Will this Holiday Season Be Social?
It was just about a year ago we were watching and waiting to see what was going to happen with buy buttons on social platforms. Everyone from Facebook to Twitter was rolling them out to see how users would respond and if they would indeed be willing to purchase products that show up in their feeds.
Unfortunately for the social platforms, buy buttons just didn’t work out. They were too cumbersome and really didn’t fit into how people use the platforms. It’s very rare for a person to just make a purchase based off of something that displays in a content feed. It’s not the intent of the platform. Users aren’t in a commerce mindset and getting them to make that leap is difficult, if not impossible. They’re there to catch up with friends and the general conversation in the world.
Could That Change?
It’s certainly possible. Buy buttons failed, but social platforms have been learning, testing and trying new products.
Pinterest is perhaps the leader here with its Buyable Pins. It’s made some big updates this year to encourage retailers to make some of their products on the platform shoppable, a natural extension for how people are using the platform—discovery, inspiration and now, action. 55% of Pinterest users, more than any other social platform, use images they find there to shop for products.
The next big leader in shoppable social is Instagram, which just launched Shoppable Tags. Brands can tag products in Instagram photos. The tags contain price information and when tapped on take users to product pages where they can learn more and then tap through to make a purchase. It’s in the early stages, but it allows brands to tag up to five products in a single lifestyle post to inspire desire and convert to purchase. People go to Instagram to be inspired, and these tags bring them closer to purchase. Browsing products on Instagram has always been easy. Taking action on them is just getting started.
Instagram’s just a test at the moment, but it’s a test being embraced by brands like Kate Spade, Warby Parker and JackThreads.
Social: Inspire and Convert
Social’s always been about inspiration. People go there to connect, be entertained and discover something unexpected, politics aside. As brands have gotten visual, they’ve gotten better at inspiring but have lacked the tools to really convert. It doesn’t mean one replaces the other. It means they can work together.
Platforms are getting closer. Shoppable Tags, Buyable Pins and other options are still in the nascent stages, so this won’t be much of a social holiday for most brands. But the next one may be. Watch the platforms, watch consumer behavior and use 2017 to prepare.