Where do shoppers buy their food? The supermarket is the obvious answer.
But it’s not the only one. Our recent fmcg report revealed 32% of people have purchased food via social media: a statistic that doubles among millennials (67%). It’s a wake-up call for brands neglecting social media and the opportunities for social commerce.
Next logical step
Direct social purchasing was always going to be the next logical next step in online shopping. And as with all online purchasing, the key is understanding your audience and building a strategy around them.
That will naturally lead you towards the creators, topics and products that are most suited to social commerce and your product.
Just creating random product pages won’t cut it. You must mould your offering: run some experiments on different creators or topics to see what works best.
Especially with younger generations, an influencer can resonate more than brand advertising. It’s this combination of ease and social proof that makes social purchasing popular, so ensuring you have the correct content partners is vital.
By continually using community responses to update your content, you can create a powerful, sustainable and profitable brand.
No immediate returns
There are some words of caution. First, the weekly shop isn’t going anywhere. What sells directly on social for now is more impulse, convenience-led products (think Dubai chocolate) rather than a bag of apples.
But as customers spend more time online, they’ll increasingly want the whole experience to be in one place. And if an app allows them to go from discovery to purchase, they’ll use that as opposed to opening a separate app or walking to the shop.
Second, brands shouldn’t expect strong returns immediately. Direct social purchasing won’t be the highest margin channel. Not everyone watching a content creator share a product will purchase immediately. They might buy it next time they shop in-person.
What’s important is that they’ve been exposed to the brand. Socials are a great channel to build affinity with specific products and engrain them in a shopper’s repertoire.
Take Liquid IV and its Popsicle product. Initially launched on TikTok Shop, using creators to build hype, it’s now expanded to supermarkets.
That’s the way to approach direct social purchasing: a community-driven strategy that utilises creators to build brand awareness without stressing a direct sales perspective.
Direct social purchasing is here to stay. And while we may never buy our entire weekly shop via social, it will entice new audiences, who otherwise maybe hard to reach, to trial your product.
Fmcg that centres on trends and indulgences will thrive on platforms where inspiration and instant gratification collide.
Ian Colvin, chief strategy officer, Greenpark
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