Fahad is from Bahrain and he has been collaborating with Tester Work for almost a year as a freelance tester. He is the author of the article below, which focuses on the role that the major social media platform play in e-commerce.

1. Introduction:

In the recent decade, social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube have grown in popularity, and as a result of this evolution, accessing social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube have become quite affordable. Because so many people use one or more social networking sites, it has become incredibly easy for businesses to reach out to their customers using these platforms. This research aims to determine the role of social media marketing strategy in creating a brand and to compare it to traditional marketing strategies.

For e-commerce websites, social media is a powerful tool. It’s quite important to be able to not only guide them to a new product or an appealing price but also to engage with them and establish a sense of community. Direct sales through various networks are also part of a complete social media presence, as are back-end capabilities that allow customers to share products and recent purchases with friends and followers with a single click. Social media has shown to be a high-returning tool for marketing, promotion, and even sales. It aids e-commerce companies in identifying customers, engaging with them, building trust, increasing sales prospects, and providing prompt customer service. With the growing number of internet and social media users, understanding online customer behavior has become essential for major brands. The rise of social media has resulted in a shift in media consumption, prompting businesses and organizations to use social media as part of their marketing and public relations efforts. As a result, social media has become a more common medium for E-Commerce businesses to sell services and resources to actual and potential clients. (Schivinski, 2016)

2. Social media & Social networks:

The term “social network” was originally used to distinguish between networks used for business and those used for socializing. However, the most widely accepted definition of social networks relates to interactive websites that give users message boards, chat rooms, and the ability to submit comments and have a debate with other people, particularly in the workplace, universities, and high schools. Alternatively, a virtual community website that brings individuals together to speak, share ideas and hobbies, or make friends is referred to as a social network. Social media refers to this form of collaboration and sharing on social networking sites. Unlike traditional media, which is often developed and controlled by a small group of individuals, social media allows users to publish their thoughts and opinions while also encouraging interactions and community development. Many businesses have already dived into the world of e-commerce. Have you ever clicked on a social media ad and then abandoned the purchase when you realized you’d exited, like, Instagram? You didn’t want to get off the platform, did you? If you’re a marketer, this will be the answer for users who want to convert but don’t want to stop scrolling. Social Commerce, together with Shoppable Ads, is the way forward for many businesses. (N.P, 2017)

3. History of social media platforms:

In its earliest form, e-commerce was introduced around 40 years ago.

Since then, electronic commerce has assisted countless businesses in growing using new technologies, advancements in internet connectivity, increased security with payment gateways, and widespread consumer and business adoption. (Guide, 2017)

Facebook:

In terms of both name recognition and the total number of users, Facebook is the most popular social networking site on the internet. It has almost 1.8 billion active users and serves as a fantastic platform for connecting people all over the world with your company. Facebook has evolved from a simple website to a multi-dimensional network and mobile platform where anyone may communicate with anyone else across the world in the previous decade. Keeping in mind Facebook’s Pages feature, it can be quite beneficial to one’s business.

Twitter:

Twitter is a social media platform where users may express themselves using short text messages and other media. Twitter is a fantastic platform for communicating with absolutely anyone on the globe simply by mentioning their usernames in postings. This social networking platform is a fantastic tool to promote and market a company. It’s also a good way to handle customer service issues.

YouTube:

The most well-known video-sharing site, with over a billion members, allows users to not only view but also upload, rate, share, and comment on other people’s videos. There is no greater venue than YouTube for engaging an audience by publishing an advertisement of one’s work or business.

Instagram:

Instagram is a visual social media website that only allows users to publish photographs and videos. It is also owned by Facebook and differs from others in terms of the various filters and photo editing capabilities available.

LinkedIn:

LinkedIn is a social networking site devoted to professional and employment-related services. LinkedIn allows people to create profiles in an online social network that can depict real-world professional contacts, whether they are employees or employers.