Selling online? Facebook, Instagram reviews help

The role of social media is changing, giving brands a credible platform for sales and content awareness.

A new research that revealed that UAE residents are comfortable shopping online based on a brand’s social media presence. This confidence is further boosted by influencers, according to 55 per cent of respondents.

In addition, verified social media accounts propel financial transactions (69 per cent) and residents more likely to buy from accounts that have an influencer campaign (57 per cent).

Looking deeper into their comfort of shopping on social media, 55 per cent of people found it convenient and 61 per cent felt that it saves time. More than half (55 per cent) said that they follow specific brand accounts on social media for their shopping fix and a similar proportion (56 per cent) of respondents reported being comfortable with brands monitoring their online shopping data.

At present, more than half of UAE residents (52 per cent) who shop online at least once a year said they have made a purchase directly through a social media platform. It is interesting to note that while men claim to be more likely to trust a brand with a social presence, it is actually women who indulge with social media for shopping as compared to men (57 per cent vs 49 per cent).

When it comes to the most popular shopping platform on social media, Facebook stands as the clear winner, with more than four in five social media shoppers (82 per cent). Instagram is the second most popular (47 per cent). Currently, 68 per cent of online shoppers in the UAE prefer shopping from retail websites such as Amazon, Noon.com, etc., while 17 per cent prefer buying from brand websites, nine per cent from social media platforms and seven per cent don’t have any preference at all.

Even though social media is not the most preferred online shopping platform, around two-thirds of UAE residents (65 per cent) have shown the likelihood of buying on social media in the future.