TINT Blog
  • Blog
  • User-Generated Content
    1. Why UGC
    2. UGC Research & Trends
    3. Tips, Guides, and How-To’s
    4. UGC Examples
    5. UGC Tools
    6. View All
    types of influencers Influencer Marketing in 2022: 3 Types of Influencers To Focus On
    April 19, 2022
    Marble Impact on Newton's Cradle next to TINT logo 4 Ways User-Generated Content Impacts Businesses in 2022
    March 17, 2022
    woman holding her head while working at laptop What Can Solve the Biggest Challenges Faced by Marketers Today?
    February 7, 2022
    user generated content TINT What is User-Generated Content: The Complete Guide to UGC
    October 18, 2021
    Should Your Retail Brand Go DTC?
    October 7, 2021
    User-Generated Content and the Customer Journey
    June 2, 2021
    Using Social Commerce to Boost Customer Loyalty
    April 16, 2021
    Visual Content Marketing: How To Drive Conversions
    March 31, 2021
    sign on beach with arrows pointing toward future and past 7 Marketing Themes and 7 Marketing Predictions for 2022
    January 27, 2022
    TINT logo next to graph paper featuring a chart on a wooden table The User-Generated Content Marketing Stats You Need to Know in 2022
    January 25, 2022
    TINT logo next to a phone displaying an image of shoes 5 Consumer Trends Shaping UGC in 2022
    January 13, 2022
    New Report Emphasizes Importance of Authentic Content for Tourism and Hospitality Industries
    August 4, 2021
    9 Visual Content Trends to Watch
    May 14, 2021
    The 2021 Battle for Digital Engagement
    February 3, 2021
    The Big List of User-Generated Content Stats (2021)
    January 28, 2021
    State of UGC 2021 Report: The Results Are In
    January 19, 2021
    TINT team EGC You Ask, TINT Answers: Employee-Generated Content FAQs
    April 27, 2022
    Guide to Employee-Generated Content: What Is It, Why You Need It, and How To Do It
    April 13, 2022
    filming video content in an urban center with TINT overlay How to Increase Engagement and Boost ROI in 2022
    January 31, 2022
    Festival crowd with rainbow overlay and state of Texas outline Texas Festivals and Events face a bright future and a challenging climb
    December 20, 2021
    Apple Mac laptop with Canva on screen to make UGC centric visual content How to Create Engaging Visual Content Using UGC
    November 30, 2021
    women purchasing on phone black friday ecommerce strategy Black Friday eCommerce Strategies For Retail
    November 9, 2021
    user generated content TINT What is User-Generated Content: The Complete Guide to UGC
    October 18, 2021
    Social Commerce – The Definitive Guide to Selling More Online with Social
    October 15, 2021
    Should Your Retail Brand Go DTC?
    October 7, 2021
    Need Instagram Stories Inspiration?
    July 5, 2021
    User-Generated Content and the Customer Journey
    June 2, 2021
    The Social eCommerce Funnel
    May 3, 2021
    6 Great Safe Tourism Marketing Campaigns
    April 22, 2021
    Throwback Thursday: Favorite Travel Campaign Ideas
    April 15, 2021
    Early Adopters in Travel: Encouraging Returning Customers
    March 30, 2021
    When Social meets eCommerce
    March 15, 2021
    Sunset over Downtown San Antonio - Year in Review for TINT 2021 Year in Review for TINT: The Year of Integration and Innovation
    December 28, 2021
    TINT and Canva Integration Featured Now In Canva, Your Best UGC
    November 4, 2021
    TINT Launches Integration with Hootsuite Amplify to Provide Better UGC & EGC
    October 26, 2021
    TINT Attention Score Want to know how people will perceive your content? There’s a tool for that
    August 25, 2021
    TINT Talk july 2021 updates TINT Talk: July 2021 Product Updates
    July 30, 2021
    UGC Influencer Marketing Sprinkled with AI – the Perfect Recipe For Growing Brands
    June 3, 2021
    Feature Release: Aggregate IGTV content in TINT
    April 23, 2021
    2020 Marketing Year in Review
    December 28, 2020
    TINT team EGC You Ask, TINT Answers: Employee-Generated Content FAQs
    April 27, 2022
    types of influencers Influencer Marketing in 2022: 3 Types of Influencers To Focus On
    April 19, 2022
    Guide to Employee-Generated Content: What Is It, Why You Need It, and How To Do It
    April 13, 2022
    Marble Impact on Newton's Cradle next to TINT logo 4 Ways User-Generated Content Impacts Businesses in 2022
    March 17, 2022
    woman holding her head while working at laptop What Can Solve the Biggest Challenges Faced by Marketers Today?
    February 7, 2022
    filming video content in an urban center with TINT overlay How to Increase Engagement and Boost ROI in 2022
    January 31, 2022
    sign on beach with arrows pointing toward future and past 7 Marketing Themes and 7 Marketing Predictions for 2022
    January 27, 2022
    TINT logo next to graph paper featuring a chart on a wooden table The User-Generated Content Marketing Stats You Need to Know in 2022
    January 25, 2022
    Previous Next
  • Influencer Marketing
    1. About Influencer Marketing
    2. Influencer Marketing Research and Trends
    3. Influencer Marketing Tips and How To’s
    4. Influencer Marketing Examples
    5. Influencer Marketing Tools
    6. View All
    types of influencers Influencer Marketing in 2022: 3 Types of Influencers To Focus On
    April 19, 2022
    Questions Answered about Micro-Influencers
    August 2, 2021
    Marketer’s Guide to the Creator Economy
    May 19, 2021
    Fake Famous: A Review for Marketers
    February 9, 2021
    What is an Internal Influencer?
    November 24, 2020
    Consider This Before Using Brand Influencers
    July 9, 2018
    Influencer Marketing: Understanding The Difference Between Micro-Influencers and Mega-Influencers
    January 3, 2018
    The History and Evolution of Marketing Influencers
    September 19, 2016
    Man sitting on a ledge overlooking the ocean Top Influencer Marketing Trends for 2022
    March 29, 2022
    5 Influencer Marketing Trends To Watch in 2020
    December 19, 2019
    How to Create the Ideal Dedicated Space for Social Media Videos
    August 4, 2021
    Ask TINT: November 2020 – Digital Summit at Home
    November 22, 2020
    Should Your Retail Brand Go DTC?
    October 7, 2021
    What Facebook Rights Management Tool means for UGC
    October 1, 2020
    A close-up of a person taking pictures of their food with the food in the background. Influencers, Creators, UGC: What’s the Difference? 
    January 19, 2023
    types of influencers Influencer Marketing in 2022: 3 Types of Influencers To Focus On
    April 19, 2022
    Man sitting on a ledge overlooking the ocean Top Influencer Marketing Trends for 2022
    March 29, 2022
    Should Your Retail Brand Go DTC?
    October 7, 2021
    How to Create the Ideal Dedicated Space for Social Media Videos
    August 4, 2021
    Questions Answered about Micro-Influencers
    August 2, 2021
    Marketer’s Guide to the Creator Economy
    May 19, 2021
    Fake Famous: A Review for Marketers
    February 9, 2021
    Previous Next
  • Marketing
    • All Marketing
    • Organic Social Media
    • Digital Advertising
    • Event Marketing
    • Internal Communications
    • Brand Marketing
  • Industries
    • Travel & Tourism
    • Hospitality
    • Retail
    • eCommerce
    • HR & Recruitment
  • Request Demo
  • Try it Free
Social Marketing

