Express’ New Tab Keeps ‘Em on Facebook
Marketers have heard that people will be more intertwined with your brand on social media sites if you give them content and information, but more so if that is contained on the site they’re on. This is particularly true with Facebook, as users who are using the site want to stay there.
Express has created a tab to make that a reality. On May 3rd, the retailer launched a new tab on their Facebook page – “Shop Express” – they have put their entire online catalog on their Facebook page, allowing customers to shop and make purchases right from Facebook.
Jim Wright, Express’ SVP of CRM and e-commerce says, ““If you look at what’s happening today, top-down marketing and driving people to places to [transact] has changed. We need to be where customers are having their experiences and sharing information. We need to take down the barriers preventing a shopping experience.”
In testing this out, it worked quite nicely. I wasn’t required to Like the page before using the catalog, and was able to complete an entire transaction without leaving the site.
Social media is still in the learning and testing phase – it’s still new enough that companies will need to test and re-test methods and tactics to see what works best for their particular brand. Express is taking a leap with Facebook; we’ll watch to see how effective this is, and what other companies jump at this opportunity.
