GenZ Needs these New eCommerce Social Media Filters to Shop More!

44% of Generation Z has made a purchase decision based on a recommendation from a social influencer or a celebrity!

GenZ is a generation that can be termed as ‘digital natives’. This is the generation that cropped up around 2007 — the time when the first iPhone was introduced to the world! Retailers have many hurdles to cross before they can finally understand their core shopping pattern.

Online shopping is synonyms with this cohort. Quick and relevant is their mantra. Besides the fact that they are more politically and environmentally conscious, they are also very prone to influence.

GenZ is a generation that spends around $142 Billion these numbers are expected to reach over $333 Billion in the coming years. 70% of millennials consult GenZ before making a purchase decision.

Why are GenZ so important for eCommerce Business?

Estimates project that around 95% of purchases will be made online by 2040. eCommerce sales are expected to cross $4.5 trillion by 2021. In the U.S. online shopping accounts for 10% of retail sales and is expected to grow beyond 17% year on year.

The psychology of GenZ is to know what they are buying before making a purchase, in-store or online. Some researchers say that GenZ takes their purchasing power very seriously.

In a pre-pandemic survey by Retail Perceptions, 64% of Genz responders said they would rather shop in-store than online, but they dont limit their experiences to the analog.

Did you know 65% of GenZ shoppers check the store/brands app before making the purchase to ensure they are not missing out on any deals. They are smart and tech-savvy so for brands to attract GenZ they need a complimenting plan.

Social Media Influencers the New Filter in Search for eCommerce!

63.4% of GenZ shoppers shop at Amazon and there is a good reason for it:

• They offer faster delivery
• Their recommendation engine is powerful and recommends products they will be interested in
• Easy returns and exchange

Recently Amazon, Flipkart, Bumble, Snickers, Colgate, Cadbury, OnePlus, Oppo, etc. collaborated with a Mumbai-based incubator for social media influencers — NOFILTR.

The reason is really simple — the only way to sway GenZ is to make them hear from the people who influence them the most.

No wonder Amazon started their Influencer Program that onboarded people with a qualifying YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook account.

Why is Amazon On-boarding Influencers?

Amazon is the world’s biggest eCommerce company, and there is a reason why are leading — they tap the segment like no one else does. Always ten steps ahead of the competition.

The roadmap as we understand is to introduce a filter on their shopping website called the “influencers section”. Here shoppers might get to list their favorite social media influencers or celebrities and Amazon’s recommendation engine will suggest products their influencers use/ wear.

This will limit the options they get to choose from and also trigger an instant purchase. There is one thing GenZ represents and that’s impulsiveness.

They are always looking for short gratifications and often purchase in haste. This filter will simplify things for them and give them exactly what they are looking out for.

How to Boost Sales Using Influencers and Celebrities?

• Here is a simple trick — GenZ has grown up looking at visuals on screen and the more appealing they look the more inclined they will be to purchase what they see.
• Brands like Amazon, Flipkart, and OnePlus may have onboarded influencers but how they present this on their application or website is what’s important.
• Brands should ensure that the product visuals match the ones their influencers are promoting. If Scarlett Johansson is wearing a denim short then the relevant options justifying the visual should pop up instantly.
• Seamless experience on their applications. The list of top influencers must be exhaustive and updated at all times. The preference of GenZ is dynamic.
• Focus more on local influencers, geography of the consumers influences the kind of people they follow and the choices they make. Having more local influencers will enable next-level personalization.

What Social Media Platforms Should eCommerce Websites Focus on?

The most popular social media apps among the group are Facebook (62%), Instagram (55%), YouTube (54%), and Snapchat (52%), per Kantar.

“Up-and-coming brands are poised to see the most success through Instagram [Shopping],” said Evy Lyons, VP of marketing at influencer marketing platform Traackr.

When shoppers discover a new brand on Instagram they are more likely to explore it. The goal of these new brands is to set shop on Instagram and ease the shopping process.

As of now, there are 500,000 active influencers on Instagram that brands can collaborate with. Artificial Intelligence can help them track followers and their search patterns, depending on the type of things influencers are promoting brands can onboard them and add them as a new filter.

Traditional filters like size, color, brand, etc are a thing of the past today the all-new “your influencer” filter will help brands break the glass ceiling.

Smart Data Annotation can Be a Boon to Social Commerce

Labeling the right products with the right influencer match is a crucial task. As said, you dont want to see a mismatch between your influencer’s preference and the kind of products you have been recommended.

Labellerr is an AI-based Data Annotation platform that has an API integration feature that can help brands know the top trending products on various social media websites. This feature enables them to showcase products that can be sold off the virtual shelf with ease.

Likewise, their APIs can also identify top social media influencers for that month and help brands personalize their visuals to every user.

Data Annotation done right is an 80% leap in successfully implementing the social commerce strategy of brands.