What the heck are we doing on there anyway?? We’re checking out past lovers, looking for new lovers, reconnecting with folks we haven’t seen in 20 years, viewing the 500th photo of our best friend’s kiddos and shopping.
Shopping? On Facebook?
Yes, it now has come to this, and we may never leave the FB portal again.
Express (one of my fave apparel retailers) recently put its entire product catalog on Facebook. It’s wild, and you’ve got to check it out. Folks can “like” particular products, “share” them with friends and post comments. Oh, and you can add your dream products – like the drape-neck banded skirt dress (which I have to have!) to your wish list.
This is dangerous people. I may never get off of FB now.
All purchases are made completely via a secure site, just like purchasing products off of the retailer’s website.
And you know what this means. More retailers are to follow. Will we need websites anymore or will everything in our lives now be happening via Facebook?
What do you think about this expansion in social commerce? Are we giving FB more power than it needs or deserves (after watching The Social Network, I really hate that I’m supporting Mark Zuckerberg so much)? Leave your comments here!
-Heather Strang
well, I don't think shopping should be on Facebook. Facebook is a good tool to find long lost friends, keep in touch, organize parties for friends. But using Facebook for retail is in my opinion dangerous. The people on FB already have your name, your age, where you live, who your friends are, what you like. It's like the best CRM tool EVER. Giving them your shopping is one step further for them achieving world dominion. and the worst thing is, they don't even have to change much to the shopper experience. It gives me the creeps. It's like George Orwell's 1984. But instead of the oppressive atmosphere it's a friendly, innocuous-looking Big Brother. But it's still Big Brother. With a uniformized look.
Maya,
Such a fantastic point – one I hadn't even considered.
It's a clever and sneaky way for retailers to gain even more details about their market, but that begs the question – how will they use the information and who else will have access to it?
And is being so public in our lives something that will haunt us later on?
Oh, I could go a lot of places with that one – including putting the kibosh on relationship status on FB. If I have to break up online again, I swear – I won't be able to take it…
Do you think other retailers will follow suit? And if so, what can consumers do to keep themselves away from BB?
Thanks for the feedback lady – you rock!
-Heather
Thanks Heather for the always sweet words
Well yes, I think many retailers will do it because:
a) they believe they can access a whole new customer segment that is anyway spending huge amounts of time on Facebook. What brand can even dream of having customers spend a third of their waking hours in their store?
b) they can plan their production range and volume according to "Likes" and pre-orders
c) Facebook has been valued so high right now that they have to find way to monetize their site and what's better – and easier- than shopping?
It is probably a transition phase towards even more targeted social networking and subsequent e-retailing…
This subject is actually super vast. It almost requires a meeting between you and me…;-)
maya
Hello Heather,
Not only retailers are using FB for their commercial purposes but other companies also using for understanding customer needs and branding products and services.
I have seen that one the US top retailer using FB for their customer support.
I agree with you this is a sneaky way. You can say that it's a Guerrilla Marketing.
Thanks,
SJ.
S.J. – FB marketing started out guerrilla style, but now it feels like if more retailers join this shopping via their FB page trend – it's going to be one huge cluster.
Will we ever get off FB? Will there be a backlash? (You know, there always is.)
While I can see how retailers could look at this as a positive thing for them (trackable info up the wah-zoo!), it may end up being far too messy and burn customers out.
Only time will tell.
Thank you to everyone who weighed in on this!
-Heather