Converting Social to Sales

All but one of the top 100 global retailers fail to convert social into sales. 

That's the claim from a new report, The Three Stages of Social Maturity, from social commerce specialists Buyapowa. The lone success?

Tesco. 

While most companies invest in creating a multi-platform presence, they aren’t chasing sales by using co-buys, gamification and dynamic pricing.

The report's key findings include:

• Only one global retailer has reached stage 3 of social maturity (building a social sales channel) while 82% are stuck firmly at stage one (concentrating on attracting fans and followers). 
   
• Follow for a follow. For every 100 followers they gain, 66% of leading retailers follow five or less, meaning the giants are more concerned with broadcasting to their audience rather than listening to them. 
   
• Have you reached that point when you want to complain about a service but the company's Twitter feed is full of funny/silly pictures? It intensifies the annoyance.
   
• The social media doghouse includes Lidl, with 72% of their posts being about products, and Aldi, whose audience is four times less engaged with their content than M&S or CostCo. 

Social media doesn’t just have to cost you money; it can help you make it too. Someone tell the big boys. 

Photo (cc) thebarrowboy. Some rights reserved.