Facebook is a well-known social media platform. However, it has expanded its reach beyond the digital realm. Facebook is the most popular shopping platform, with a higher penetration rate online than any other social media channels. To maximize the commerce potential of Facebook, brands must understand their customers’ buying habits on Facebook.
Vietnamese consumers use Facebook to shop online and offline
Facebook has grown to be a popular e-commerce platform over the years in Vietnam. According to a study by Decision Lab and MMA Vietnam, social media is the fourth most used e-commerce channel. The top social media platforms for social commerce are Facebook (94%), Zalo (49%), Instagram (31%), TikTok (23%), and Zalo (49%).
Their report also shows that Facebook Commerce grew by 2% and 4% respectively for Gen Y respondents and Gen Z during Q4 2021.
The rise in shopping on Facebook happens across Vietnam. 31% of Hanoi residents chose Facebook when asked about their favorite e-commerce platform. This is 11% more than in Q3 2021. In Q4 2021, Facebook Commerce was used by a lot more people compared to the previous quarter in most of the big cities (HCMC, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Hai Phong and Can Tho).
Facebook is an important player in shaping the Vietnamese customer experience online and offline.
Facebook is the first point of contact for consumers in the early stages of their consumer journey. 40% of Vietnamese consumers first learn about products thanks to Facebook.
Given Vietnam’s high engagement with social media, this result is not surprising. Facebook’s native features and products, such as Facebook Stories, Facebook Advertising and Facebook Groups, make it easy for users to find new products. The most important factor in finding new stores is also the recommendations of friends. After hearing from friends, consumers can instantly search for and verify the credibility of a brand or store on Facebook.
Facebook plays a significant role in the selection phase. Whether they plan to purchase products online, in stores or on other ecommerce websites, 45% Vietnamese consumers use Facebook to compare different options.
Facebook can also drive sales through both offline and online channels. Although only 20% of consumers purchase products via Facebook directly, nearly half of those consumers then go on to buy products they find on Facebook both on e-commerce websites and in physical stores.
47% of buyers use Facebook to keep up with updates from sellers they have purchased from.
57% of consumers plan their purchases while 43% buy impulsively on Facebook. The percentage of impulse purchases by Facebook users (48%) is slightly higher than on other platforms, especially for formula milk, personal care, home appliances and food categories.
Shopping on Facebook is better than on other e-commerce platforms
According to Q&Me’s July 2019 survey, the main benefits of shopping on Facebook include convenience (37%), and interaction with friends (33%). The survey surveyed 582 adults aged 16-45 who were mostly located in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Fast consultation via Facebook Messenger
Some products need to be consulted with sellers, such as those in the fashion category. Therefore, shoppers prefer to use Facebook to request more information. Waiting for an email reply from an e-commerce platform is tedious. Chatting with shop owners on Facebook allows them to instantly get all the information they require, such as prices, details, and images. Consumers can then place orders directly with the shop owners by providing shipping information.
According to Q&Me, up to 85% of Vietnamese use Facebook Messenger to communicate with businesses.
Trust and authenticity are also enhanced when you chat with shop owners or customer service representatives (real people). These conversations can improve the relationship between brands and consumers.
Numerous effective ways confirm the credibility of a shop.
Facebook buyers can verify a shop by reading its reviews, comments and sharing posts.
Before placing an order, most Vietnamese customers rely on reviews from shops’ Fanpages. 68% of customers read reviews, 58% ask for information from their friends, 50% talk to the owner and 34% use a trial-and error approach.
Online shop reviews are read by 1.14x more women than by men. They are also slightly more likely to buy from online shops for the first time to test their trustworthiness.
Many people who use Facebook to purchase goods love the unique deals and personalized service.
More diverse boutique brands – more choices for shopping
E-commerce sites aren’t allowed to sell many boutique brands because they don’t meet strict paper requirements. Meanwhile, a shop that was opened less than a week ago may be able to run ads and receive first orders from Facebook users. Anyone can create a shop page on Facebook and begins selling.
Products can also be introduced and sold across all Facebook features, such as Facebook groups and Facebook livestreams. People can find fresh groceries by contacting sellers in Facebook groups. One can quickly find out if a friend offers something by scrolling through Facebook stories. There are many Facebook ads that appear every second.
It is therefore a great advantage that Facebook users can access numerous products, many of which are not available elsewhere.
It’s more fun to shop on Facebook!
Facebook was created to entertain, socialize and make friends. Consumers can enjoy these entertainment activities and shop spontaneously if they see content that converts. Many consumers don’t have the desire to shop at first, but after spending hours on Facebook, watching livestreams or videos and feeling happy, most consumers feel the need to purchase.
Shop owners now understand that shopping should be fun. They are finding creative ways to connect, communicate, interact with and entertain their customers. This includes better content (pictures, videos, copywriting), more lucrative deals and quicker chat replies.
Need help to launch your brand and sell on Facebook in Vietnam? Please contact us!
