96% of companies in South East Asia agree that social commerce will become increasingly important in the next five years - new Econsultancy research

SINGAPORE,Oct. 22,2019 -- A report by global research firm Econsultancy said 96% of marketers in South East Asia agree that social commerce will become increasingly important in the next five years while 90% agree that social media drives online sales. However,less than 6 in 10 of these companies have their social media platforms fully integrated with their ecommerce platform.

TheState of Social Commerce in South East Asiareport,produced by Econsultancy in partnership withMagento,an Adobecompany,and Hootsuite,is based on a survey of more than 270 ecommerce marketers and 270 consumers in Southeast Asia.

The research looks at how consumers shop online and how they use social media,comparing this with how retailers are responding to the opportunities present.

This research finds that,almost6 in 10 consumers say that more than one-quarter of all their online shopping is influenced by social media,with the two most popular channels triggering a purchase being Facebook (78%) and YouTube (52%). In addition,44% of these social shoppers say they have made three or more online purchases in the past month as a result of seeing social media posts or ads.

82% of these consumers share their purchases via their social networks,amplifying the impact of buying online,showing that each shopping experience can be social.

In addition,some social networks are underserved by brands. For example,while 95% of shoppers surveyed use YouTube and 71% use WhatsApp,fewer brands are on either of these channels (76% YouTube,51% WhatsApp).

The top challenges that e-commerce marketers face with regards to social commerce are increased competition (53%),developing a social strategy that addresses different regions and markets in Southeast Asia (32%),meeting revenue targets (31%) and changing customer expectations (30%).

Econsultancy APAC Managing Partner,Jefrey Gomez,said,"With 90% of internet users in South East Asia connecting to the internet using their smartphone,the opportunity to engage with shoppers is vast. If consumers can make a purchase immediately when they discover a product on social media,it reduces the number of steps in the customer journey and decreases the likelihood of abandoned carts. Less than 60% of brands surveyed have their social media channels fully integrated with their ecommerce platform due to a lack of desire to change existing workflows,which presents a huge opportunity for social commerce in South East Asia to grow."

"Customers don't care about singular touchpoint events. What matters to them is the cumulative experience across multiple touchpoints,multiple channels over time. Consequently,social commerce plays a key role in this respect.

87% of businesses leading in social commerce said they saw ecommerce sales rise,"said Nicholas Kontopoulos,Regional Head of APAC Marketing,Magento,with "58% of shoppers reporting that more than one-quarter of all their online shopping is in some way influenced by social media,yet it is seen by businesses just as a customer service channel (13%),a brand channel (13%) and not treated as a priority marketing channel (12%)."

"More than three-quarters of marketers -- 76% -- expect to increase their spend in social commerce technology over the next 12 months," said Hootsuite CMO Penny Wilson. "Asia will continue to lead the charge in social selling,but I believe the region is setting the bar for future behavior in the west. Right now,70 percent of Gen Zers in China opt to buy directly from social. But this trend is quickly spreading around the globe,and to every demographic. I predict 2020 will be the year we finally see a significant rise in social commerce around the world."

The report is available for download here:http://bit.ly/EconSocialCommerce

PR Newswire is the official news distribution partner of Econsultancy.

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About Magento

Magento,An Adobe Company is the leading provider of cloud commerce innovation to merchants and brands across B2C and B2B industries,with more than $155 billion in gross merchandise volume transacted on the platform annually. In addition to its flagship digital commerce platform,Magento Commerce boasts a strong portfolio of cloud-based omnichannel solutions that empower merchants to successfully integrate digital and physical shopping experiences. Magento Commerce is the #1 provider to the Internet Retailer Top 1000,the B2B 300 and the Top 500 Guides for Europe and Latin America. Magento Commerce is supported by a vast global network of solution and technology partners,a highly active global developer community and the largest eCommerce marketplace for extensions available for download on the Magento Marketplace. More information can be found atwww.magento.com.

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Hootsuite is the most widely used social media management platform,trusted by more than 18 million people and employees at 80% of the Fortune 1000. Hootsuite's unparalleled expertise,customer insights at scale,and collaborative ecosystem help people and organizations succeed with social. To learn more,visit www.hootsuite.com.

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