Social Media Means Big Business for Smaller Retailers [Infographic]

As last year’s numbers prove, you don’t have to be a household name to earn big business from social media. In fact, Internet Retailer reports that those small, Web-only merchants that made social media a priority benefitted the most from social-driven traffic and sales. As a result, they also dominated the publication’s 2014 Social Media 500.

Even though these smaller retailers lack the brand recognition and budgets of major players like Amazon, revenue generated through social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube jumped nearly 63%—from $1.65 billion to $2.69 billion. This result is likely due to a 400% increase in spending on social ads by those retailers supplying data.

A knack for engaging with the audience also plays a role. Those in the top 10 of the Social Media 500 have a 30% engagement rate on Facebook. That’s more than 10 times the 2% rate of all merchants ranked.

They’re not afraid to experiment, either. Even brands not typically associated with social sharing jumped into the fray. Office Depot, the nation’s second-largest online office supplies retailer, upped its social media spending by 150%, trying new strategies like on-site social- sharing buttons and segmented audience content.

All proof that, for those willing to invest and experiment in the social sphere, the outcome will be well worth the outlay.

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