Stephanie Pandolph

Social media is becoming increasingly influential in shoppers' purchasing decisions. In fact, the top 500 retailers earned an estimated $6.5 billion from social shopping in 2017, up 24% from 2016, according to BI Intelligence estimates.

In addition to influencing purchase decisions, social media is a large part of the product discovery and research phase of the shopping journey. And with more and more retailers offering quick access to their sites via social media pages, and shoppable content becoming more popular, it's likely that social media will play an even larger role in e-commerce.

In this report, BI Intelligence examines the advantages and disadvantages of each platform, and reviews case studies of successful campaigns that helped boost conversion and increase brand awareness. Additionally, we explore how retailers can bring social aspects into their own sites and apps to capitalize on consumers' desire for social shopping experiences.

Here are some key takeaways from the report:

<ul><li> Social media is becoming more influential in all aspects of the purchasing journey. </li><li> Facebook is the clear winner in social commerce, with its huge user base and wide-ranging demographics. </li><li> However, retailers should have a presence on every platform their target market is on. Each platform will require a different strategy for retailers to resonate with its users. </li><li> Retailers can also benefit from bringing social aspects in-house. They can do this by building their own in-house social networks, or by embedding social media posts into their sites. </li></ul>

In full, the report:

<ul><li> Provides an overview ofthe top social media platforms — Facebook, YouTube, Instagram — that retailers should be using, the demographics of each platform, as well as their individual advantages and disadvantages. </li><li> Reviews tools recently developed by these platforms that help retailers create engaging content. </li><li> Outlines case studies and specific strategies to use on each platform. </li><li> Examines how retailers like Sephora, Amazon, and Poshmark are capitalizing on consumers' affinity for social shopping by creating their own in-house social networks. </li></ul>

Interested in getting the full report? Here are twoways to access it:

<ol><li> Subscribe to an All-Access pass to BI Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report and over 100 other expertly researched reports. As an added bonus, you'll also gain access to all future reports and daily newsletters to ensureyou stay ahead of the curve and benefit personally and professionally. &amp;gt;&amp;gt; <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/bi-intelligence-e-commerce-research-bundle?IR=T&amp;utm_source=businessinsider&amp;utm_medium=report_teaser&amp;utm_term=report_teaser_subscription_text_link_social-commerce-report-2018-1&amp;utm_content=subscription_report_teaser_text_link_3&amp;utm_campaign=report_teaser_subscription_link&amp;vertical=ecommerce?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">Learn MoreNow</a> </li><li> Purchase &amp; download the full report fromour research store. &amp;gt;&amp;gt; </li></ol>

<ul><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-changes-to-compete-with-amazon-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">Amazon and Walmart have been battling for retail dominance for 15 years — and there’s no end in sight</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-renames-thanksgiving-weekend-turkey-5-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">Amazon's emphasis on 'the Turkey 5' reveals Black Friday and Cyber Monday as we know them are dying</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-cyber-monday-best-sellers-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">Amazon reveals the best-selling items that it says helped Cyber Monday become its biggest shopping day in history</a> </li></ul>

This is a preview of a research report from BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service. To learn more about BI Intelligence, <a id="a2357b75-32e8-3560-afda-de01b0e19b2b" href="http://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/bi-intelligence-e-commerce-research-bundle?IR=T&amp;utm_source=businessinsider&amp;utm_medium=report_teaser&amp;utm_term=report_teaser_subscription_text_link_ai-ecommerce-report-2017-8&amp;utm_content=subscription_report_teaser_text_link&amp;utm_campaign=repo...

THE SOCIAL COMMERCE REPORT: How Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, and other popular apps are upending the e-commerce space (FB, GOOG, GOOGL)

Politics

Local

Filla

World

News

Football

Ghana Premier League

Black Stars

Sports

Celebrities

Music

Movies

Entertainment

Fashion

Beauty & Health

Relationships & Weddings

Food & Travel

Lifestyle

Domestic

International 

Business

Explore categories

Checkout our authors for the latest content across entertainment, sports, business and more. Be first to receive exclusive updates with your free subscription straight to your phone | Pulse Ghana

Authors | Pulse Ghana

| Pulse Ghana

Read the latest news across entertainment, sports, business and more. Be first to receive exclusive updates with your free subscription straight to your phone | Pulse Ghana

Breaking News & Top Stories | Pulse Ghana

Pulse Ghana is the most followed news and entertainment platform, informing and engaging young Ghanaians round the clock, providing updates by the hour.

Pulse Ghana

Search for the latest content across entertainment, sports, business and more. Be first to receive exclusive updates with your free subscription straight to your phone | Pulse Ghana

Search Results | Pulse Ghana

Watch the latest videos across entertainment, sports, business and more. Be first to receive exclusive updates with your free subscription straight to your phone | Pulse Ghana

Stephanie Pandolph

Articles written by the author

THE SOCIAL COMMERCE REPORT: How Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, and other popular apps are upending the e-commerce space (FB, GOOG, GOOGL)