The power of social media in Ecommerce: strategies to succeed on Instagram and Facebook

Few combinations are better than social media and eCommerce. That’s why we’ve prepared this special post with strategies to succeed on Instagram and Facebook today.

Why are Instagram and Facebook so important for eCommerce?

New platforms are emerging, some like TikTok or Twitch are consolidating, but the more established ones are still a great place to continue growing your business.

There are several reasons why Meta remains king. The first and most obvious is the market share that both Facebook and Instagram still hold. According to this Statista report, we can see that by 2024, the total number of monthly active users exceeds 5 billion, a big difference compared to the rest, right?

To the general potential reach figure, we must add your personal case. If you’ve been working on your communities for a while, these two networks are likely the most relevant in terms of follower count for your brand. Among other things, because they would have been the first ones you exploited.

Additionally, it’s interesting to note that Facebook is perfect for an older age group and has specific groups for any topic (interests, geography, etc.). Instagram, on the other hand, continues to be the aspirational and lifestyle network, or, in other words, the platform preferred by influencers.

Finally, to move directly into strategies to succeed on Facebook and Instagram, it’s worth emphasizing that Meta’s advertising platform is by far the best when it comes to promoting content, including its great management of catalogs with formats specifically designed for eCommerce.

5 Strategies to succeed on Instagram and Facebook with your eCommerce

Once the necessary clarifications are made and the context is clear, it’s time to delve into the strategic topic. For this, we’ve gathered 5 actions you can implement starting today.

Let’s get started.

#1 – Direct sales (Social Commerce)

This was a logical evolution in Social Media, which not all platforms have managed to adopt. But if a user sees a product within Instagram or Facebook, the ability to purchase it directly without leaving their browsing flow or accessing third-party sites greatly favors conversion.

That’s why, as we mentioned earlier, Meta created catalogs very similar to Google Shopping. This works both for creating ads incorporating specific items from our store and for tagging them in posts of videos, reels, stories, or photos where they appear.

This way, we create integrated shopping experiences within Instagram and Facebook posts.

#2 – Reels and edutainment

The famous reels – which are nearly identical copies of TikTok’s short, vertical videos – are real instant gratification bombs. Users enter and consume one after the other, watching more and more content.

How can you use them in your eCommerce strategy? These short videos have a peculiar feature that seems “anti-commercial”: users want to have fun and be entertained. They are not so likely to consume direct advertising, and besides, if you don’t catch their attention, the mechanism to skip to the next content is too easy and quick.

Here enters the concept of edutainment, a hybrid between educating and entertaining, or in other words, selling without selling.

Demonstrative content, with practical usage examples and focused on the product’s advantages rather than technical features, is a true sales magnet through social networks (even if it’s often not direct).

#3 – Custom audiences and retargeting

We’ll cover these together because they work especially well in a synergistic way.

One of Meta’s differential values is how it can fine-tune audiences, both by creating segments based on interests and using socio-demographic or even geographic factors. This means that we can run campaigns targeting, for example, single men interested in custom motorcycles in a specific neighborhood. It may not be a massive audience, but it’s very accurate, almost surgical.

When this segmentation ability is combined with the ability to create lookalike audiences and, most importantly, retargeting to impact the same users with different creatives at different times, we have an absolutely winning combination.

#4 – Influencers and user-generated content

As we’ve mentioned, Instagram is the queen of networks when it comes to influence. It’s no coincidence that most influencers prefer this channel to collaborate with brands.

Still, as a strategy, I would recommend you rethink all of this, as you can use that content in a bidirectional way. That is, use the images and videos from those profiles within your own product pages or on the homepage.

Moreover, if you combine influencer content with user-generated content (UGC) from “anonymous” users, you not only increase this resource for free but also boost social proof through peer recommendations.

#5 – Live shopping

Live video, a truly powerful tool that not all eCommerce businesses are yet fully exploiting on Facebook and Instagram.

Live events can become another way to showcase your products, new releases, and promotions. In a way, it’s the same mechanism as having a relatively private viewing. The main advantages are, on the one hand, that it becomes an experience that strengthens the feeling of community and, on the other, the possibility of receiving real-time feedback, which is invaluable.

Some companies have made this strategy the foundation of their business, as they have gone so far as to produce their catalog based on potential demand. In other words, they present a model, and if the community doesn’t support it and make a pre-purchase with a minimum number of units, it won’t be sold. A model where success is guaranteed.

These 5 strategies demonstrate the power of social media in eCommerce, but… which one is your favorite?