Browse, Read, Shop, Share: Social Commerce And How To Tap It

Abstract

A shift in online shopping is underway as consumers increasingly browse and buy through social media: A phenomenon called social commerce. This presents a challenge for e-marketers, as consumer participation in social commerce is voluntary, with more choice regarding if, when, and how they engage. With this greater autonomy comes a tougher business issue: How to motivate consumers to participate in social commerce, and how to shape their purchase decisions and post-purchase behaviors. To help meet this challenge, we highlight a recent study by Xiaolin Lin and Xuequnin Wang that reveals two levers for increasing the effectiveness of social commerce.1 First, in the lead up to the sale, businesses need to develop a social media environment where consumers find it easy to seek information related to the product or service. Second, after the sale, businesses should make it easy for consumers to share information with other consumers. To help enhance both levers, we present the REACH framework and illustrate with examples, as well as implementation details