The millions of Facebook a users in Myanmar is a big market for those who would like to venture into business. Reaching out to the new digitally-conscious consumers and offering them products and services through social media platforms is new to Myanmar. This is Social Commerce: Turning Social Media into Sales by Guy Clapperton is the perfect guide for entrepreneurs who are looking to capitalize on this social media frenzy.
The book is a good read for those who would like to start an internet-based business. It shares knowledge on the concept of ‘social buying’ where people don’t just go to a store, pick up a product and leave. Tech savvy consumers are tend to be pickier because now social media allows them to review products before they buy.
Peer advice’ is the new element in the digital marketplace and consumers give premium on the experience of others or what others say about the products. Reviews and comments about the products in the communities are read and analyzed before plunging their money. These communities became the mirror and feedback mechanisms of the businesses. Dealing with these communities is one of the main skills that have to be acquired by an internet-based entrepreneur.
In this new paradigm, traditional fliers, posters, and advertisements are not sufficient. As consumers express their preferences, the entrepreneur should be able to integrate customer feedback into their products. Failure to do so would mean the business falling by the wayside as new and more relevant products attuned to the needs of the communities surge
Written by a social media practitioner, the book covers topics on how to navigate in this new business environment. The internet has made it possible for the seller to deal directly with the buyers, cutting off the intermediaries, but it also requires a new set of knowledge and skills to do so. The book outlines the practical ways of entering social media and using it to sell.
Topics in the book include attracting and engaging customers, building up ‘communities’ around your products, maintaining presence in the social media and even raising capital through social media. Presented in straightforward way, the book is an easy read, formatted like an e-book. Case studies of actual businesses were used for specific topic, peppered also with the author’s personal experiences. There is also an action point section in each chapter to give idea to the reader on what practical steps to do after reading. One of the most interesting topics in the book is about ‘managing digital shadow.’ The ‘shadow’ refers to thefootprints we leave in the internet. When we post or upload articles, comments, pictures, etc., about ourselves, these can be mined later. Those posts may be funny at the time we made them, but it may affect our image in the future.
Equally important, according to Clapperton, is how we manage the business website. It has to be differentiated with the personal opinion and preferences of the owner. Personal comments and messages uploaded through the official business sites may offend and alienate a segment of the community. The virtual community is unforgiving and any negative comments might affect the sales.
Guy Clappertone is a British journalist and an author with several books on his belt that includes ‘Hacked About’ (2013), ‘This Is Social Media’ (2009), ‘The Joy of Work?’ (2009) and the latest is ‘The smarter working manifesto’ (2014).
