Latest news with #socialcommerce
Arab News
16 hours ago
- Business
- Arab News
How AI and microtools are empowering the next generation of Saudi entrepreneurs
JEDDAH: Digitalization has reshaped how entrepreneurs get started — particularly in the early stages. Increasingly, small businesses are launching via platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp, bypassing the traditional route of setting up a dedicated website. These social-first entrepreneurs are meeting customers where they already spend time, turning social media from a communication tool into a sales platform. 'Generative AI is reshaping the future of business, and when combined with digital marketing, the results are transformative,' Selina Bieber, vice president for international markets at the US-based web hosting company GoDaddy, told Arab News. According to the GoDaddy 2025 Global Entrepreneurship Survey, 22 percent of small business owners in the Middle East and North Africa now run their businesses primarily on social media. This trend highlights the rising importance of social commerce, especially for solo founders and part-time business operators. However, running a business solely on social platforms comes with risks. Visibility may be high, but ownership and control are limited. Algorithm changes or policy shifts can dramatically affect a business's ability to reach customers or generate income. Shoppers also tend to look for additional signals of trust before making a purchase. A professional website, for example, often strengthens a business's credibility. According to The State of Digital Commerce in MENA 2024 report by Checkout, 73 percent of online shoppers in the region are more confident buying from businesses that have a website, rather than relying exclusively on social media accounts. In response to this shift, new digital tools have emerged to support social-first entrepreneurs. Features such as branded microsites, product catalogues, and smart links — often packaged into accessible platforms — help founders establish a more centralized and professional presence online without needing advanced technical knowledge. Artificial intelligence is also playing a growing role in this transition, helping entrepreneurs move more quickly from concept to launch. It can assist in writing product descriptions, developing pricing strategies, and automating customer engagement. Internal data suggests AI-powered tools can save small business owners up to 10 hours a week — a meaningful benefit for entrepreneurs managing limited time and resources. Beyond time savings, AI helps to level the playing field by making it easier for people to launch and scale businesses with minimal upfront investment. Saudi Arabia has emerged as a particularly dynamic arena for these digital shifts. In 2023, GoDaddy signed a partnership agreement with the Kingdom's General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises — Monsha'at — to equip Saudi entrepreneurs with the digital tools and training needed to build their online presence. The agreement, signed during the Biban 23 entrepreneurship forum in Riyadh, aimed to empower aspiring business owners through workshops, seminars, and a planned business accelerator. It also included support for Monsha'at Academy and content initiatives to share local success stories. 'We're inspired to see Saudi entrepreneurs and small business owners feel confident in embracing technology and in their approach to entrepreneurship,' said Bieber. While social media remains a powerful tool for customer engagement, long-term growth often requires a more permanent digital footprint. A dedicated website, complemented by tools like GoDaddy's Show in Bio, can provide an added layer of credibility and security — something that social media accounts alone may not guarantee. With the rise of impersonation and questionable accounts online, many customers check whether a business has a standalone website before making a purchase. The latest generation of entrepreneurs is pragmatic and digitally fluent. While they may start on social media, many are increasingly looking for tools that offer more autonomy, control, and brand distinction. Combining a social-first approach with a professional online presence can offer the credibility and resilience needed for sustainable growth. 'GoDaddy continues to level the playing field by offering powerful, affordable tools that allow small businesses to elevate their marketing and achieve real success,' said Bieber. With the right mix of AI and easy-to-use tools, turning a side project into a long-term venture is more achievable than ever. Social media may be where the journey starts — but building lasting value depends on owning and shaping your own digital presence.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Meta Platforms Adds Ads in WhatsApp: Is it the Next Revenue Pillar?
