Redefining Social Commerce: How Bloop Launched the First Social Shopping Platform
Discover how Bloop, the first ever social shopping platform, partnered with Marketplacer to build a community-driven marketplace in record time.
About Bloop
Bloop is pioneering the next evolution of online shopping by creating the first social shopping platform. It seamlessly blends e-commerce with user-generated content and social interaction, transforming how people discover, evaluate, and purchase products.
Unlike traditional marketplaces, Bloop empowers anyone to share their purchases, earn rewards for recommendations, and explore products within a gamified, community-driven environment. This creates a mutually beneficial ecosystem for both consumers and sellers, fostering organic visibility and sustainable growth.
The concept for Bloop originated from CEO Francisco Rodrigues’s desire to bridge the gap between social influence and online shopping. He recognized that while trust is crucial in purchasing decisions, existing platforms lacked authentic, community-driven content. Bloop consolidates reviews, social recommendations, and marketplace functionality into a single, engaging platform, democratizing the power of influence.
Bloop’s Opportunity
Bloop’s founders recognized that the current e-commerce landscape was missing something crucial: a sense of community and authentic social interaction. They saw a fragmented industry where customers jumped between platforms for product discovery, reviews, and purchases. They also saw a lack of genuine engagement, with static reviews and influencer-driven models dominating the social shopping space. Bloop knew they needed to address these challenges to create a truly engaging and rewarding shopping experience.
They needed a solution that could:
- Unify the shopping journey: Customers were tired of the disjointed experience of online shopping. Bloop wanted to create a seamless platform where discovery, connection, and purchasing all happened in one place.
- Foster authentic connections: Bloop knew that genuine social interaction and user-generated content were key to building trust and engagement, going beyond traditional reviews and ratings.
- Empower sellers: Bloop wanted to create a platform where sellers could thrive, offering them the tools to connect with customers and build their brands in a community-driven environment. Besides, it fuels organic growth and customer retention, with no dependency from traditional ads. It reduces customer acquisition cost (CAC) with higher conversion rates due to authentic recommendations from customers’ close networks.
Bloop’s Solution
Bloop’s answer to these challenges? A marketplace model, powered by Marketplacer.
This strategic decision allowed Bloop to:
- Curate a diverse product selection: By bringing in a variety of sellers, Bloop could offer a wider range of products and cater to diverse tastes, all while building anticipation for their launch.
- Build a community before launch: The marketplace model provided the perfect environment for fostering early social interaction and user-generated content, creating a buzz and a sense of belonging even before the platform went live.
- Empower sellers from day one: With Marketplacer’s robust seller tools, Bloop could provide their vendors with the resources they needed to succeed right out of the gate.
Building Bloop: A Marketplace Powered by Partnership
Bloop’s vision was clear: to create a social shopping experience that was engaging, authentic, and community-driven. They knew that a traditional e-commerce platform wouldn’t cut it. They needed a solution that could not only support their vision but also adapt to their unique requirements and fuel their rapid growth. That’s where Marketplacer came in.
Why Marketplacer?
Bloop chose Marketplacer as their marketplace platform because it offered the perfect blend of functionality, flexibility, and collaborative support. Here’s how Marketplacer aligned with Bloop’s goals:
Seamless Integration
Marketplacer’s API-driven architecture and prebuilt Bigcommerce connector, built by Amitech, allowed for easy integration with Bloop’s existing platform.
Customization & Flexibility
Marketplacer’s flexible platform allowed for customization, ensuring these unique features could be seamlessly integrated into the Bloop experience.
Built For Growth
Marketplacer’s strong infrastructure provided the scalability to manage increased traffic and transactions, ensuring a stable platform as Bloop expands.
Empowering Sellers
Bloop sought to equip their sellers with the best tools and experiences. Marketplacer delivered a robust platform with advanced features, providing the resources needed for vendor success.
Community Focused
Bloop’s vision for a community-driven marketplace aligned with Marketplacer’s focus on user engagement. The platform provided tools to support Bloop’s community-building efforts, fostering a sense of belonging for unique products.
True Partnership
Marketplacer’s dedicated support team provided proactive guidance and responsive communication, ensuring a smooth transition and fostering a strong partnership from day one.
Implementation and Launch
With Marketplacer as their foundation, Bloop’s implementation process was swift and efficient. The intuitive interface and comprehensive onboarding process allowed them to set up their curated marketplace quickly, minimizing any potential disruption to their pre-launch activities.
Implementation Highlights
Rapid Onboarding
Marketplacer’s streamlined onboarding process enabled Bloop to onboard sellers quickly and efficiently, ensuring a smooth and fast marketplace launch.
Catalog Management
Marketplacer’s advanced catalog management tools, including AI-powered mapping and vetting features, streamlined the process of managing product data and ensuring accuracy, making it easier for Bloop to curate a diverse and high-quality product selection.
System Integration
Marketplacer’s strong network of system integrators enabled Bloop to implement custom solutions tailored to their specific needs, such as the FTP integration for their sales and catalog teams, ensuring a truly personalized and optimized platform.
By leveraging Marketplacer’s strengths and collaborative approach, Bloop is poised to launch a curated marketplace that seamlessly integrates with their existing tech stack and provides a unique and engaging experience for both sellers and customers.
How Does Bloop Work?
- Customers buy products.
- They share a post about their experience (photo or video) and earn up to 10% credit back in their Bloop Wallet.
- If someone purchases through their post, they earn up to an extra 5% credit back per referral.
- This creates a loop of shopping, sharing, earning, and repeating!
- Everybody wins with Bloop
