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Social media helps to develop aspects of commerce that are facilitated by expanding personal networks, such as peer-to-peer selling. The impact on other forms of commerce is more variable.
Industrial China
Here we see one of the main reasons why social media is especially important for commerce that involves personal relationships - the role of trust.
Brazil
As part of the everyday exchanges of jokes, porn, religious messages and general gossip, people also use WhatsApp to sell goods to their friends.
Story
Incidental commerce
Chile
Facebook has become a huge site for buying and selling in a town with surprisingly few formal commercial outlets for its size.
England
Most commercial companies try to have a presence on social media, but it is the businesses that rely on personal connections which find it most worthwhile.
Story
Advertising local businesses
Trinidad
In this film, a professional expert on social media shows how he promotes a daily daily cycle of postings for companies.
Rural China
In China, even the largest commercial platforms try to add a personal touch. Taobao (similar to Amazon marketplace) has a built-in social media feature, so that most buyers and sellers message each other before a sale.
India
There is a considerable amount of new entrepreneurial activity based on people's online social networks.
Italy
Social media did not seem to have much of an impact on commerce here, except as free advertising for local small businesses and events.
