The convenience of sourcing online is fraught with more pitfalls than most of us want to admit. Try finding adequate photos of a vintage piece's condition-close-ups of the fabric, video of damaged areas, any images of a piece's rear or underside!
A quick ask around my Whatsapp groups tells me why it's appealing to the millennial female. "It's the source of all knowledge and free of influencers," says one friend. "I use it because it's real people, and ChatGPT is soulless and makes me sad," says another. "I like how old school the platform is - it feels quite separate from adverts, image saturation, influencing," says a third.
It's our job to be translators of science so people understand what's happening and why it's so important. It's a global ocean. Just because something's happening in one place, doesn't mean it's not going to have an effect elsewhere in the world.
Traffic is not the problem. The buying path is the problem. Fixing conversion first often unlocks growth with the same budget. This topic matters more now. Ad costs rise. Competition is tighter. Buyers also have less patience. A store can attract the right visitors and still lose them.
At a time when digital channels increasingly define commercial success, online marketplaces have become essential tools for small and medium-sized enterprises to reach customers and drive revenue. For many SMEs, marketplaces offer a ready-made audience without the significant acquisition costs of standalone ecommerce sites, but the simple act of listing product ranges isn't enough to guarantee results. To succeed, businesses must approach their marketplace presence strategically, optimising every element of their listings for discovery, relevance and conversion.
Luke Arnel Cameron didn't launch his first year on TikTok Shop with a warehouse, a call center, or a giant ad budget. He launched with a camera and a livestream. "We launched November, 2024 ... in the UK. Our first livestream, we did 70,000 pounds," he says. "In our first year, we've done over 650,000 orders." It's not the typical outcome, but it is a revealing one.
From Gen Z and their TikTok dances to the millennial squares of IG, when we think of social media we think of the younger generations. However, 'older' audiences are also getting involved. From how to remove stains on walls and 'Things I wish I knew in my 20s' to fashion advice and rediscovering their personal style, older gens are increasingly growing their share of voice on social - seeking advice from (as well as giving advice to) the young ones.
If you're looking for an easy way to make extra money in this economy, declutter your home with some timely spring cleaning or even start a simple side hustle, Facebook Marketplace is one of the best platforms to use. The site lets you list items for free without fees, sell locally or nationwide, and tap into millions of buyers that the internet considers friends.
Facebook will announce its second quarter earnings today, and the social giant appears to have solved its mobile problems. When Facebook launched its IPO two years ago, it was criticized for not having a clear mobile strategy. Just two years later, more than half of the firm's revenue comes from mobile ad sales and its stock is approaching an all-time high. Now that is has figured out mobile, it is moving on to an even more lucrative segment: commerce.