Social Commerce

A type of electronic commerce that employs social media to promote online transactions. Social commerce employs such tools as shared pick lists and ratings posted by previous users to assist online buyers with their transactions. It also encompasses other social shopping tools, such as forums and communities that allow buyers and sellers to discuss their online shopping experiences and compare transactional information.

Social commerce was first introduced by Yahoo! in November,2005. The concept was developed to enable online shoppers to obtain reliable advice and support from online experts regarding their transactions. Social commerce is separated by some from social shopping; the former is the collaboration of online vendors while the latter is the networking of online shoppers.