Meta Platforms META is adding channel subscriptions, promoted channels and ads in Status in the WhatsApp updates tab, which is now used by 1.5 billion people globally. META plans to maintain user privacy as personal messages, calls, and statuses remain end-to-end encrypted. The company will use limited information like country, city, language, channels followed and interaction with ads. The social-networking giant generated 97.8% of total revenues in the first quarter of 2025. Meta Platforms' focus on improving advertisers' return on ad spending has been a key catalyst. Its proprietary machine learning system, Andromeda, for retrieval in ad recommendation is powered by NVIDIA. AI is helping META become better at targeting and finding the right audience for advertisers. Availability of ads in WhatsApp Status is expected to boost META's top-line launch of the new Generative Ads Recommendation model for ads ranking, which is being used in Facebook Reels, has increased conversion rates by 5%. Meta Platforms also saw 30% more advertisers using AI creative tools. Improvements in META's recommendation system have led to a 7% increase in time spent on Facebook, a 6% increase on Instagram, and a 35% increase on Threads over the past six growing focus on social commerce through Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp is noteworthy. In first-quarter 2025, WhatsApp Business Platform, as well as Meta Verified subscriptions, contributed to deliver 34% year-over-year growth in Family of Apps other revenues, reaching $510 million. Per our model, META's 2025 revenues are expected to grow 11.8% year over year to $179.67 billion. Meta Platforms is facing stiff competition from Alphabet GOOGL and Amazon AMZN. Meta Platforms, Alphabet and Amazon are expected to absorb roughly 50% of the projected global ad spending by focus on leveraging AI to drive growth is a key catalyst. AI is infused heavily across its offerings, including Search, Google Cloud and Pixel. Alphabet has been taking up initiatives to improve its market share in Search through AI innovations. Alphabet surpassed 270 million paid subscriptions with YouTube and Google One as key Amazon benefits from strengthening its AWS services portfolio. Ultrafast delivery services and an expanding content portfolio are driving Prime growth. The robust advertising business is contributing well. Meta Platforms shares have appreciated 19.9% year to date (YTD), underperforming the broader Zacks Computer & Technology sector's return of 1.1% and the Zacks Internet Software industry's rise of 10.6%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Meta Platforms stock is trading at a premium, with a forward 12-month Price/Sales of 8.98X compared with the industry's 5.57X. META has a Value Score of D. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter 2025 earnings is pegged at $5.75 per share, up 3% over the past 60 days, indicating 11.43% year-over-year growth. Meta Platforms, Inc. price-consensus-chart | Meta Platforms, Inc. Quote The consensus mark for 2025 earnings is pegged at $25.14 per share, up by 3.2% over the past 30 days, suggesting 5.36% year-over-year Platforms currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Inc. (AMZN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research
Globe and Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Meta Platforms Adds Ads in WhatsApp: Is it the Next Revenue Pillar?
Meta Platforms META is adding channel subscriptions, promoted channels and ads in Status in the WhatsApp updates tab, which is now used by 1.5 billion people globally. META plans to maintain user privacy as personal messages, calls, and statuses remain end-to-end encrypted. The company will use limited information like country, city, language, channels followed and interaction with ads. The social-networking giant generated 97.8% of total revenues in the first quarter of 2025. Meta Platforms' focus on improving advertisers' return on ad spending has been a key catalyst. Its proprietary machine learning system, Andromeda, for retrieval in ad recommendation is powered by NVIDIA. AI is helping META become better at targeting and finding the right audience for advertisers. Availability of ads in WhatsApp Status is expected to boost META's top-line growth. The launch of the new Generative Ads Recommendation model for ads ranking, which is being used in Facebook Reels, has increased conversion rates by 5%. Meta Platforms also saw 30% more advertisers using AI creative tools. Improvements in META's recommendation system have led to a 7% increase in time spent on Facebook, a 6% increase on Instagram, and a 35% increase on Threads over the past six months. META's growing focus on social commerce through Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp is noteworthy. In first-quarter 2025, WhatsApp Business Platform, as well as Meta Verified subscriptions, contributed to deliver 34% year-over-year growth in Family of Apps other revenues, reaching $510 million. Per our model, META's 2025 revenues are expected to grow 11.8% year over year to $179.67 billion. META Faces Stiff Competition for Ad Dollars Meta Platforms is facing stiff competition from Alphabet GOOGL and Amazon AMZN. Meta Platforms, Alphabet and Amazon are expected to absorb roughly 50% of the projected global ad spending by 2028. Alphabet's focus on leveraging AI to drive growth is a key catalyst. AI is infused heavily across its offerings, including Search, Google Cloud and Pixel. Alphabet has been taking up initiatives to improve its market share in Search through AI innovations. Alphabet surpassed 270 million paid subscriptions with YouTube and Google One as key drivers. Meanwhile, Amazon benefits from strengthening its AWS services portfolio. Ultrafast delivery services and an expanding content portfolio are driving Prime growth. The robust advertising business is contributing well. META's Share Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates Meta Platforms shares have appreciated 19.9% year to date (YTD), underperforming the broader Zacks Computer & Technology sector's return of 1.1% and the Zacks Internet Software industry's rise of 10.6%. META's Performance Meta Platforms stock is trading at a premium, with a forward 12-month Price/Sales of 8.98X compared with the industry's 5.57X. META has a Value Score of D. META Valuation Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter 2025 earnings is pegged at $5.75 per share, up 3% over the past 60 days, indicating 11.43% year-over-year growth. The consensus mark for 2025 earnings is pegged at $25.14 per share, up by 3.2% over the past 30 days, suggesting 5.36% year-over-year growth. Meta Platforms currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days Just released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops." Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +23.5% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention. See them now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Inc. (AMZN): Free Stock Analysis Report Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL): Free Stock Analysis Report Meta Platforms, Inc. (META): Free Stock Analysis Report
