E-commerce, a term with which every marketer is familiar, has grown in gargantuan proportions over the years with millions of business using electronic sales, even if they are not primarily an online firm.
Facebook has grown beyond a social network for casual interaction between friends and families, with professional business pages and advertising tools for marketers now indispensable for companies across the world.
So what has come out of the rise of both? Facebook Commerce of course.
F-Commerce quite simply allows users to buy products on the very place they socialise. You may have already noticed Facemart, where ASOS pioneered Europe’s first online Facebook store. Delta Airlines even launched their own Facebook service ticket counter, which customers could use to book flights.
Facebook stores or f stores, allow shopping within Facebook, Facemart, for example.
Facebook Credits (FBC) act as the social network’s currency, which can be used to purchase games and apps. Warner Bros use the service to stream movies for purchase while almost half of ITV’s X-Factor voting was paid in FBC.
Companies have also used Facebook details. Which often pop up in the side bars of FB pages, to offer discounts and other deals on products and services – these can not only be paid for by FBC, but credit cards and Paypal as well.
All of these F-Commerce tools make an efficient and user-friendly means of transaction for both business and consumer, customising pages to any visitor’s profile, and merging social media and e-commerce to provide a social shopping platform.
It is interesting to know that according to ExactTarget, 58% of ‘like’ clickers expect exclusive content, events, discounts and other promotions for their support, whilst 37% expect nothing.
Of course, F-Commerce is a two-way system, and time is well spent in developing your online brand presence and establishing your company as friendly, human and trustworthy. So with over three-quarters of Facebook users having liked a brand, it is important to offer potential customers something in return for showing an interest.
If you would like any further advice or help with F-Commerce, or in any other aspect of marketing, why not call Thread today on 0207 226 0099, contact us to find out more or take a look at our work.