Social shopping’s talk sells: the power of conversation

Social shopping’s talk sells: the power of conversation

Consider this: it’s halftime in an exciting international soccer final. The entire globe has been hooked to their screens, watching and tweeting every move. Some fans, though, are talking about another highlight: the famous striker’s bright cleats.

On cue, the cleats’ brand begins a Twitter live stream, announcing a limited-edition sneaker in the same wild design—which consumers can purchase directly on Twitter. The sales event immediately tops the global sales charts, but not before the release is fully sold out. Oh, and there’s still another half of soccer to play.

This is how social shopping works. More specifically, how interaction plays a major part, which is why Twitter has carved out a distinct position in this next big wave of commerce.

A fantastic future with a primitive past.

Last year, two billion consumers made a transaction on social media. That equates to two-thirds of all social media users worldwide. Some forecast that the present $492 billion global social commerce sector will grow to $1.2 trillion by 2025.

While the future of social commerce is exciting, it is actually based on some of our most primitive human instincts. Survival depends on making the proper decisions, such as picking safe food or avoiding the most deadly predators, for the early tribal peoples. You absorb knowledge from your peers and then pass it on to others.

Even today, we can see that tendency at work in the way we shop. We require communication with others to make our decisions, no matter how informed and confident we are as buyers. Hearing someone else’s perspective, whether it’s a recommendation from your mother or a casual conversation with a stranger in a checkout line, helps us evaluate our decision, both intellectually and emotionally.

First, there were physical stores where customers could shop. Catalogs, mail orders, and finally, websites brought the point of purchase closer to the individual. Now, social platforms bring businesses and consumers even closer together, allowing businesses to pitch their wares where people congregate, with purchases taking place directly on platforms and brand sites.

On Twitter, though, we believe you should go even further. To us, selling where people are isn’t enough; you also need to sell where they’re talking. Conversation can assist people in meeting their intuitive desire for support and recognition where real-time word-of-mouth is taking place.

With 56 billion impressions on shopping-related Tweets in 2021.2, Twitter is uniquely positioned to take advantage of buyers’ inherent demand for reliable guidance. This is why we continue to build our lower-funnel and shopping solutions to leverage into these qualities that make Twitter, Twitter:

1. Conversation.

We believe that when people talk, incredible things happen. The Twitter conversation is public and open to anybody to view and participate in. It also provides shoppers with the outside perspective they crave.

1. Community.

People flock to Twitter to discuss topics that they are passionate about. And they spontaneously establish rich, vibrant communities that are supercharged versions of their “real world” counterparts. Consider #FinanceTwitter, #NBATwitter, #FashionTwitter, and others, each of which provides the sense of belonging and safety that customers require to make confident purchasing decisions.

1. Cultural significance.

People flock to Twitter to discuss what is going on in the world. This provides a common platform for brands and businesses to engage and initiate the discussions people need to make purchasing decisions.

Is it worthwhile? According to a recent survey on Twitter shopping behavior, 76% of participants claimed that talks about products on Twitter led to a purchase. So our inbuilt behaviors have found a home here.

For brands, the future of shopping begins now.

We’re enthused about social shopping, and as an industry, we’re just getting started. The ageless power of conversation will fuel the next generation of shopping innovation. So we’ll leave you with a few essential methods to capitalize on the buzz on Twitter and elsewhere:

Make an effort to be present. Have a presence when and where people are enthusiastic about something and discussing anything relating to what you’re selling. You want to be ready if the talk persuades them to buy.

Immerse yourself. Allow people to interact with your items in novel ways. That will start a conversation. Consider 3D spins, virtual replicas, and entering the metaverse.

Be quick to respond. Allow your engaged audience to shop and purchase at the moment. Organize a live shopping event. Make limited edition “drops” that produce an unforgettable moment. Show up when fans are tweeting while watching a sporting or entertainment event in real time.