Retailers moved into social media in a big way in 2010; deploying ‘pop up’ social media f-commerce (Facebook Commerce) stores to create word of mouth buzz around new products (Disney, P&G, NineWest, Rachel Roy), whilst giving their e-commerce stores a social media makeover, adding customers ratings, reviews, Q&A’s and forums to make their stores sticky and stimulate word of mouth. The key value of social media for retailers is that it activates the referral value of promoters (from ‘would recommend’ to ‘do recommend’), and allows them to monetize that value with hard sales and new customers. Social media also allows retailers to offer their customers an expectation-beating retail experience that not only activates promoters but creates them too.

source: FashionablyMarketing