With more than 4.7 billion social media users worldwide, there’s no denying that platform use is a huge part of the internet. Social media isn’t just a place to connect with friends– it’s the new website, portfolio, and most importantly for sellers; marketplace.
We’re now in an age of increasingly dominant social commerce. Not sure how to navigate this landscape? Not to worry! Below, we’ll deep dive into some of the most impactful social commerce trends for 2023.
What Is Social Commerce?
As the name suggests, social commerce is the act of using social media to sell products and services directly, rather than relying on a website for facilitating transactions, or even awareness of a product.
You no longer need to rely on hitting audience thresholds on platforms like Instagram or YouTube– instead, any seller can use Koji’s free templates to create your own, monetizable storefronts that close out sales anywhere on the internet.
What Is A Koji?
A Koji is a type of interactive media that can help you sell your products, downloads, services or premium content. To create a Koji, simply select a template and customize before sharing the unique URL on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, WhatsApp, or anywhere else!
6 Social Commerce Trends Every Seller Should Consider
Social shopping presents a new way of selling. Here are some key social commerce trends to take into consideration:
- The Age of Avatar
- Social Trust Is Vital
- Convenience Is Key
- Social Search Engines
- Continued Collaborations
- Differentiation Between Platforms
1. The Age of Avatar
Lensa’s AI avatar filter didn’t go viral by accident. According to Instagram’s 2023 trend report, 67% of Gen Z users want their digital avatars to reflect their own personalized clothing preferences and style.
When it comes to building digital products, think outside the box. Virtual fashion and extended avatars are only set to become more commonplace in 2023.
2.Social Trust Is Vital
According to a 2022 Accenture study, the biggest barrier consumers face with social shopping relates directly to trust: 1) A clear and easy refund policy and 2) Upfront information and support. Every seller needs to commit their time and energy to building trust amongst buyers by prioritizing customer service and support. Doing so can be costly, but your customers will always be the most important pillar to your business; so treat them that way.
3. Convenience Is Key
In 2022, PYMNTS conducted a survey that revealed that consumers overwhelmingly experienced the most friction when checking out over social media. Sellers will need to adjust their storefronts to meet their customer’s needs in and outside their favorite platforms.
Fortunately, any seller can set up shop using Koji templates, for free! Learn how to get started here.
4. Social Search Engines
Consumers aren’t just using social media for shopping and entertainment– TikTok, Instagram, and the likes of social media now act as large search engines. Even The Washington Post has begun creating TikToks, adapting their informative posts into bite-sized pieces that are easy to consume on the app. Sellers who adjust their content to provide context behind their products respective to each social platform will see an uptick in sales.
@washingtonpost California has also been experiencing devastating storms due to weather systems called atmospheric rivers, which have boosted California reservoir levels. But the largest reservoirs — Lake Shasta and Lake Oroville — remain less than half full and below averages.
♬ original sound – We are a newspaper.
5. Continued Collaboration
Influencers aren’t expensive as you may think, which makes them worthy collaborators for small businesses and brands. Sellers should continue to find influencers and creators within their respective spaces to amplify their message and find authentic, true fans.
6. Differentiation Between Platforms
With the Kardashians and over 300,000 petitioners demanding that Instagram stop its blatant attempt to copycat all of TikTok’s features, it’s clear that users big and small are tired of platforms incessantly ripping off one another.
Customers use different platforms for different reasons, which means sellers need to create content curtailed to the individual audiences on those platforms. This extra bit of effort makes a huge difference in connecting with your customers and closing out sales.
Social media is the biggest and brightest marketplace. Use these social commerce trends to inform your product and marketing strategy in 2023.
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