SUMO-2018年社会化电子商务报告（英文）-2018.11-11页-4mb

Social Commerce Revisited Summary (2018)

Introduction

Social media continues to play a significant role in the evolution of e-commerce, with online shopping contributing $2.3 trillion to global retail sales in 2018, representing a 25% increase from the previous year. Despite ongoing privacy and data concerns, users remain active on social platforms, with 81% using social media regularly. This survey aims to reevaluate social media's impact on consumer behavior and purchasing habits, as well as explore the potential of emerging platforms and technologies for e-commerce brands and retailers.

Sample Size and Survey Details

• Sample Size: 1,046 U.S. consumers aged 18 and over
• Survey Period: May 2018
• Demographics: 53% women, 47% men

The Power of Social

Social media remains a powerful channel for retailers targeting diverse audiences. The survey highlights the following key trends:

• 81% of respondents use social media regularly, a figure unchanged since 2016.
• Facebook remains the most used platform, with 67% of respondents using it regularly (down from 79% in 2016).
• Instagram saw a significant increase in usage, from 29% in 2016 to 38% in 2018, making it the second most frequently used platform.
• Snapchat usage nearly doubled, from 13% to 25% in 2018.
• Pinterest and Twitter usage declined slightly, by 17% and 10% respectively.

Social Media's Influence on Purchasing Decisions

• 48% of respondents have made purchases based on products or services discovered through social media (up from 42% in 2016).
• 58% of respondents say social media influences their purchasing decisions, even if they didn't discover the product there.
• Facebook remains the most influential platform, with 38% of respondents citing it as a key influence.
• Instagram's influence doubled from 10% to 22%.
• Snapchat's influence tripled from 2% to 7%, though it still lags behind Facebook and Instagram.

The Future of Social Media Shopping

• 82% of respondents have not used social buy buttons to make purchases directly through social media, a figure unchanged since 2016.
• Security, privacy, and legitimacy are the top concerns preventing consumers from making direct purchases via social media:
  • 71% cite security as a major concern
  • 65% are concerned with privacy
  • 64% question the legitimacy of social commerce
• 36% of respondents mention a lack of customer support as a barrier to social commerce.
• Only 20% were unfamiliar with the concept of social media shopping, indicating awareness is not the main issue.

Conversational Commerce

• 37% of respondents have interacted with messaging-based chatbots.
• 72% found the experience helpful and informative.
• 16% found it little to no help, 10% found it clunky, and 6% found it complex and confusing.
• Conversational commerce (shopping through chatbots) has not yet taken off, with 42% of respondents still unfamiliar with the concept.
• 26% of respondents are opposed to trying conversational commerce, down from 45% in 2016.
• Only 11% of respondents have actually tried shopping through chatbots, with 5% reporting a poor experience.

Possible Uses of Chatbots

Consumers are open to using chatbots for various purposes in the sales cycle, including:

• Customer service (32%)
• Product comparison (20%)
• Product discovery (18%)
• Purchase transaction (10%)

Conclusion

While social commerce has not yet reached its full potential, the data indicates a growing opportunity for brands and retailers to leverage social media for influencing purchasing decisions. Facebook remains the dominant platform, but Instagram and Snapchat are gaining traction. Conversational commerce via chatbots is still in its early stages, but consumer interest and acceptance are increasing. Retailers should focus on improving security, privacy, and customer support to drive more direct social commerce transactions.