Steve Rubel defines Social Commerce as “utilizing the power of many to help us find and buy products and services. It involves the creation of new collaboration technologies that shrink the research and purchasing cycle.”
Voice 1: The People’s Voice
Steve is talking about the fact that online collaborative tools now allow us the ability to bring online the typically offline job of consulting knowledgeable, trustworthy peers before we buy something big and complex like a flat screen tv, washer/dryer combo, or engagement ring. Not only can we now access those people in the comfort of our own home wireless network – with the web we can now also access a lot more people and be even better informed than we were in the past.
Voice 2: The Brand’s Voice
But is that all we need when we are considering a product purchase? Other people like us, while more trusted, might not be able to equal a brand’s ability to produce formal, expert content that will educate us on things to a high degree of depth and quality. Isn’t there still a place for that educated, dedicated sales person who is getting paid to respond to our needs?
Good Social Commerce is about bringing appropriate, rich, educational content from the Brand into the consideration and research process along with advisory, objective content from peers. It’s about balancing the two voices that you need when you are getting ready to buy, and making sure that they complement and build on each other.
Filed under: Social Commerce, Web 2.0 | Tagged: eMarketing, Social Commerce, Steve Rubel
