Could 2016 be the year for social commerce?

Social commerce isn’t a new phenomenon by any means, however the way social commerce is developing means that it has gone beyond a simple idea into a real form of commerce, seeing the introduction of ‘buy buttons’ across a range of social networks and social media ads. 

Long gone are the days of simply using social media for updating people about your meal or about your cat, user habits have changed, adverts are smarter and social media now has much more power over people’s buying decisions. Could it be that the future of ecommerce is actually in social media?

Social commerce has been growing steadily for a number of years, however has hit many bumps in the road on the way to recognition. Commonly social media is used for two things, the consumption of media such as videos and photos or to speak with other people. It’s unlikely that users will log onto the likes of Facebook in order to purchase a product, but it is likely that they will be influenced to buy or be referred to a website through social media platforms. 

How is social commerce working?

Through upping the amount of ads featured on social media platforms as well as the creation of more engaging ads, it’s encouraging users to either buy a product through the ad or encouraging them to go to the company website to purchase a product.

The subtle introduction of buy buttons across social media platforms are something that aren’t going to make a huge impact in the user experience, however is a great way for businesses to  encourage conversions in a fresh way.

Whilst social commerce might not reach it’s peak this year, it’s safe to say that 2016 is a significant year for social commerce and if it’s anything to go by, 2017 will be even bigger still. With even more companies using social commerce and more social media platforms offering commerce options, it makes sense that the coming years for social commerce are going to be huge.