Using Social Commerce to Boost Customer Loyalty

By Guest Author April 16, 2021 6 Mins Read
Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter LinkedIn Email

Social commerce is more than another marketing buzzword. It has the ability to connect with people at every stage of the customer lifecycle.  Beyond the checkout page, brands are using Social Commerce to boost customer loyalty, turning customers into lifelong fans and advocates. 

Strategically using social commerce is critical to ensuring that your brand can attract and retain customers. More and more people are shopping online and nearly every social media platform has made online shopping features available.

What is social commerce? 

Social commerce considers the entire customer lifecycle as it happens on your social media channels. People can discover your brand, explore products, and even purchase directly on the app – no need to redirect them to your website to buy.

It’s no secret that making your customers’ purchasing experience as easy as possible leads to more sales. If a potential customer needs to go through too many steps to purchase, they might give up on the whole idea and not buy.

That’s what makes social commerce so convenient. Customers go through minimal steps, experience minimal friction, and still discover and purchase from your brand. 

Why should you care about social commerce? 

Social Commerce is here to stay. The world has shifted and eCommerce now accounts for almost a trillion dollars in annual spending in the U.S. alone. Combine that with a major increase in the expansion and usage of social media in the aftermath of 2020.  While your website is part of the shopping experience, social commerce gives you another platform to convert customers. Websites and social commerce go hand-in-hand in creating a five-star experience for your audience.

An omnichannel approach, including social media, websites, and maybe even hosting a webinar or creating a video, will help you reach all of your audiences’ shopping personalities – from the impulse buyers watching an Instagram video to the analytical shoppers that need to study every detail on your website before they purchase a product.

Nearly every social media platform has a way to include commerce as part of your marketing strategy. From Facebook Shops to Instagram Checkout, the possibilities are almost endless on how you can use social media to promote your brand.

Let’s not forget that an active and engaged community on social media can lead to customer loyalty. After all, 53% of Americans who follow brands on social media are more loyal to those brands.

Don’t underestimate the power of customer loyalty. Ensuring a strong relationship between you and your customers on your social media channels can lead to more revenue for you. 65% of your company’s business comes from existing customers, so it’s not a relationship you can afford to lose.

How can you make new customers into lifelong fans using social commerce? 

While social commerce can be used for awareness, consideration, and conversion stages of the customer lifecycle, it can also be used to retain customers (and turn customers into raving fans). 

Let’s take a look at 2 different strategies you can use to boost customer loyalty.

1. Encourage UGC

User-generated content (UGC) is key to recognizing your customer’s experience and providing social proof to your audience that your product is well-liked by people like them. 93% of marketers agree that consumers trust content created by customers more than content created by brands. People trust people. 

