Vandenberg. Petco and its charitable foundation donated $100,000 to the dog rescue organization that participated, while also building awareness of its pet apparel brands. The event was highly successful, reaching more than 900,000 people and increasing sales by double the cost of the event. 

    Following that initial success, Petco partnered with more influencers, including Olympian Gabby Douglas, to hold more live stream events. During its live shopping events, Petco dedicated a team to interact with audience members in real time and promote relevant products on the screen. Remote and on-site employees work together to provide shoppable and engaging events. 

    The brand has also worked with Facebook and Instagram to establish social shops directly on the social media platforms. Additionally, Petco leveraged its existing influencer partnerships to launch a TikTok campaign that reached over 28 million impressions for its pet apparel brand. 


  3. KitKat Australia

    KitKat introduced the first Facebook Live shopping experience in Australia, “Live from the KitKat Chocolatory,” during the 2020 holiday shopping season. The event featured its chocolatiers demonstrating new products, interacting with special guests, and providing exclusive offers to the audience. 

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    The innovative experience included a shopping feature for live stream viewers to purchase products by simply typing keywords. A viewer could type a prescribed keyword into the comment box, triggering a Messenger notification including a link to purchase the product online. Technologies like this keyword artificial intelligence (AI) tool are becoming more pervasive as social media companies experiment with new ways to purchase products directly on their platforms. 


  4. Zimba

    Zimba, a global teeth-whitening brand, quickly adopted the Facebook Shops platform to bring its products directly to its customers on the social media platform. With Facebook Shops, Zimba created a digital storefront where customers can discover and purchase products without leaving the app. 

    To provide seamless customer care, Zimba also enables its customers to contact the brand directly on Messenger and Instagram Direct Message (DM). Customers can ask product questions, get support, and track deliveries before, during, and after they make a purchase on social media. As a result, Zimba realized a 6.7% increase in average order value from buyers on social media compared to buyers on its website. 


  5. H&M

    H&M was one of the first apparel brands to invest in closing the gap between social media and online shopping. The brand created its own mobile sites that would list apparel and accessories from images in its Tweets that linked directly to purchase the products online. Today, the brand uses Instagram Shopping to promote its latest styles directly on the mobile app and link to products featured in every post.

    The brand’s next step is to launch “Shop Live” at its H&M HOME Concept store in Kuwait’s largest shopping mall, The Avenues. With technology powered by Go Instore, customers can access instant live consultations with staff in the store while browsing online. The new tool provides personalized experiences regardless of whether customers choose to shop in person or at home. 

Stepping into Social Commerce

Consumer demand has forced businesses to pivot online and social commerce has emerged as the sine qua non for brands looking to not only engage with consumers on social media, but convert them into customers. By leveraging the power of live shopping, digital storefronts, shoppable ads, and social shops brands are able to better meet customer expectations. However, according to a Forrester study, fewer than 30% of social commerce leaders are prioritizing customer engagement, failing to cultivate and nurture customer relationships throughout the social purchase journey, and putting their long-term social commerce growth at risk. One thing’s for sure, brands that don’t adopt social commerce now will fall far behind the competition, while the brands that embrace innovation will reach consumers eager for personalized and engaging experiences. 

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Finding the right social commerce solution to help you do this can be overwhelming. Download the Buyer’s Guide to Social Commerce Solutions to help guide you in finding the right fit for your brand.



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Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?

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Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?

In a recent announcement, Snapchat revealed a groundbreaking update that challenges its traditional design ethos. The platform is experimenting with an option that allows users to defy the 24-hour auto-delete rule, a feature synonymous with Snapchat’s ephemeral messaging model.

The proposed change aims to introduce a “Never delete” option in messaging retention settings, aligning Snapchat more closely with conventional messaging apps. While this move may blur Snapchat’s distinctive selling point, Snap appears convinced of its necessity.

According to Snap, the decision stems from user feedback and a commitment to innovation based on user needs. The company aims to provide greater flexibility and control over conversations, catering to the preferences of its community.

Currently undergoing trials in select markets, the new feature empowers users to adjust retention settings on a conversation-by-conversation basis. Flexibility remains paramount, with participants able to modify settings within chats and receive in-chat notifications to ensure transparency.

Snapchat underscores that the default auto-delete feature will persist, reinforcing its design philosophy centered on ephemerality. However, with the app gaining traction as a primary messaging platform, the option offers users a means to preserve longer chat histories.

The update marks a pivotal moment for Snapchat, renowned for its disappearing message premise, especially popular among younger demographics. Retaining this focus has been pivotal to Snapchat’s identity, but the shift suggests a broader strategy aimed at diversifying its user base.

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This strategy may appeal particularly to older demographics, potentially extending Snapchat’s relevance as users age. By emulating features of conventional messaging platforms, Snapchat seeks to enhance its appeal and broaden its reach.

Yet, the introduction of message retention poses questions about Snapchat’s uniqueness. While addressing user demands, the risk of diluting Snapchat’s distinctiveness looms large.

As Snapchat ventures into uncharted territory, the outcome of this experiment remains uncertain. Will message retention propel Snapchat to new heights, or will it compromise the platform’s uniqueness?

Only time will tell.

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Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach

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Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach

While it is tempting to try to appeal to a broad audience, the founder of alcohol-free coaching service Just the Tonic, Sandra Parker, believes the best thing you can do for your business is focus on your niche. Here’s how she did just that.

When running a business, reaching out to as many clients as possible can be tempting. But it also risks making your marketing “too generic,” warns Sandra Parker, the founder of Just The Tonic Coaching.

“From the very start of my business, I knew exactly who I could help and who I couldn’t,” Parker told My Biggest Lessons.

Parker struggled with alcohol dependence as a young professional. Today, her business targets high-achieving individuals who face challenges similar to those she had early in her career.

“I understand their frustrations, I understand their fears, and I understand their coping mechanisms and the stories they’re telling themselves,” Parker said. “Because of that, I’m able to market very effectively, to speak in a language that they understand, and am able to reach them.” 

“I believe that it’s really important that you know exactly who your customer or your client is, and you target them, and you resist the temptation to make your marketing too generic to try and reach everyone,” she explained.

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“If you speak specifically to your target clients, you will reach them, and I believe that’s the way that you’re going to be more successful.

Watch the video for more of Sandra Parker’s biggest lessons.

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Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement

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Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement

Instagram’s testing out some new options to help spice up your live-streams in the app, with some live broadcasters now able to select a game that they can play with viewers in-stream.

As you can see in these example screens, posted by Ahmed Ghanem, some creators now have the option to play either “This or That”, a question and answer prompt that you can share with your viewers, or “Trivia”, to generate more engagement within your IG live-streams.

That could be a simple way to spark more conversation and interaction, which could then lead into further engagement opportunities from your live audience.

Meta’s been exploring more ways to make live-streaming a bigger consideration for IG creators, with a view to live-streams potentially catching on with more users.

That includes the gradual expansion of its “Stars” live-stream donation program, giving more creators in more regions a means to accept donations from live-stream viewers, while back in December, Instagram also added some new options to make it easier to go live using third-party tools via desktop PCs.

Live streaming has been a major shift in China, where shopping live-streams, in particular, have led to massive opportunities for streaming platforms. They haven’t caught on in the same way in Western regions, but as TikTok and YouTube look to push live-stream adoption, there is still a chance that they will become a much bigger element in future.

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Which is why IG is also trying to stay in touch, and add more ways for its creators to engage via streams. Live-stream games is another element within this, which could make this a better community-building, and potentially sales-driving option.

We’ve asked Instagram for more information on this test, and we’ll update this post if/when we hear back.

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