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Think Facebook drives sales? Think again.

February 21, 2012 | Online Marketing

Despite the fact that Facebook qualifies as one of the “Big Four” in ecommerce, according to a report by research firm Forrester, an interesting reality has emerged for some major ecommerce players: Facebook leaves much to be desired when it comes to driving ecommerce sales.

What should marketers trying to sell products via Facebook do? Clearly, they need a strong presence on Facebook. Marketers should recognize by now that Facebook, like all social media, is intended for building relationships. Listening to and corresponding with fans is at the core of a successful social media strategy.

Should marketers invest in advertising on Facebook? That depends on the objective. Those marketers who advertise on Facebook can keep their brands highly visible and in front of a lot of fans. They also could use Facebook to generate leads. But if the experiences of retailers like GameStop, Gap, J.C. Penny, and Nordstrom are any indication, marketers might find Facebook better at driving traffic to existing store websites rather than to Facebook stores.

At this stage, it may be that social media users are just that – users, and maybe prospects, but not necessarily buyers, at least not yet.

Get the full story at Reve News

Read also "Is reality catching up to Facebook f-commerce dreams?" at Econsultancy

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