A recent study from the e-tail group shows that while 99 percent of retailers either have or plan to have a Facebook Fan Page and are actively using other social tools, they still worry about their competence at using social media. According to e-Marketer:
One of their biggest fears was that customers would abandon their site in favor of one that was more socially engaging. Using social media might be scary, but avoiding it is becoming less of an option.
With more and more retail customers flocking to social networks like Facebook and Twitter, retailers know they need to be there, but a key concern is how to leverage these networks to engage consumers while driving sales and maintaining control of the brand.
Social shopping tools like ShopTogether are quick and easy-to-implement solutions to this problem. Retailers and other online businesses can let their fans advocate their brand through the social networks, and connect multiple shoppers on their site, where they have more control. More importantly, customers can have real-time access to the people that matter most in the decision-making process: peers, friends and family.
For more on this topic check out this bylined article from DecisionStep CEO John Jackson in RIS News.
Tags: facebook, real-time, s-commerce, ShopTogether, social shopping, twitter