UGC can expand your audience to new people. When someone posts about your product on their Instagram story, there’s an opportunity to reach potential customers. Now that a new audience is aware that you exist, the next step in their journey would be to check out your brand’s Instagram profile. But that might only happen if the original sharer tagged you in their Instagram Story in the first place. So how can you encourage people to tag you?

Re-sharing UGC on your profile can encourage your customers to tag you in their posts. When customers constantly see that you interact with your audience and share their content, they will be inspired to join in on the fun.

You could also promote a specific branded hashtag and ask followers to use it. This can make it easier for you to find posts that contain your brand and interact with your existing customers.

Let’s take a look at ModCloth, an online clothing retailer. The brand’s Instagram account asks followers to put the branded hashtag #MyModCloth on their social media posts. This strategy encourages people to take Insta-worthy photos of themselves in ModCloth clothing. In return, ModCloth features these UGC photos on their Instagram story.

2. Implement a loyalty program

Social Commerce Specialists know it’s not enough to get new customers. They need a plan to earn more revenue through their existing customers. These strategies usually include repeat purchases, upsells, and cross-sells. But there’s one strategy that stands out because not only does a business get more revenue, but it leaves your existing customers feeling appreciated.

Enter the customer loyalty program. Implementing a loyalty program amongst your existing customers encourages them to return to your business. This often forgotten piece of a marketing program is a phenomenal way to use social commerce to boost loyalty.

A customer loyalty program rewards customers for purchases or engaging with your brand. One popular option is for customers to earn points which can then be redeemed for discounts, free gifts, or exclusive access to new products. 

To automate this process, you could use different social media tools, which also help with data and analytics tracking to make sure your social commerce campaigns are actually working – or adjust accordingly. Here’s an example by one of the most well-known examples by Starbucks.

Starbucks has one of the most popular loyalty programs. The coffee company makes sure that their customers are using it though. It implemented “Star Days” for a whole week and every day had a new reward for customers using the Starbucks loyalty program.

Star Days built on the current relationship with their customers – whether or not they were participants in the loyalty program. Notice how the social media post had two call-to-actions; the first is asking existing customers in the loyalty program to check out the app, and the second is encouraging people not in the loyalty program to join.

The strategy was to continue to build relationships with their customers and encourage them to participate in the loyalty program. It’s fair to say that Starbucks has many happy and returning customers.

Final thoughts 

Attracting new customers is important, but you could earn far more revenue by using social commerce to boost loyalty among your audience with a unique ability to blend building relationships while selling products at the same time.

You can use these strategies to reward your audience with recognition, five-star customer service, and loyalty program benefits. They will pay you back in kind with glowing reviews, user-generated content, and lifelong loyalty. Request a demo today to learn more


About the Guest Author
Raul Galera is the Partner Manager at ReferralCandy and CandyBar, two tools helping small and medium businesses run customer referral and loyalty programs. He’s been working in the tech sector for the past seven years and regularly writes about marketing, eCommerce and tech.

eCommerceloyalty programorganic social mediasocial commerce
1
Author Guest Author

    Related Posts

    types of influencers

    Influencer Marketing in 2022: 3 Types of Influencers To Focus On

    April 19, 2022
    Marble Impact on Newton's Cradle next to TINT logo

    4 Ways User-Generated Content Impacts Businesses in 2022

    March 17, 2022
    woman holding her head while working at laptop

    What Can Solve the Biggest Challenges Faced by Marketers Today?

    February 7, 2022
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • TINT
      • Social Content Aggregator
      • UGC Studio
      • Machine Learning
      • Attention Score
      • UGC Rights Management
      • Experience Builder
      • Social Commerce
      • Digital Signage
      • Events
      • Virtual Events
      • Enterprise Security and Scalability
      • UGC 10x Faster
    • TINT by Industry
      • Hospitality
      • eCommerce
      • Agency
      • Education
      • Comms
    • Integrations
      • Hootsuite
      • HubSpot
      • Widen
      • Slack
      • Facebook Ads
      • Mailchimp
      • Canva
    • Resources
      • Blog
      • Case Studies
      • Webinars/Events
      • Gallery
      • Support
      • Status
    • Company
      • About
      • Careers
      • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 TINT

    Top
    • TINT
    • Blog
    • User-Generated Content
      • Why UGC
      • Tips, Guides, and How-To’s
      • UGC Examples
      • UGC Research & Trends
      • UGC Tools
    • Influencer Marketing
      • About Influencer Marketing
      • Influencer Marketing Examples
      • Influencer Marketing Research and Trends
      • Influencer Marketing Tips and How To’s
      • Influencer Marketing Tools
    • Marketing
      • Organic Social Media
      • Digital Advertising
      • Event Marketing
      • Internal Communications
      • Brand Marketing
      • All Marketing
    • Industries
      • Travel & Tourism
      • Hospitality
      • Retail
      • eCommerce
      • HR & Recruitment
    • Request Demo

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    By clicking “Allow All”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Allow AllNo