Utilizing Social Networks to Improve Success Metrics in Social E-Commerce

Abstract

Social e-commerce highlights the current trend of companies strategically using a multi-platform approach for their marketing plans and selling needs. This approach often consists of a company utilizing one or more social networks, along with a social e-commerce, to create an online community around their products. However, there is limited holistic research on how companies use social networks to maximize their branding and marketing efforts. This study theorizes the strategic social network actions of a social e-commerce platform. We collected data from a random sample of 1,458 social e-commerce users and their chosen social networks, including Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and X (formerly known as Twitter). This unique data set and analysis assessed the impact of social network marketing from firms across a wide variety of industries and platforms. The study provides empirical evidence on follower growth and sales and identifies impactful marketing strategies in a multi-platform web environment.