Social media is a highly valuable tool for retailers

Retailers are investing more time and money in their social media strategies. If it´s used effectively, social media can help retailers generate buzz and boost their online and in-store traffic.

How do I look? It´s the classic question women ask their friend in the shop changing room. Getting a friends advice on a new piece of clothing is all part of the shopping experience but it´s harder to do if you are shopping online or through a mobile. New innovations in social media are set to change this and what people are calling social shopping is predicted to get bigger.

What´s great about social media is that it creates a bigger platform for customers to share their experience with the retailers and other customers.

In June 2013 Facebook started supporting hashtags, which offers users a new way to track conversations about trending topics. It also gave the retailers a new opportunity to create hash tag campaigns that are spreading through three key channels: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Now that hash tags are universal, retailers can use a single tag for several social channels. Which makes it easier for consumers to share insights and retailers can collect and track feedback.

A popular app in the US is Wanelo (Wah-nee-loh from want, need and love). It is a digital mall where people can discover and buy products on the internet. The site has over 12 million products posted by users from over 300,000 stores including both large brands and independent sellers.

http://www.theguardian.com/media-network-partner-zone-ebay/social-media-retail-brands-ebay

http://www.retailtouchpoints.com/features/retail-success-stories/connecting-social-media-and-the-store

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-retailers-are-using-social-media-in-stores-to-drive-sales-2014-6

//Daniela