C-Commerce - Are we back to being human?

The world is ever changing. This is probably the statement of this century. We feel like we’re always keeping up with new technology trends and a question comes to mind:

Are we shaping technology around us or is technology shaping our behavior?

We really don’t know. However, if you’re in the e-commerce business you need to hear this.

Meta is being driven by restrictions from different industry players (legislative like GDPR & CCPA, or other tech giants like Apple and soon Google through Chrome) to rethink its offering.

Why? Because they want to make money and survive as a business of course.
How? By saying let’s not send people to websites let’s keep them on OUR platforms where we have FULL control.

Okay, a dramatic over simplification, but it is to a certain extent true. So if you’re a marketer or business owner you need to comply or at least hear what they have to say and maybe consider it. They do miss on occasion and this could be another one, but let’s see.

The Rise of Commerce Messaging

Conversational commerce, also known as c-commerce, is how they describe the use of messaging as a primary channel to buy and sell goods and services. Facebook’s c-commerce messaging platforms include Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram Messaging. This in our opinion is how Meta is tackling tracking restrictions in a way.

C-commerce combines the best aspects of in-person retail and online shopping through mobile messaging. It simulates our traditional methods of shopping physically, where we inquire about a price, its details, sourcing, best usages… maybe even negotiate.

Campaign Strategies for Commerce Messaging on Facebook

• Study the purchase journey of your customers to identify potential points where messaging can fit in.
• Communicate the value of chatting with your business to people and be timely in your replies.
• Consider enlisting third-party partners to manage your c-commerce needs.

The above is a direct expert from Meta’s Blueprint course on Commerce Messaging. You might feel a bit overwhelmed and shocked, as were we at first, but if you think about it, this might not be bad. We all want to know more about a product before we hit that “Add To Cart” sometimes.

And if you’re worried about how to handle the influx of messaging, a big part of it can and should be automated. This is another example of the different features being introduced into Messenger:

Messenger enables businesses to qualify leads and continue conversations with people who show interest via a human agent, or not. You can even integrate the incoming leads directly into your existing CRM system if that is also an option.

It’s worth exploring if you’re an e-commerce business. If you’d like to discuss this more, drop us a message and let’s chat.