The role of social media has today exceeded the family or friendly circle, and extends in various fields, particularly that of the business. This development gives way to a new means of marketing, online sales . The place of social media in e-commerce is in this direction, of capital importance in view of the number of users constituting potential customers. social media issues for electronic commerce .
What is e-commerce?
The term e-commerce represents the different commercial transactions that take place remotely over
the Internet. It is also called e-commerce and online sales .
Exchanges are made through digital media: computers, tablets, smartphones, etc. With the evolution of e-commerce , correspondence sales has now become distance selling and tends more and more to M-commerce or mobile trade.
E-commerce represents an opportunity for retailers as it expands the customer base , adds a distribution channel, increases sales time, improves profit margins by reducing fixed costs, develops customer relationships, facilitates purchasing, etc. Indeed, e-commerce is particularly functional for consumers. They have access to more offers, more advantageous prices and, as a bonus, more time to learn about the product.
The role of social media in electronic commerce
Understanding the role of social media in e-commerce is to grasp its usefulness.
Create a community of consumers
With social media , it is possible to create a community . This fact makes it possible to unite and retain customers around the brand. Thus, social media strengthens the brand's credibility and consumer confidence in it.
Improve customer service
Social media facilitates the interaction between the brand and the consumer thanks to the instantaneity of the responses to customer requests, the viral effect of a publication, or the promotion of products with intelligent features. Social media thus makes it possible to facilitate communication between the seller and the consumer at any time.
Better understand customers
Billions of users themselves supply personal information with personal information. This makes these platforms, a relevant source of information on customers allowing to create a more personalized, more refined and therefore more efficient approach.
Convince consumers to buy
Social media has a strong influence on the customer's purchase decision. The content produced on these channels are more relevant and have more visibility thanks to its permanent connection with customers. Moreover, in 2017 , digital investments exceeded those made on television.
The importance of social media in e-commerce
Thus, social media represents a lever in its own right to develop an e-commerce activity. From 2017, 83 % of e-merchants choose these platforms for commercial purposes. In March 2017, 8 million companies had a professional account on the Instagram platform. In July, this figure increased to 15 million .
And towards the end of that same year, 25 million companies had an account on this photo and videos sharing platform. These figures reveal the growing interest that online trade companies have for social networks. This rapid development is explained by the high added value that these platforms represent for their activities.
The success of their online store does not actually depend only on the quality of the products sold, but also on the increase in traffic in their site. Social media is an excellent traffic vector and a way to deal with international competition by communicating with a large audience, because 48 % of the world's population uses social networks, or 3.7 billion people .
In addition, putting social at the center of the strategy, allows both access to precious data concerning consumers, to facilitate the purchasing process by facilitating access to the product, and to receive an increasingly connected target.
The figures are decisive: more than 2/3 of the French are registered on at least one of the social platforms and spend almost 1 h 30 per day ; 1/4 of Internet users claim to consult social networks to find information on a product or service before buying; 62 % of Internet users have already shared information on a product on media after having bought it, and 56 % of Internet users assure that publications of relatives influence their act of purchase. “social media” strategy is thus a real consumption relay.
Which platforms for which objectives?
E-commerce uses social networks for three major objectives: to know your brand, to disseminate your promotional offers and promote your customer relationship . However, it is important to emphasize that media does not disseminate the same message. In this case, it is necessary to determine the target upstream, as well as the message you want to convey. We will take an example on three large public social networks
It is the most used tool with 33 million active French users per month and 2.45 billion users worldwide . It allows companies to create and relay content (competitions very adapted to the viral mode of the Internet), to carry out surveys and advertisements, to program event activities (live, story, etc.), to communicate with their audience. It thus promotes: the development of brand awareness, the promotion of products, and the animation of the community.
It is a platform that requires a lot of availability, because it requires great responsiveness. It is mainly used to communicate during events or to provide technical support . It's an interesting platform, with 12 million monthly active French users and 145 million users worldwide. Twitter is banking on influencer notoriety. In this sense, it is more judicious for your brand to create a relationship with a blogger who will test your products initially, and who will then relay the products once he is convinced of them.
Focus on the “visual” , highlighting the images of the products. This platform is used by 17 million active French people per month, and by 1 billion people around the world. It is very appreciated, and even essential in the world of fashion, decoration, gastronomy, tourism, etc. In short, in areas where the visual aspect is essential. Thus, the applications most frequently used by brands are: putting catalogs online , disseminating photos taken in situations, and displaying technical descriptions.
Beyond simple animation tools, social media are real opportunities for online businesses and become real full-fledged sales platforms.
Social media: a revolutionary springboard to propel your electronic trade
1. Power Words for a maximized impact
- Sales explosion
- Winning strategy
- Dazzling success
- Add your turnover
- Boost your visibility
- Instant conversion
- Viral commitment
👉 Example of a catchy title:
“Increase your sales tenfold with these revolutionary social media strategies!”
2. Expert references and credible studies
Key studies and data
- Statista (2024) : “87% of buyers discover new products via social media.” (Link)
- McKinsey (2023) : “Social commerce will generate $2.9 trillion by 2025.” (Source)
- Hootsuite (2024) : *”Brands active on 3+ social platforms see their revenue grow by 35%.”* (Report)
Recognized experts
- Gary Vaynerchuk (CEO of VaynerMedia):
“Social media is the new global mall.” (Video) - Mari Smith (Facebook/Instagram Specialist):
“Direct engagement on social media reduces acquisition costs by 50%.” (LinkedIn post) - Neil Patel (Digital Marketing Expert):
“Video content on social media converts 5x more than banner ads.” (Blog)
3. Performative user testimonies
- E-commerce (Fashion) :
“Thanks to Instagram Lives, our sales have jumped 200% in 3 months!” — Emma L., Founder of Chic & Trendy (Trustpilot) - B2B (Software) :
“LinkedIn Ads generated 45% of our leads at a cost 3x lower than Google Ads.” — Thomas P., CMO @TechSolutions ( Case Study ) - Dropshipping :
“TikTok Shop allowed us to reach €1M in turnover in 6 months without stock.” — Mehdi R., Entrepreneur (Video Testimonial)
4. Box: Strategic segmentation of Social Commerce
| Segmentation type | Example of application | Queen platform |
|---|---|---|
| Demographic (Gen Z vs boomers) | Tiktok for young people, Facebook for the 50+ | Tiktok / Facebook |
| Behavioral (impulsive buyers vs reflected) | Instagram stories for emergency, Pinterest for inspiration | Instagram / Pinterest |
| Geographic (emerging markets vs mature) | WhatsApp Business in India, WeChat in China | Whatsapp / WeChat |
| Psychographic (green vs luxury) | Sustainable content vs premium unboxing | Linkedin / YouTube |
Explanatory scheme :
[Objective] → [Choice of platform] → [Format (video/story/post)] → [KPI (Sales, Commitment)]
5. Complete FAQ (10 questions/answers)
Q1: What social network is the most profitable for e-commerce?
→ Instagram and Tiktok dominate (70% of impulsive purchases), but LinkedIn excels in B2B (Source: HubSpot 2024).
Q2: How to sell directly on social media?
→ Use the Instagram/Facebook “Buy” buttons, TikTok Shop, or bio links with Linktree.
Q3: What advertising budget to provide?
→ *Between € 500 (beginner) and € 10,000/month (brand) - average king: € 4 for € 1 invested (meta 2024). *
Q4: Should you be present on all platforms?
→ *No: 2-3 well mastered networks> An ineffective presence everywhere. *
Q5: How to generate traffic to your site?
→ Publish Teasers with Clear CTA (+ Tools like Bitly to Tracker Les Clicks).
Q6: What contentors do the best convert?
→ *Short videos (tiktok), customer testimonies, and lives (commitment +35%). *
Q7: How to retain via networks?
→ Facebook private groups, VIP programs on WhatsApp, exclusive content.
Q8: What errors to avoid?
→ Neglect the responses to comments, too promotional posts, inconstancy.
Q9: How to measure the king?
→ Tools: Meta Business Suite, Google Analytics (social traffic), UTM Parameters.
Q10: Does social trade work for small budgets?
→ Yes! Focus on the organic (real, hashtags) and local micro-influencers.
