According to Nielsen, more than 22 percent of time spent online is spent on social media and blogs. Studies by Cone, Inc. indicate that 70 percent of consumers research products, and 60 percent look for ratings and reviews before purchasing. How can this information be used to benefit businesses? marketing strategies? Heidi Cohen, president of Riverside Marketing Strategies, offers five tips on implementing social commerce tactics, on ClickZ News:

• Participate in social media conversation about your product. Train employees to listen and engage with potential customers, answer product and purchase questions, and respond to negative comments as they arise.
• Provide social sharing and email options for your products. Encourage shoppers to share information about products with all of their social media connections, tracking which products customers share, and with whom.
• Use QR codes to make it easy for customers to scan for additional information. This gives potential customers information about the product and allows them to easily contact you directly.
• Offer a deal of the day. Time-limited special offers encourage swift action from consumers, and do not simply overwhelm prospects with promotional information.
• Provide customer support through social media. Facebook, Twitter and other social media can be used as a way to encourage customers to ask questions to help overcome purchase objections.