The almost eight month #StayAtHome period since the pandemic began changed not just people’s lives and the way they do things, whether working or learning from home, but also even the way they shop and to some, the way they do business.
E-commerce (or m-commerce for some) was already thought of some years back as the “wave of the future” that “game-changer” in doing business done via the internet or simply, online. It didn’t take off sooner or bigger than expected but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, where people were told to stay in their houses to avoid catching the virus, the situation somewhat accelerated the push for e-commerce.
Websites, to some their social media pages, substituted physical stores. Display racks became virtual ones, and the “Monthly” sales activities like the upcoming “11.11” sale brought back the shopping frenzy that people usually experience, but not in actual malls anymore. Along with this is the evolution of how consumers behave and what they openly share regarding their shopping habits.
Twitter, considered the go-to place for #WhatsHappening in the Philippines, provided some insights that can help brands understand consumers better and why adopting e-commerce is almost a non-negotiable for businesses today.
“There’s no doubt that shopping conversations on Twitter are increasing across South East Asia. While we see peaks in the lead-up to eCommerce days and for a few days after, shopping is a year-round conversation on Twitter. As people are shifting more to eCommerce and mCommerce, we see this conversational trend continuing to grow rapidly,” said Arvinder Gujral, Managing Director for Twitter South-East Asia.
“For brands, this requires a change in the way they approach their marketing. A more in-depth understanding of why people shop online and what influences their online shopping habits is needed, and in the Philippines we are seeing brands turn to Twitter to connect with their customers and leverage the leaned-in nature of people on Twitter in the Philippines,” he continued.
The way to a successful launch is to connect to moments and listen to know more of the target audience, from their habits to their sentiments. Perhaps understanding these five noteworthy changes on consumer behavior as monitored on Twitter can be of help:
More Filipinos bought their essentials online
The pandemic has impacted both companies and consumers. Since people #StayAtHome, Filipinos go over the internet to safely add to their shopping carts. In the past month, the GWI Survey for the first quarter of 2020 for Twitter visitors/users showed that 78 percent of Filipinos on Twitter have recently purchased a product online while 93 percent have visited an online retail site or store to check out items.
Evolution of purchasing habits was also seen during the lockdown period, with Filipinos mostly stocking up on the essentials. The Top 5 items that Filipino Twitter users bought online in the last month include Shampoo and Conditioner (81 percent), Cleaning products (76 percent), Laundry products (72 percent), Deodorant (70 percent) and Snack Food (66 percent).
People think before they shop
As the famous saying goes, think before you click. When product photos and information wouldn’t suffice, online shoppers do their research to gather more details about the product and if it’s worth buying. The Global Web Index entitled “Research online before purchase” revealed that over 69% of Filipinos on Twitter who shopped online always do their research first before making a purchase. With this, brands must ensure that their content can actually guide consumers in making the right purchasing decisions.
According to Global Web Index, “Online Product Research” on Twitter users in the Philippines who had shopped online in the past month, 55 percent of Filipino online shoppers go to social media to discover what’s new in the market and check out real sentiments and reviews from buyers. The target audience is on Twitter, and they are highly receptive and engaging.
Connecting to interests pique their attention
Everyone has their own shopping list and preference, so it’s important for brands to tailor-fit their approach and study what grabs the customer’s attention. Aside from creating campaigns that suit their target audience, knowing their interests gives an overview of what they will most likely search for, anticipate promos on, and eventually purchase.
When creating a message, brands can draw inspiration from the language of their target audience. For starters, female shoppers are into music (82 percent), food and drink (81 percent), and cooking (80 percent), while top picks for male shoppers are technology (82 percent), gadgets (79 percent), and music (78 percent), says the Global Web Index on Twitter users who had shopped online in the past month, “Personal Interests.”
Purchase drivers among Filipinos
Shopping in a store has its pros; all senses can be engaged such as tasting out a food sample or seeing the actual dimensions of an item, just to name a few. However, the situation right now calls for a safer shopping experience, which influences people to skip the queue and use their gadgets to buy online.
How can your campaign stand out from the rest of other sales? It lies in knowing which drives them to purchase. For Filipino online shoppers on Twitter, as revealed by the Global Web Index (“Online purchase drivers”), 67 percent are driven to purchase because of free delivery, 55 percent buy from brands who champion an advocacy, 52 percent check out if a store allows pay with cash, while 50 percent are enticed by discounts. It is believed that shoppers nowadays are more conscious about issues; so brands must definitely consider championing an advocacy genuinely.
Filipinos openly express excitement on shopping moments
Filipinos are known for being thrifty, so first-hand reviews and recommendations are highly appreciated. This is also the reason why people get excited about e-commerce shopping days and therefore, hypes up the moment. This buzz is created by the audience themselves that brands to leverage from to drive engagements and potential sales.
Though 9/9, 10/10, or 11/11 sales only happen for one day, conversations around it actually begin and last longer. For brands to successfully launch their campaigns, here’s an overview on how conversations on Twitter unfold during e-commerce shopping days, and how brands can successfully tread the whole journey.
- Start of conversation (5-7 days before E-commerce Shopping Day) – Start publishing your online content.
- Warm up (2-3 days before actual day) – Don’t waste the momentum! Tease and hype it up some more.
- E-Commerce Day – a huge spike in conversation; go all out and create a conversation.
- Unboxing (2-3 days after) – Parcels are delivered; be ready to see (and re-share) reviews online!
- Aftermath (5-7 days after) – Convos have mellowed down; but online content must continue.
Brands and consumers alike interact on Twitter, which means this can open a good chance to build brand loyalty and gather valuable insights for growth and better customer experience. If E-commerce is happening, then Twitter is definitely #WhatsHappening.