Consumers worldwide are increasingly purchasing from international brands, transforming the online retail landscape. To address this trend, a new playbook titled "Grow Your Exports: A Guide to Cross-Border Business Growth" has been released. It aims to provide businesses and advertisers with insights into cross-border shopping habits and how digital tools can help expand their reach globally.
A study commissioned by Meta with Kantar, called the "Consumer Shopping Study," revealed that nearly half of 14,591 surveyed shoppers made a cross-border purchase in the past six months. Of these shoppers, 71% were open to trying new brands discovered online, and 72% would consider a new brand if offered an enticing promotion.
Shoppers today expect experiences that provide information, personalization, and entertainment. Brands have opportunities but also face new challenges as cross-border shoppers demand a wide selection (61%), personalized experiences (62%), and seamless shopping journeys. Additionally, 57% reported more spontaneous purchases due to increased convenience and immersive shopping experiences.
Gaurav Jeet Singh, Director of Agency and VC Partnerships for Meta in India, stated: "At Meta, we believe that cross-border business is a powerful driver of economic growth and opportunity. Our platforms are designed to help businesses of all sizes reach new customers and markets around the world."
Discovery plays a crucial role in capturing these opportunities. According to the survey, 40% of shoppers follow creators specifically to discover new brands abroad. Personalized ads on Meta's platforms have led over a third of respondents to new shopping experiences.
Rikki Agarwal, Co-Founder of Blink Digital, noted: "Meta is the platform of choice for discovering brands and driving performance." He emphasized how Indian ad spends exceeding $200 million have achieved measurable results through Meta's platforms.
Personalization is becoming essential as 62% of cross-border shoppers desire tailored shopping experiences while 61% seek relevant product recommendations. Meta's AI-powered solutions like Advantage+ sales campaigns aim to deliver highly relevant content at scale.
Andrew Squillace from Muddy Mat highlighted bid multipliers as effective tools for testing demographics and optimizing budget allocation toward profitable audiences. Shahroz Alam from Mirraw echoed similar sentiments regarding improved ROI through strategic budget optimization.
Trust remains vital in international shopping; 40% rely on social network recommendations while 31% discover brands via influencers. Collaborating with creators can enhance credibility across borders.
Suneil Chawla from Social Beat praised Meta's latest playbook as an invaluable resource for scaling internationally: "Their latest playbook is a goldmine of insights."
Convenience remains key; frictionless journeys from discovery to checkout are expected by consumers who increasingly use technologies like AR (41%) during product exploration stages—further enhancing engagement through entertaining content such as engaging videos or live-shopping features helps drive consideration among potential buyers globally
As cross-border commerce accelerates its growth trajectory fueled by digital transformation initiatives powered largely by AI-driven solutions provided via various offerings available under one roof - those embracing these changes stand poised well-positioned grow without limits within ever-expanding global marketplaces
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