Why Online Retailers Must Be On Facebook

Appealing data in the ForeSee Results 2010 Social Media Report. Some of the important findings in the study, which looked at nearly 10,000 visitors to the leading e-retail websites in the United States, comprise:

• 56% of shoppers to top e-retail websites who interrelate with social media websites have nominated to “friend” or “follow” or “subscribe” to a retailer on social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. This is a remarkable testament to customer faithfulness and interest in social engagement. Shoppers are in fact selecting to connect in relationships with retailers on social sites.
• Facebook is, definitely, the most excellent place to reach shoppers. Over half of everyone who shops online uses Facebook, and of those online shoppers who engage in social media, over 80% use Facebook. However, an unauthorized look at the Facebook pages of the Top 100 online retailers states that one-quarter do not have any formal Facebook presence. In other words, half of the top online retailers have a minimal to nonexistent Facebook presence.
• Customers primarily interact with retailers on social media sites in turn to learn about products and promotions—only 5% use social media mainly for customer support—a marketer’s dream come true. Consumers want companies’ information, sales and specials; retailers just have to study how to give it to them efficiently.

Facebook Effect

In terms of pure usage, over half of all online shoppers recurrent Facebook. Facebook’s dominance is even more clear when you look just at shoppers who visit social sites frequently. Among online shoppers who link to social media, more than 80% are using Facebook.

SHOPPERS WHO USE SOCIAL SITES
Which of the following websites do you use consistently?

• Facebook  81%
• YouTube  31%
• MySpace  22%
• Twitter  16%
• LinkedIn  12%
• Flickr  7%
• Other social website (please specify):  3%
• Yelp  2%

Give the People What They Need

49% of respondents who “friend” or “follow” companies through social media do so to study about special deals and options. Close behind, 45% of users do it to study about products. Only 5% use social media chiefly for customer support. This should be precisely what marketers want to hear: they need our information, sales, and specials.

What is the foremost reason you interact with this company through social media sites? 

• Learn about sales / special offers  49%
• Learn about products  45%
• Get customer support  5%
• Other reason (please specify):  1%

Actionable Items

If you are an online retailer and you don’t have a Facebook page then get one! Confirm you have someone to watch it and post good, well-timed information. Promote it to your most loyal customers through your recurring communications venues (emails, ads, stores, coupons, etc.). Make use of your Facebook page to post promotions and product information.

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