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What Social Commerce Means for eCommerce

by Gooten Editorial Team on Aug. 6, 2021

Imagine, if you will, a scenario. You’re sitting on the couch after a long day at the office, relaxing to some inoffensive background TV, scrolling through your Instagram feed. You come across a post featuring one of your favorite celebrities, wearing a sweater that you just love. If only there was a way you could have that sweater for yourself! Well, it turns out there is. You click on the post and a shopping link materializes, allowing you to purchase the sweater and have it shipped straight to your front porch.

You’ve probably had this very situation happen to you before; and if not, you’ve probably had an experience that’s pretty similar. This is an example of what’s known as social commerce: Online shopping opportunities presented by social media platforms. Social commerce is an increasingly major factor in the retail space. And, it could have some significant implications for your eCommerce operation.

The Rise of Social Commerce

For evidence of social commerce’s ascent, look no further than to TikTok. The popular platform recently announced that it would be launching its own shopping platform. According to a Bloomberg report, “TikTok has begun working with merchants in markets, including the UK, on ways they can sell products directly to millions of users within the app, people familiar with the matter say.”

Of course, TikTok is hardly the only social media platform to showcase eCommerce possibilities. Instagram has offered shopping features for a few years now, but recently has made shopping more prominent and more central to the user experience. Meanwhile, even Netflix has added shop buttons to their services, enabling viewers to peruse clothing, toys, and other merchandise inspired by their favorite streaming series.

The Implications of Social Commerce

So what does all of this mean for your own eCommerce line?

The big headline here is increased demand. New channels and new opportunities for shopping have resulted in a growing consumer base, primed to jump into their favorite social streams with eyes wide open for cool products or amazing deals.

In short, increased demand for online shopping presents new opportunities for your brand… and print on demand manufacturing gives you a way to seize those opportunities.

How Print on Demand Empowers Your eCommerce Efforts

The reality is that, while social commerce creates fresh demand and opens new paths for you to sell your products, it also introduces some new logistical issues. Simply put, it can be burdensome to keep up with the overwhelming demand from all these new channels. When you have consumers placing orders from even half a dozen social commerce streams, it can make order fulfillment difficult to manage.

Print on demand basically eliminates the problem completely. When you partner with a print on demand manufacturing company like Gooten, you can ensure that every order placed is dealt with automatically and individually, regardless of the social commerce platform where the order originates. Print on demand renders order management a non-issue, regardless of the scale of your eCommerce operation.

And that’s not the only way in which print on demand can help you keep pace with social commerce opportunities. Keep in mind that manufacturing products in bulk tends to come with a lot of overconsumption and waste; it’s expensive, it presents inventory management challenges, and it often results in unsold products being discarded. Here again, a print on demand approach essentially makes this a non-issue. With print on demand, you’ll always have exactly the right inventory to match customer demand, without the overconsumption or the waste.

Print on Demand Solutions from Gooten

The eCommerce landscape is always changing, and one of the major shifts we’re seeing right now is the shift toward social commerce. Simply put, consumers are finding new ways to discover products that they love.

For your eCommerce brand, this is promising and challenging in equal measure… but print on demand offers a logical way to navigate the changing landscape. Gooten is a leading name in print on demand manufacturing, and we’d love to work with you to develop a robust social commerce strategy.

The first step is contacting us to discuss your print on demand needs. Reach out to our team at your next opportunity!