SAN DIEGO—ECPs, take note: Many social media platforms are introducing “Buy” buttons on their feeds, to make purchasing a product, such as a pair of sunglasses, a snap. Could “social retail” be the future of e-commerce?
Social media giants such as Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and others certainly hope so and their business service pages, linked here, explain what they’re doing and testing as of now. But they will need to address several unknown factors before they can say with certainty that the future of social media commerce looks bright.
Potential Advantages
One of the biggest potential advantages of having Buy buttons on social media is that they urge users to complete a purchase immediately, with just a push of a button. This decreases the amount of time that users have to second-guess a purchase decision, increasing the likelihood that they will stick to their initial impulse and buy the offered product. By combining ease with influence, social media Buy buttons have the potential to change the landscape of e-commerce.
Potential Disadvantages
However, there are also several potential disadvantages of social Buy buttons. One of the main potential drawbacks is that social media users are interested in being social and are not necessarily interested in shopping on these platforms. They may use social media to discover and browse new products, but, as of now, most are not usually ready to hand over their credit card number at this point.
Social media users may even get turned off by the aggressive “buy-now” mentality that Buy buttons provide. In regard to Pinterest users in particular, Re/code reporter Jason Del Rey cautions, “Push them too aggressively and in contexts that don’t make sense and the Pinterest faithful may revolt.”
Nonetheless, social media offer a wide, untapped retail space— one that social commerce proponents are unlikely to abandon. Facebook has unmatched access to user information, data which allows the social media giant to specifically target retail posts to the ideal demographic, and it will not likely pass up this revenue-driving opportunity.
The X Factor(s)
Aside from the potential advantages and disadvantages of social commerce, there are several X factors that social media companies have to address before social retail becomes a widespread, bona fide reality, according to industry experts. For instance, social media companies must determine how to catalogue retailers’ inventory and sync up with their order management and payment processes.
What This Means for You
Once the social media giants are able to iron out the kinks in the social commerce system, service providers such as optometrists, ophthalmologists and opticians will be able take advantage of this highly influential space.
As of now, and as they monitor and learn more about the social commerce evolution, many health care professionals should consider the possibility of “Book an Appointment” buttons on social networks.
Cassandra Ransom is content and social media manager for iMatrix, a leader in vision care website solutions. For more information about how social media in general or iMatrix in particular can help ECPs attract new patients, please visit http://offers.imatrix.com/click-readers-reach-more-patients.html.