MMA Impact Germany: How to Get Social Commerce Right

The rise of social commerce, accelerated by the pandemic, speaks to people’s desire for genuine experiences and connections, as well as the emotional appeal of making new discoveries. How can brands harness this opportunity? Which metrics are the most important, and which approaches resonate with consumers? What should marketers know about the way agencies and social platforms can support brands in developing and executing these strategies?

At MMA IMPACT Germany 2022, a virtual conference for marketing leadership presented by the MMA Germany and sponsored by Meta, Mission Female, and Adzine, an expert panel offered insight into how brands can use relevant, compelling social content to drive engagement and revenue.

Moderated by Peggy Anne Salz, Chief Content Officer of MMA Germany, the masterclass How to Get Social Commerce Right brought together Tobias Seitz, CMO, Westwing; Uwe Roschmann, Managing Director, Digitas Pixelpark; Nicole Bard, Head of Corporate Online, Villeroy & Boch; and Andreas Rau, Head of Media Agencies DACH, Meta. The session is now available for viewing online.

Focus on Testing and Driving Engagement

In Nicole Bard’s view, one of the most important aspects of social commerce, particularly for heritage brands like Villeroy & Boch, involves opportunities for testing with new target groups. “It’s a great opportunity to reach a target group that might not have Villeroy & Boch in mind in the first place… especially in Gen Z and Gen Y,” she said. “We think TikTok might be a great opportunity to connect” with new, younger audiences.

Speaking on behalf of Westwing, the platform for home and living e-commerce in Europe, Tobias Seitz advised marketers to avoid a conversion-first mindset when approaching social: “If you focus on conversion, you are probably doing the wrong things in the very beginning. If you focus on engagement [and] entertaining content… the conversion will follow.” Building engagement, he added, requires trial and error: “You need to try and open yourself up, and you need to [make] mistakes” before success comes.

Listen First, and Let People Communicate in Their Own Voice

For Andreas Rau of Meta, producing engaging content for “discovery commerce” — where customers have unexpected discoveries with brands on a platform like Facebook — can only come through listening. He encouraged brands to “use tools to understand trends on the social networks. You can find [a way] to be part of this trend, or maybe go completely in a different direction. This is really listening, this is being open and not just sticking to, what’s the message I want to push out.”

Speaking from an agency perspective, Uwe Roschmann of Digitas Pixelpark said that leaning into the conversational aspect of social commerce means ceding some control. “Whilst you still, as a brand, must own the [overall] positioning and messaging, the way this positioning and messaging will be delivered against various target groups, differs,” he noted. “You have to allow people to act on your behalf [in] the way they communicate with their followership.” This might differ from the way your brand normally communicates, but that’s the strength of social.

For more insights, view the full session below and subscribe for more content like this.