The Problems with Social Media & Shopping in 2016

This past summer you may have noticed a button popping up on your Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest feeds next to products inviting you to “Shop Now” or “Buy.” As retailers integrate e-commerce with the social media experience, viewers are now encouraged to do more than just gawk over the latest gadgets.

While it’s definitely a convenient way to boost sales, is shopping on social media good for customers?

Here are the downsides:

Less Informed Customers

• Impulse shoppers may find themselves in a detrimental habit of purchasing items without researching quality or comparing brands.
• Knowing that customers may not do as much research, companies can offer discounts on social media that actually aren’t that great.

Burnout + Bombardment

Amazon Twitter

Amazon advertises their products on many different social media platforms.

• Customers face marketing from major companies on every social media outlet. Being targeted by marketing like this can get overwhelming. For instance, Amazon has more than 50+ different newsletters to which customers can subscribe, and retail stores like Macy’s often send a daily marketing email along with a weekly sales brochure in the mail.
• In addition to using Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat for advertising, most major retailers also keep their customers updated about new products and discounts via frequent email newsletters.
• When shoppers can’t check their Facebook feeds and Instagram accounts without being inundated by advertising and ‘buy now’ marketing, they may experience burnout.

Privacy Concerns

Image source: Pixabay

• Though most Internet shoppers understand how cookies work, it can be upsetting to see your personal shopping preferences so widely available to retailers.
• Consumers with privacy concerns may opt to avoid social media shopping and instead conduct all their holiday purchases in brick-and-mortar stores.

What’s the solution?

So, how can you still get good deals while avoiding the hazards of social media shopping? First off, don’t be afraid to take a step back from social media and hit up your local mall instead. Shopping online and in person can also be improved with a shopping app, like BuyVia. Apps like this do the legwork for you by monitoring for deals and letting you compare prices easily.

Happy Holidays, and smart shopping!