Written by Fernando Maciá
Índice
As you may already know, the social network Facebook has accustomed us to constant changes and updates, and this is to be welcomed! One of their latest innovations implemented was, among many others, the inclusion of “calls to action” through their Facebook pages, to incite a certain behavior in the user that would lead to a new conversion.
Some time ago it announced a new feature, one of the most talked-about of the great social giant: the possibility of integrating an online store within Facebook pages. The union between Social Commerce and E-commerce resulted in a new business model in the market, F-commerce. Have you ever heard of it? This term refers to e-commerce within the social network.
With this application you will be able to display your e-commerce products on your Facebook page. The user will be able to access the catalog of articles and if any of them interests him, he will click on it. They will be automatically redirected to your online store, where they will have to finalize the purchase.
Main advantages of F-commerce
Mark Zuckerberg’s large social network continues to innovate to offer a service adapted to the user and oriented to current consumer trends. This new Facebook venture generated a lot of comments at the time. While some thought it was a good option to reach the end consumer, due to its speed and immediacy, others saw this social network as a mere entertainment tool in which users do not spend their time shopping. But the truth is that it offers many advantages:
Reach a wider audience
It is really essential to outline and implement a social media strategy that has as one of its main objectives the creation of content, whether through video, images or text. If what our brand says is interesting, users will share the content, spread it and comment on it. In this way the chances of the content going viral will increase and with it the chances that someone will end up clicking on our online store.
The purchase process is facilitated
With e-commerce on Facebook we will make the user’s job easier. If he is interested in the products you sell in your online store, he will take a look at your catalog and if any of them convince him, he will click on the “buy” button and purchase the product. The purchase process is simplified to make it easier for the user, thus increasing the conversion rate.
Brand image
Being in a social network where there are so many users, you have a greater chance that your store and your products will be known. If you don’t neglect your social media strategy and work on it every day, chances are that people will end up recognizing your brand and talking about it. Don’t forget that Facebook is the social network where we spend the most time, whether sharing, generating or consuming content. Take advantage of it!
Easy to use
The service provided by the social network is very easy to use. You can insert your online store through an application or through an e-commerce platform. We don’t need to be computer experts to understand how it works. Moreover, its implementation does not entail a complex process, anyone with average knowledge on the subject will be able to make use of this service on their Facebook page.
Provides confidence
Facebook is a widely used social network with millions of users. Their high degree of recognition and global reach generate trust in the public that will be transmitted, indirectly, to your products. This will make it easier for you to sell your items and therefore achieve a higher number of purchases and conversions.
Types of F-Commerce
We can differentiate between two types of F-Commerce. Depending on your marketing strategy and the objectives you want to achieve, you will have to choose one way or another.
1. Initiate the purchase from Facebook and complete it on the brand’s website.
If you want to use the social network as another way to attract people to your website, this F-Commerce model is ideal for you. Users will start the purchase on Facebook, moved by the interest in one of your products, and will finish it on the website of your online store.
2. Initiate and complete the purchase from the Facebook page.
If you still want to make it easier for customers, you’ll love this type of e-commerce on Facebook. The user will initiate and complete the purchase without the need to leave the Facebook page.
The rise of Social Commerce
F-commerce is born from the combination of e-commerce and Facebook. This fusion of concepts gives rise to the new Social Commerce, but what is it really? Social Commerce is a business model that allows purchases to be made through different social networks. Many companies choose to offer this type of service. Online stores have seen a greater possibility of sales, being able to reach the end user more easily. Why? Because now it will no longer be necessary for them to enter the web to get to know your products. The user will be able to consult the offer of available items from the brand’s Facebook page without having to navigate to the website and, consequently, waste the time that all this entails.
Today’s consumer: the age of impatience
Changes are always good and you must know how to adapt. New trends, related to the way users consume and published by recent studies, denote a clear need for immediacy. We are in an era of impatience in which our capacity to wait is decreasing. Work, family and leisure keep today’s users fully occupied, and on that train ride from home to work, they don’t want to beat around the bush when it comes to making a purchase. These are more demanding users who like to be made easy.
Other examples of Social Commerce
Other social networks have not wanted to be left behind. In September last year, Twitter introduced a new feature in its tweets: the option to include the “buy now” button. This allows brands to allow their users to make purchases from Twitter without leaving Twitter. The purchase initiation and completion process would take place within the social network.
As you can see, we are all adapting to the changes. And you, what are you waiting for?