Globe and Mail
10-06-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
iPower and Borg Rise U.S. Enter Strategic Partnership to Expand Social Media Commerce
RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif., June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- iPower Inc. (Nasdaq: IPW) ("iPower" or the "Company"), a tech and data-driven eCommerce service provider and online retailer, today announced a strategic partnership with Borg Rise U.S., a dynamic and fast-growing player in digital content and social media commerce. This partnership marks a key milestone in iPower's strategy to expand its omnichannel presence through influencer-driven and content-based sales models across platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Borg Rise U.S., with its strong network of content creators, livestreaming infrastructure, and experience in cross-border digital commerce, will collaborate with iPower to build and scale innovative social commerce campaigns. These campaigns will bridge content and conversion, enabling more direct, engaging, and high-converting consumer experiences. "We're excited to team up with Borg Rise U.S. to unlock the potential of social-driven retail," said Lawrence Tan, CEO of iPower. "This collaboration strengthens our ability to connect brands with audiences where they spend their time and attention—on social media—by turning inspiration into seamless purchasing." Under this partnership, iPower and Borg Rise U.S. will work together to: Co-develop influencer campaigns, live selling initiatives, and digital storefronts Expand iPower's SuperSuite service offerings into social commerce enablement Leverage content performance data to enhance targeting and personalization Onboard emerging brands and help them scale through creator ecosystems This strategic alliance is expected to further iPower's mission to empower sellers and entrepreneurs with the tools, data, and distribution channels needed to thrive in today's evolving digital retail landscape. About iPower Inc. iPower Inc. is a tech and data-driven online retailer, as well as a provider of value-added eCommerce services for third-party products and brands. iPower's capabilities include a full spectrum of online channels, robust fulfillment capacity, a nationwide network of warehouses, competitive last-mile delivery partners, and a differentiated business intelligence platform. For more information, visit About Borg Rise U.S. Borg Rise U.S. is a next-generation digital commerce company focused on livestreaming, influencer marketing, and cross-border social commerce. With strengths in content development, platform operations, and community-driven conversion, Borg Rise U.S. empowers brands to unlock growth through immersive digital experiences. Forward-Looking Statements All statements other than statements of historical fact in this press release are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that iPower believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, and financial needs. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as 'may,' 'will,' 'expect,' 'anticipate,' 'aim,' 'estimate,' 'intend,' 'plan,' 'believe,' 'potential,' 'continue,' 'is/are likely to' or other similar expressions. iPower undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although iPower believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and iPower cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results and performance in iPower's most recent Report on Form 10-K and in its other SEC filings.
Entrepreneur
09-06-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Kosmc AI Secures $200,000 Pre-Seed Round to Bridge Gap Creators and Commerce
You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Kosmc AI, a social commerce infrastructure startup, has raised $200,000 in pre-seed funding from a group of undisclosed angel investors based in India and the Middle East. According to a press release issued by the company, the capital will be used to enhance its no-code product suite, expand affiliate integrations, and scale operations across India and Southeast Asia. Kosmc AI is tackling what it calls a fundamental mismatch between how users interact on social platforms and how commerce actually happens. While platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp, and Telegram drive high engagement, the company argues that monetisation mechanisms remain outdated and inefficient. "Social platforms are now where discovery and engagement begin, but monetisation still relies on traditional e-commerce systems," said Ankur Gupta, CEO, Kosmc AI. "Kosmc is building infrastructure that allows individuals and brands to convert conversations and content into commerce, without needing code, commissions, or technical complexity." With over 160,000 monthly active users across 25 countries, the platform primarily serves content creators, digital-first entrepreneurs, and early-stage consumer brands. Its toolset includes link-in-bio storefronts for direct sales via social media, chat automation to handle customer interactions, mobile-optimised checkout Smartlinks, and affiliate tools to connect brands with creators and micro-influencers. The rise of short-form video, chat-based transactions, and influencer marketing is reshaping how consumers discover and purchase products. Kosmc AI is aiming to serve as a backbone for this emerging model of commerce—one that bypasses traditional e-commerce gatekeepers. Manavta Narula, co-founder and COO, underscored the company's broader ambition. "Commerce today needs to be creator-first, mobile-native, and frictionless," she said. "We are building tools that allow anyone to own their narrative, engage meaningfully, and earn from their presence online without heavy dependencies."
