The pandemic has been a turning point for digitization in the Maldives, there is little to no doubt about that. In the last year itself we have seen several digital commerce platforms come out overnight as lockdown measures forced businesses to go digital or die. The website launches and social media strategies that have been in the back burner have suddenly become priority one.
Maldivians are no strangers to the digital world of shopping. According to World Bank, 63% of population used internet in 2019 which is very high in comparison with rest of our South Asian friends or even global peers, and that amount will definitely have increased in the past 2 years as evident by going on any road and seeing everyone on their phones. So, as more of the population is forced to try digital platforms, what can small and medium businesses learn from social commerce?
What is social Commerce?
According to ProductsUp, Social Commerce is selling items direcly on social media, facilitating customers to discover, search, and buy without leaving social networks. Instagram, Facebook and now even TikTok is including shopping options directly on the website and while some of these features are not available in this region, Maldivian SME's are finding ways to bypass that and directly sell on these sites.
5 Things to Know about Social Commerce
1. Who are you selling to?
Every platform is different and the types of cutsomers you have and how you sell should be customized to each platform. Sending the same graphics on all social media doesn't quite reach who you want to. TikTok is the app of GenZ and Facebook is still relevant (despite the popular narrative that it's for old people, the numbers show that facebook referrals still are key in getting traffic to your site) and Instagram stories are gaining more engagement than most other platforms. So, figure out who you want to target in each network and build you strategy.
2. How to Build a Social Commerce Strategy
Selling on platforms require close understanding of how the platform works and a clear call to action to let your customers know what they should do next.
On Tiktok, "5 things you should buy on Amazon" is popular for a reason, people love seeing unboxings and products in action. Linktree is widely used in platforms like Instragram and TikTok because they don't allow posting clickable links on posts so call to action to "link to buy in bio" works well.
Facebook is great to organize by type or category as the albums feature can easily be used to show a catalog of work. You can also easily use the integrated Shop option to show prices and create a small shop inside of your Facebook page.
Instagram favors stories more than posts but posts are how you can showcase your products. Use the DM feature well to build a deeper connection with your customers. Aesthetic product shots are what people are drawn to on Insta.
3. Engaging with Customers through Social Commerce
Social commerce isn't just about selling because social media at it's heart is about connection and conversations. It's personal. It's relationships. Brands have been developing social media personalities for years now, Wendy's and Dbrand being classic examples of how iconic it can become. In Maldives, we see brands that are showing their personality go far. Small businesses showcase their reviews, they help each other and most importantly there is a distinct way they engage with customers.
On Instagram, Endheri Atrisan, a local jewelry creator uses Close Friends feature to share some of her custom creations, ask for feedback, and to connect with customers who have previously purchased from her. A great way to use a feature innovatively to maintain a close relationship while making her customers feel special!
More Instagram story ideas are to utilize polls and question feature to get more engagement and feedback.
4. What to post?
Focus has to go towards curating a great shopping experience for the customers. Your page is not just for sales, but also to market your products and to showcase your values.
On Instagram, people are looking for products photos that catch their eye. Show product in use in a local context. Try a 70-30 strategy of 70% push to sales posts and 30% reviews, and other content. Remember to use Instagram stories to give your posts a boost and to include your price in the post (you drive a lot of customers away by using "DM for price")
Facebook can be better for scrolling through lots of product photos as album feature truly makes it easier for customers to find what they're looking for. To help customers navigate your page easily, use good captions and call to action to let them know what to do next.
TikTok is perfect to show a bit more of your brand personality. The short video format is helpful to create engaging content of the person behind the brand. Show the behind-the-scenes work of creation, or "5 ways to use a product" type videos to keep customer attention towards the product. Be funny, because TikTok isn't about the video quality, it's about the content and how you can keep the customer from scrolling to the next video!
With Facebook, posting a lot together makes sense in albums, but with special offers and other information, having a fixed schedule of 1-2 post per day or 5 posts per week (depending ofcourse on the type of product you sell) can help customers come back to your page to check on new products or offers again and again.
On Instagram, a schedule works well too but try not to spam customers. Using a one post per day system is easy to maintain and you can incorpoate current trends into your posts. Stories fucntion is more interactive and can be used daily to not just give a boost to your posts but to show reviews and engage with customers who tag your brand! (and encourage people to tag you by reposting their tagged stories with witty replies/gifs)
TikTok is one where it's hard to search for posts and perhaps the algorithm with the most fluctuations. Consistent posting is rewarded by TikTok by continiously boosting your posts to For You Page (fyp) and getting interaction via comments and likes also increases the likelihood of more people seeing it. Cross posting your TikToks on Instagram and Facebook can be a great way to get your customers on both apps to see your content in a new way!
Social Commerce is not just limited to these three apps, there is a ton more ways and networks you can sell on from Twitter, Pinterest, Whatsapp, Telegram, to even LinkedIn! As an SME however, your time and resources are limited so choose which apps to focus content on rather than keeping a toe in every water (you only have two toes anyway!).
