Phil Rubin

F-Commerce Faces Questions as Facebook Stores Close

February 21, 2012

FROM RETAILWIRE:
The decision by high-profile merchants Gamestop, Gap Inc., J.C. Penney and Nordstrom to close Facebook storefronts has some questioning whether so-called f-commerce sites have a future. Is there a place for Facebook storefronts in retailers' multi-channel selling strategy?      [more...]

Facebook storefronts are an uphill battle, but it might not be over yet. The best analogy I recently read for F-commerce is that it's like inviting a salesperson to call on your friends at a cocktail party.

While Amway and other MLM companies might disagree, Facebook is an increasingly cluttered and less relevant environment for brands trying to directly reach customers. Recent statistics indicate that no more than 1% of consumers interact with brands in the medium. While it's not right to compare this to other direct response media, as that is not social's purpose, many will do so.

The best way for retailers to sell across channels is to be relevant to customers across channels, knowing which are important to which customers, and why. Too many practitioners and retailers are looking at Facebook and much of social media as analogous to mass marketing channels, both digital and analog. Social is not a mass marketing channel any more than email is. At its best, it's a channel to inform, acquire and serve customers and especially gather insights about them (e.g,. who's advocating and who's really influencing).