Social Media E-Commerce Creates New Opportunities in Digital Marketing

While scrolling through Instagram or TikTok, today’s consumers expect to be able to click on a product they like and easily make a purchase, all without leaving the social platform.

Social commerce trends are transforming the way people shop and, as such, create a golden opportunity for advertisers. Consumers are overwhelmingly turning to social media for product recommendations from sources they trust, whether that be friends, family, or influencers. With 302.35 million social media users in the U.S. (90% of the population), this means there is ample opportunity for advertisers to engage with these shopping-centric mindsets.

While it may seem like shoppable ads within social media are a trendy, creative format for marketers to use, it’s actually more important and requires a much more thoughtful strategy to embrace tools like this. Shoppers expect a seamless brand experience across all channels, and 80% rate their shopping experience as equally important as the products they buy. That said, consistency does not equate to frequency. In fact, customers get turned off if they keep seeing the same ad over and over. According to Deloitte, eight out of 10 customers already believe they receive too many repetitive ads.

The lesson for advertisers? Take a thoughtful, omnichannel approach to ensure consumers aren’t associating your brand with a negative or intrusive experience. For example, if your ad features a product (e.g. a pair of shoes the consumer previously viewed), the product should be in stock and available to purchase should the user click through the ad.

Shoppable Ads Are the Key to Successful Social Media E-Commerce

Social media advertising is an extremely valuable tool for brands to engage further with their audience while also exploring new areas for growth. While the majority of consumers are on tried-and-true platforms like Facebook and Instagram, new platforms or ad opportunities continue to enter the market, creating unique opportunities to engage with new consumers in different ways.

Shoppable ads within social platforms are the perfect example of a relatively new feature that brands can implement into their marketing strategies to drive conversions, thus increasing their ROI. Instagram and Facebook provide the most opportunities to run shoppable ads. However, platforms like Tiktok, Pinterest, and Snapchat are adopting more of these innovative features as well.

Understanding the intricacies of each platform and ad unit is essential to ensure you’re properly implementing targeted, worthwhile ads that drive action among consumers. Below we’ve outlined four of the most common e-commerce social media marketing ad types and when they might be appropriate for your brand.

1. Image Ad

Static image shoppable ads feature an image of your product and provide a link that will take the consumer to your website, ideally directly to a landing page to purchase the respective product featured. This type of in-feed format has the look and feel of a regular post but includes additional information about your product.

On Instagram, the shoppable image will live within your profile but will also be featured on the explore page, creating more opportunities for consumers to come across your ad when they use the search feature.

2. Carousel Ad

As an extension to an image ad, the carousel format allows you to choose up to 10 images to include in one post, exposing your audience to multiple products. This type of ad provides an excellent opportunity for advertisers to tell a deeper story, showcase multiple offerings, or provide insights for your audience.

A quick tip: Keep images cohesive and engaging to ensure relevancy among consumers.

3. Collections Ad

The in-feed ad often includes a header image or video, followed by additional products for consumers to view. Once the consumer clicks on your ad, they’re taken to your digital storefront and can explore new products. While this ad format causes little disruption to the consumer scrolling through social media, it still provides opportunities to reach your audiences at all stages of the buying journey with different messaging and product highlights.

These types of ads are available on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.

4. Shoppable Video Ad

An increasing percentage of consumers cite a connection between watching a video on social media and their purchasing decision. As such, video ads are extremely valuable in your e-commerce social media marketing posts while also helping increase overall brand engagement.

Make your video ads as interactive as possible by including a shoppable link directing consumers to browse the relevant products. Shoppable video ads are available on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok.

Now Is the Time to Get Started With Shoppable Ads

With shoppable ads, the customer journey becomes simplified; consumers see something that interests them, they click it, and they buy it. This streamlined experience helps increase sales, brand awareness, and overall ROI. As more consumers flock to social platforms to discover and ultimately purchase products, take the chance to engage with them and point them to your digital storefront.

Need help launching your e-commerce social media marketing strategy? Contact us today to see how we can help your brand develop a social media marketing strategy that meets your specific goals.