The evolution of social eCommerce and the latest news

After a tumultuous year during the pandemic, 2021 saw global economies slowly pick back up, but with a vastly different business landscape in almost every sector. There was a massive uptake in eCommerce resulting in a paradigm shift. People felt safer shopping from the confines of their homes and soon many realized that it saves time, effort, and even money.

Nowadays, social media and eCommerce are becoming more and more embedded in consumers’ lives, and the opportunities for them to interact and reinforce each other are countless. If we reflect on the fact that a single individual spends about one hour and 40 minutes a day browsing social media, it can easily be deduced that the number of possible buyers is increasing exponentially from day to day. Right now Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, and TikTok are focusing on more direct in-stream shopping options, helping users find and purchase products without ever leaving their apps. According to The Influencer Marketing Factory’s latest research of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers, 57 percent of them made a purchase during a live stream.

Social e-commerce is estimated to reach $1.2 trillion in the global market by 2025, accounting for 16.7 percent of total eCommerce spending. According to Accenture, this is the future of digital shopping.

How can we succeed in breaking through to the core of consumers? The first step is without a doubt the production of outstanding content that stands out in a highly competitive online landscape. This is a direct connection that will be able to help potential customers to readily discover information they seek to guide their purchasing decisions.

Here is a list of the 5 trends to watch out for in 2022:

• 5G will enable XR experiences on devices: indeed, we are seeing more and more integrations in the 5G package so as to engage and build user loyalty.
• Digital Avatars: the presence of a digital alter ego also takes hold in our country, populating different applications, often those related to the educational system.
• Micro-Influencers will help brands increase reach: the small number of followers and the specific area of interest of micro-influencers generates a sense of trust in the user that converts into an excellent engagement rate.
• User-Generated-Contents are still an essential marketing strategy: in fact, UGCs continue to generate value for promoted products/services, consistently leaving the user satisfied, enjoying content created by a fellow user, thereby producing engagement.
• AI, ML, and AR in Social Commerce: artificial intelligence, machine learning, and augmented reality slot in as great new technologies for the shopping experience.