Understanding social influence
For millennia, people have been influenced by the ideas and actions of others. With the advent of social media, the number of people that we influence and that influence us has grown markedly. For example, without social media, a highly satisfied customer might evangelize your product to perhaps 10 people. With social media, that number can now easily exceed 100, or 1000, or 10,000. Further, the ability to measure and track social influence is dramatically increased by digital social platforms.
Photo: Hans Põldoja
The influence of a particular individual or institution varies -- this is based upon a number of factors. These factors include the:
- Size of their overall network
- Level of perceived expertise on a topic
- Credibility of the person
- Likelihood of amplification
It may sound complicated, but in reality it's all rather intuitive.
What do we mean by "social commerce?"
At its core, social commerce refers to the use of user contributions and interactions to help sell products and services.
Photo: PhotoSteve101
Ultimately, this means using social networks and media to help people become aware of options, consider their choices, make purchase decisions, and eliminate friction in the buying process. We all want to make better choices, and the process of gathering information to make those decisions can be made easier through our relationships with others.
