Facebook Commerce and Shopping
December 16 2010 by Stephanie Ryska ~ 0 CommentsThere have been plenty of things going on with Facebook right now, from checking in to places, adding a new forms of messaging and creating new ways for people to connect with businesses. People are gravitating to its pull, and companies are taking notice by shifting their marketing efforts to Facebook.
Facebook accounts for 25% of all US pageviews, surpassing Google in page views. Now, add to the fact that people who are fans of your brand or product on Facebook are more likely to buy it. And multiply the fact that saving has become more popular then spending in American life.
That equation equals the emergence of Facebook commerce. F-commerce, is “the ability to execute transactions in Facebook without leaving the network or leveraging the open graph by integrating Facebook into traditional site-based e-commerce platforms,” according to Brian Solis from Fast Company. More companies are finding creative ways to sell their products without having customers leave their Facebook fan pages. See below for a few ways companies are taking advantage of Facebook commerce.
Gift Cards via Facebook
Companies like Starbucks, Burger King and Amazon.com have given fans the ability to buy a gift for a friend on Facebook and then post the link to it on their friend’s Facebook wall. Then the friend can click on the link that leads to a code for a gift item or a cash amount. “You have a change to take fans and followers and translate them to in-store and offline sales” Kimberly Maul, writer and analyst in the social media group at eMarketer.
Facebook Connect
Many website are giving people the option to log in and register through Facebook, and some sites have even added personalized content and sections that are based on you and your friends’ interests/likes. For example, Amazon.com added the ability to connect with Facebook giving it a change to suggest items that your friends like or recommendations based on your interests.
Facebook for Customization
Many companies are using Facebook pages for unique deals, products and campaigns. Nike’s latest campaign has brought customization of their new Kobe Byrant shoes to their NikeID Facebook page. You can customize everything from size to color all without leaving their page. Although it’s not fully up and running yet, it’s bound to have a large draw for existing followers of the page, and it should help create some new ones.
The Complete Shopping Experience
Some companies, like JCPenney, have created a full shopping experience within their Facebook fan page, enabling people to shop for and discover items and check out, without leaving Facebook. Delta Airlines, 1-800-Flowers and Procter & Gamble have also taken advantage of letting customers buy products via Facebook.
What do you think about Facebook commerce? Have you ever bought anything through a company’s Facebook page?
If you’re interested in getting help with your company’s Facebook page, contact us for more information.
Related posts:
