I was recently reading an article about how to operationalize - what a word - strategy on social media, in which a hospitality expert describes the mechanics of tracking investment on social media.
From what has been read, the most interesting thing is to know that according to recent studies, approximately 75% of consumers - online - look for references on social media before proceeding to make a purchase.
That is likely, mainly due to the amount of scams and poor service that swarm all over the Internet. To be honest, it is an old habit for me to search if this or that company is reported for bad service, or if the product in which I am interested has a good or bad reputation.
And that's where Facebook can make the difference between a good or a bad reputation.
Facebook goes beyond sharing entertainment
In fact, every day it is more noticeable that Facebook is establishing itself as a fairly effective communication channel. While it is true that most Facebook users are there in search of entertainment, it is also true that not only photos and videos can be shared. Daily experiences are also shared and acquiring services or goods through the Internet is part of the daily life of millions of people; many of them proactive Facebook users.
Who who has been scammed or received poor quality service would not be willing to shout it from the rooftops - the four winds of Facebook? Probably few people would resist the temptation, and it is certain that in the future as Facebook users realize the potential for influence that the tool provides, it will be more frequent to find recommendations - positive and negative - for or against. more and more products.
How useful is Facebook for companies?
The same that the telephone could have offered when it appeared in the mass market, or the one that e-mail had at the time. With the difference that on Facebook the contact is "face to face" - virtually speaking.
It is not only about acquiring social ads, although making an analogy with the Google search engine, it is like passing the slavery of SERPs through Adsense. But - and unlike Google - Facebook's advantages are not limited by position.
Facebook allows to take advantage of the contact "consumer to consumer", C2C, and the new business models that have been implemented are based on this e-commerce paradigm.
Underlying the basic principle that makes Facebook an effective marketing channel: the direct dissemination of information between people (friends). And it is exactly that intimate contact when sharing information that should be used by companies. The reason? It's very simple.
Invests in Social Media to Place the Product in a Credibility Framework in the Eyes of the Consumer
Fifteen years ago selling a product was relatively straightforward by comparison. The propaganda in the traditional media was effective and it was simple to calculate the return on investment of an advertising campaign. Advertisers often exaggerated the benefits of the product, but for many people it was almost impossible to tell the difference.
Today, and with the amount of information available, the public is much more critical and better informed than it was fifteen years ago. It is no longer so easy to say that the best product on the market is offered, because the potential buyer will be a few searches, clicks and links away from knowing if that is true or not.
That is why social media - eg; Facebook - provide an unmatched advantage in providing credibility to a product. It is very different for the consumer to see an ad that says that Juan Pérez testifies that the product is excellent, to see a writing on Iván Cadena's Facebook board that says he bought the product and did well. Much more if Iván Cadena is part of my contacts, or is a contact of one of mine.
Users can be encouraged to generate buzz of the products offered
Maybe - and I'm just saying maybe - it would be convenient for Ecommerce sites to facilitate that type of communication. How? Although I can think of several ways to facilitate and even encourage this type of communication flow.
For example, has anyone thought - taking advantage of Facebook's open APIs - to include a widget or plugin that allows the consumer to write a review of the product and / or service and send it as a message to the profile?