E-commerce is a term used to describe marketing strategies that utilize social platforms to drive sales (social media meets online shopping!). There is a wide range of shopping and selling types that can be broken down into seven main categories:
1. Peer-to-Peer (eBay, Etsy, Amazon)
Community-based platforms where individuals communicate and buy/sell directly to other individuals
2. Social Network (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest)
Sales are driven by referrals or “shops” on the major social media sites
3. Group Buying (Groupon, Living Social)
Products and services offered at a reduced rate for a certain period of time
4. Peer Recommendations (Yelp)
Sites that supply service reviews based off of individuals’ experiences
5. User-curated Shopping (The Fancy, Lyst, Svpply)
Shopping-based websites where users create and share lists for others to shop from
6. Participatory Commerce (Threadless, Kickstarter)
Consumers become directly involved in the production process of products through voting, funding, and collaborating on design.
7. Social Shopping (Motilo, Fashism)
Sites that include chat and forum features to replicate shopping with friends
Since social commerce is still in its beginning stages, there are plenty of opportunities for companies to utilize this new trend and build their business.
For social media marketing, and all other full-service, integrated marketing services, contact Sagefrog Marketing Group at sagefrog.com or call 215-230-9024.
