Short Answer: Social Commerce, Social Listening, Brands

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Short Answers
Question 1
Social commerce is related to e-commerce in a number of ways. First, social –commerce is simply as subset of e-commerce as it is a recent stream that allows social media users to make purchases through social networking sites (Tracy and Michael 31). In other words, social commerce is simply a product of e-commerce because it offers an interconnectivity of different categories of customers, thus offering opportunities for firms to establish a huge customer base in the e-commerce platform (Tracy and Michael, 33). As the trend is going, e-commerce will not be able to exist without social commerce because the emergent of the latter have led into the development of consumer bargaining power by transferring powers from seller to buyers (Tracy and Michael, 37). Also, all forms of social media networking have become a useful tool for marketing and branding for many companies to an extent that they cannot do without it.
Question 2
There are six sources of influence prevalent in social commerce applications, namely, social proof, authority, scarcity, liking, consistency and reciprocity. Under social proof, consumer tend to kick back their desires by searching and learning what others are undertaking or have undertaken when they are uncertain on what to do next in a bid to influence their wish lists, reviews, decision and social sharing with others (Tracy and Michael 46). On authorities, they have researched and mastered the art of influencing and rewarding consumers who places trust in their recommendations. The aspect of scarcity in products is one of the major reason that have fuelled many consumers to take to the social media and have an early select and capitalization on product promotions that are offered by companies (Tracy and Michael 41). Social media offers a chance to express emotions like liking, which sparks confirmation that consumers admire, like or find attractiveness features of particular brand or product. The aspect of constancy manifests when consumers are faced with uncertainty regarding a particular product but they chose to remain loyal based on their past experience as a way of correcting their psychological discomfort and cognitive dissonance (Tracy and Michael, 47). Lastly, customers have an inborn desire to recompense favors to uphold an equilibrium of social fair regardless reciprocity serves as the most vital asset in influencing social media applications as consumers being humans of whether the favors were invited or not.
Question 3
“Thinslicing” is a philosophical and psychological term that refers to the ability to determine patterns of a particular activity bases on experience and thin slices. The art of thin slicing occurs on social media and aided by users profile Information (Tracy and Michael 317). Social media profiles offers background and biography information such as person’s occupation, location, education history, gender and photo, which are useful in deducing impression of the subject
Question 4
The information research stage is most affected by the dimensions of...