When I use the term social commerce, I am not speaking of slapping an e-commerce presence on Facebook. For me, it is much more than the "F-WORD." Social commerce is the use of social technologies to drive commerce through brand engagement and improvement of the path to purchase. Retailers have 1/3 more sites on Facebook than e-commerce and they now have a strong presence on Twitter. The focus on mobile applications and mobility throughout the supply chain is a means to an end of serving customers better and driving brand recognition.

The average retail company has 1.6 mobile applications, they have been working on a mobile strategy for a little over a year, and their biggest challenge is getting the right talent. It is a fundamental shift from a two years ago when the primary focus was mobile for the sake of mobile.  We are slowly starting to see the shift from social marketing to social business. For me this is EXCITING!

My advice:  35 percent of retailers have a dedicated team focused on mobility.  Make sure that it is cross-functional. Use this as an opportunity to be market-driven not marketing-driven. Use it as an opportunity to redefine the organization outside-in from the shopper back.

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Keywords: saas, supply chain management IT, value chain IT, social commerce, social media