If you spend any time scrolling through social media, you’re almost certain to run into content encouraging you to buy something. You may see influencer posts telling you to visit a link in their bio or a paid ad with a ‘Shop Now’ button that takes you to the brand’s site on your browser.
But what if it was even easier than that for someone to make a purchase? That’s where social commerce comes in.
Social commerce refers to the shopping platforms built into social media apps, such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. These allow users to make purchases directly within the social media platform they’re currently using, without the need to visit external sites. This reduces friction for the customer making a purchase and encourages a more interactive, engaged approach to digital shopping.
So, how can you use social commerce for your business? These are the platforms we think you should know 👇
Facebook and Instagram
Meta’s Shops platform works the same for both Facebook and Instagram. Using Meta Commerce Manager, you can set up a fully customisable page that allows users to browse product collections on either platform. These will allow users to access a full-screen digital storefront, designed with mobile in mind.
Shops can be used for paid social advertising, allowing your product collections to be shared with a broader audience. By having a mix of ad formats and ways for users to engage with your paid social content, you’ll have even more opportunities to reach your customers where they’re at.
If you already have a site hosted on Shopify, you can integrate this with a Facebook or Instagram shop. This allows you to sync products automatically and manage any orders made on Facebook or Instagram through Shopify. Customers can be directed automatically to either your site or in-app shop, depending on which location they’re most likely to buy.
TikTok
According to Which?, over 2.8 million UK consumers made a purchase through TikTok Shop in 2023 - that’s 7% of adults! And if that wasn’t enough, TikTok’s own data shows that users are 1.5x more likely to immediately purchase something they’ve discovered on TikTok versus other platforms. All this makes TikTok Shop one of the best ecommerce platforms out there right now.
Like Facebook and Instagram shops, TikTok Shop allows users to make purchases within the app itself. This works in four different ways:
LIVE Shopping Ads - Connect your TikTok Shopt to livestreams to showcase products as they’re used. This is a direct way to engage with users through LIVE chat to add a personal touch.
Shoppable Videos - In-feed videos that allow users to click through to your Shop using a product anchor link or card.
Product Showcase - A tab that allows users to browse and purchase directly on a brand’s TikTok profile. You don’t actually need to have a TikTok Shop to set up a Showcase, which allows third parties to sell your products through their profiles as an affiliate.
Shop tab - This is most like a traditional e-commerce platform, allowing users to browse multiple merchants, navigate using categories (such as clothing, electronics, etc.), search for specific products or brands, access their cart, and view orders.
It should be noted that TikTok Shop is currently only available to advertisers in the UK, USA, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
It is easy to overlook Pinterest compared to platforms that are more overtly social forms of social media. However, when it comes to social commerce, Pinterest Shopping can be highly effective in attracting new customers already on the hunt for products that inspire. According to Pinterest’s research, users are willing to spend 40% more per month shopping on the platform than those on other social platforms.
Pinterest offers easy integration with existing third-party e-commerce platforms, including Shopify and WooCommerce, to import your product catalogue, or this can be done through Pinterest itself.
Final thoughts
Social commerce adds a new dimension to selling online, further entwining social media and e-commerce for an engaging, seamless shopping experience. The best part is that social commerce goes hand-in-hand with your existing e-commerce services, and shops are usually easy and free to set up. All this means that using social commerce for your brand is a no-brainer!
Want to find out more about growing your e-commerce business using social commerce and paid social marketing? Get in touch with our Newcastle digital marketing agency today to arrange a no-obligation call.