These days, social media platforms continue to enjoy active engagement among billions of users across the globe, making it beneficial for companies to integrate them with their other digital marketing efforts.
Many company websites now include buttons leading to the company’s social media accounts, while their content would present options for sharing via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram, among other portals. The credentials for one’s social media accounts can now also be used to enter e-commerce platforms, an alternative to remembering every site-specific account username and the corresponding password. This is a particularly useful feature for those who do not want to enter login details all the time for websites they frequently visit.
But there are important implications when it is used on a company page. This article tackles the factors to consider when installing social logins:
Worry over user data privacy. Digital marketing efforts must follow the highest standards when it comes to respecting the privacy of the customer data. But when they enter through social media, the social media platform’s own privacy settings might dictate the terms of the usage of their information. Businesses usually like this because social media is a great resource regarding consumer preferences. But this possibility must be spelled out to customers, so that they know what they are getting into when they log in with their Facebook account, for example.
Possibility of being flooded with advertisements. An offshoot of the possibility that social media websites will mine customer data would be the emergence of advertisements based on the websites they have visited. It is, for example, highly likely that a woman who used social login to check out the selection of dresses in an online boutique will be the target of a clothing store’s Facebook ad. While it is true that the same will happen if they performed a regular search for a product on Google, there may be heightened alarm for users when it involves their social media accounts, which is often a repository of a lot of personal information.
Perception of inaccessibility. It is also possible for a potential page visitor to be turned off when only a social login window appears as they try to enter a site. After all, it might be perceived as a delay or as a form of inaccessibility, and with no clear benefit, too. Indeed, it might not always be evident that they can see more by parting with their social media credentials.
Managing expectations is key. Different users have different reactions to the aforementioned concerns regarding privacy, advertising, or inaccessibility if they use social login, but key to ensuring their cooperation and continued engagement is managing their expectations. There should be a clear explanation of how it benefits them, how it poses no serious harm, and what information will be culled from their account.
Talk to GBX Digital today, to learn more about the use of social media in digital marketing. GBX Digital is a team of experienced digital marketing professionals based in New York.