{"id":12535,"date":"2021-09-01T13:28:04","date_gmt":"2021-09-01T20:28:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michaeljbrumm.com\/dcl-v3\/?p=12535"},"modified":"2023-06-30T10:55:39","modified_gmt":"2023-06-30T17:55:39","slug":"benefits-of-social-selling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michaeljbrumm.com\/dcl-v3\/blog\/fulfillment\/benefits-of-social-selling\/","title":{"rendered":"The Benefits of Social Selling"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Guest Post: This post was co-authored by Natalie Callejo. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Natalie is a marketing intern and will be a junior at Burlingame High School in California.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>What is Social Selling?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social selling is a sales tactic that allows companies to directly engage with their ideal customer on social media channels.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s reported that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/business.instagram.com\/blog\/how-to-sell-your-products-on-instagram\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">81% of Instagram users<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are already using the platform to research products and services. By using social platforms as a sales channel, brands have an all-in-one platform to easily focus on the entire customer journey, from awareness to acquisition to loyalty. Brands can zero in on customer prospects and simultaneously build a rapport with their network. It\u2019s modern relationship building.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are clear benefits for customers using social media to buy products as well:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Greater opportunity to feel a personal connection when communicating with the brand.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Higher likelihood of engaging with merchandise when product pages are synonymous with personal content.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Better sense of product useability and intrigue when consumers see products \u201cin the wild\u201d versus on a static product page.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>How Fulfillment Works for Social Selling<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When a customer is browsing through Instagram they might see a post or an ad with an item they want to buy. If the seller has a \u201cbuy now\u201d button the customer can have a one-click experience to make a purchase within the social media platform, like Instagram or Facebook.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In order to collect the necessary order information (size, color, shipping address, and credit card information) all online stores have an ecommerce platform as the back-end of their shopping cart. There are so many options that sellers can choose from, but the most popular is Shopify\u2014it has upwards of two million merchants using it at this point\u2014because it has a multitude of simple plugins that allow sellers to customize their product pages and easily integrate with social media platforms.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cTechnology has made it possible for sellers to list a select number of specific products that show up natively within the social media environment. It makes social selling much more effective when you can target the demographic you want and offer a frictionless buying experience. If you have 100 products in total, but you only want to list seasonal items, gender-specific styles, or certain colors, you can easily program that into your experience.\u201d \u2014Brian Tu, Chief Revenue Officer at DCL Logistics<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By integrating their Shopify store with Instagram, sellers allow their customers a native shopping environment directly on Instagram. All the cart information is pulled forward into Instagram to give a more fluid experience for the customer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThese integrations are simple to set up and they give sellers a lot of visibility. When an order comes in from Instagram a seller\u2019s Shopify dashboard will update to reflect that an order was received and their payment information was verified. Shopify makes it easy for a seller to track sales volume and support customer service if issues arise.\u201d \u2014Brian Tu, Chief Revenue Officer at DCL Logistics<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once the customer\u2019s order and payment information are collected the order information is sent to the fulfillment center. (This could be an internal fulfillment center or an outsourced one.) The fulfillment center needs very specific information to be able to process the order, this includes:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SKU\u2014a unique identifier that helps sort and organize all products that are housed in a warehouse.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Delivery address\u2014Labels will be applied in the fulfillment process.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Order information\u2014Is it part of a kit or bundle? Does it need special packaging?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shipping information\u2014The carrier they\u2019ve chosen plus the shipping service selected\u2014expedited, ground, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The fulfillment process is comprised of multiple steps including:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The SKU is determined by the WMS (warehouse management system).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The product is taken off warehouse shelves, either picked mechanically by a robotic arm or manually by a warehouse staffer.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The product is put into a box, taped up, and labeled. Automation can enable printing and applying accurate labels quickly to maximize speed and efficiency.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The package is placed on a conveyor belt that branches into various areas depending on the carrier selected.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The carriers come to collect the bins containing the packages.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The boxes are then scanned so they are able to keep track of its location.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Data is collected and shared with the seller and the buyer so that all parties are able to track the package in transit.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>How to Maintain Order Accuracy and Quality Control<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If a wrong order is sent, the customer will be upset at the brand, not the fulfillment service. For this reason it\u2019s incredibly important that sellers choose a reliable fulfillment method. Often it\u2019s most cost-effective to outsource fulfillment to a 3PL.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These days customers expect so much from a brand\u2014ultimately they want their items at their doorstep ASAP. Finding a fulfillment provider who can deliver quality control, accuracy, and efficiency are paramount when it comes to satisfying the customer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A 3PL\u2019s ability to maintain speed, accuracy, and efficiency is only as good as the technology, process, and operations experience they have. A warehouse management system (WMS) is the \u201cheartbeat\u201d of an entire fulfillment operation. Through a WMS anyone can organize inventory, and easily track orders every step of the way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If a 3PL has a quality department, it will be separate from the operations team. This distinction is crucial because it means there is a team specifically dedicated to inspecting orders and constantly improving warehouse procedures. If they find an issue they\u2019ll report it and evaluate what needs to be improved. This systematically ensures a higher level of accuracy, which is ultimately beneficial for brands (less customer complaints equals increased brand loyalty).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>How Sellers Can Keep Up With Consumers Demand\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regardless of the platform, ecommerce brands are constantly changing how they sell, where they sell, and how they package their products. There is a lot to coordinate when managing physical assets which makes adapting quickly difficult.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not all fulfillment companies can keep up with the ever changing dynamics of consumer behavior. It\u2019s important that brands choose a 3PL that can support their needs, especially if that means they can adapt their fulfillment systems and processes to trends in customer behavior.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Flexibility is a crucial component in staying competitive. For example, Amazon does a tremendous amount of fulfillment, but for a brand they are very rigid to work with. By design, Amazon is also unable to customize\u2014each package comes in Amazon-branded material. Similarly some 3PLs won\u2019t be able to integrate with Shopify or social sales. A 3PL who specializes in customization will allow you as a seller to differentiate yourself, which gives you an edge in the market.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re seeking fulfilment support, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/michaeljbrumm.com\/dcl-v3\/company\/get-started\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reach out to us for a quote<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. DCL Logistics has a proven track record of helping high-growth brands scale their order volume while maintaining quality and accuracy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Guest Post: This post was co-authored by Natalie Callejo. Natalie is a marketing intern and will be a junior at Burlingame High School in California. What is Social Selling? Social selling is a sales tactic that allows companies to directly engage with their ideal customer on social media channels.\u00a0 It\u2019s reported that 81% of Instagram [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[2045],"class_list":["post-12535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fulfillment","tag-omnichannel-fulfillment"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.5 (Yoast SEO v26.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Benefits of Social Selling | DCL Logistics DCL Logistics<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"81% of Instagramers use the platform to research products &amp; services. Is social selling right for your brand? Ways your fulflllment provider can support it.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/michaeljbrumm.com\/dcl-v3\/blog\/fulfillment\/benefits-of-social-selling\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Benefits of Social Selling\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"81% of Instagramers use the platform to research products &amp; services. Is social selling right for your brand? 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