Cute photos of your friend’s new puppy, that hilarious viral meme and news updates. Social media offers a myriad of ways to connect. It can also be a dynamic storefront for your brand!
In 2025, your customers can be scrolling through their feeds, see your product and buy it on the spot—without ever leaving the app. Social commerce is a massive shift that’s changing how we do business online.
According to Statista, the global social commerce market is projected to reach over a trillion dollars by 2028, with younger generations like Gen Z and Millennials leading the charge.
Here are some more telling statistics from eMarketer:
- This year, social commerce retail sales will pass $100 billion, a 22.4% growth
- In 2024, there were 110.4 million social buyers in the U.S.
- 71% of Gen Z social shoppers were likely to make direct purchases on Instagram, 68% on YouTube, 68% on TikTok, 62% on Facebook and 55% on Snapchat
Caught your attention? Keep reading to learn more about social commerce strategy and taking advantage of this tactic right now.
What is social commerce?
Let’s take a closer look. Social commerce is the ability to complete a purchase through a social media platform. Shoppers don’t have to leave where they are to shop and can purchase natively. This type of shopping experience offers a shorter purchase journey with fewer friction points.
Social commerce reduces the number of steps to go through, making it simple to add to cart and checkout. This often drives higher conversion rates. It also allows for real-time engagement, where brands can answer questions, respond to comments and even host live shopping events. This all drives urgency and community-driven buying behavior.
Benefits of social commerce vs. e-commerce
So, what’s the difference between social commerce and e-commerce? It’s all basically purchasing online, right? Technically, yes, but there are some differences. With e-commerce, your shopper must go to a separate site after seeing your product. Whether that’s your website, landing page or a third-party site such as Amazon or other retailer. Social commerce is much more streamlined.
Here are five top benefits of social commerce from Sprout Social:
- Wider reach – You’ll get a larger potential audience because there are so many people on social media, 5 billion worldwide, to be specific. Plus, consumers often seek out solutions and product information on social media, so it’s smart to meet them where they are.
- Convert and remove friction – As we mentioned above, social commerce streamlines the process and eliminates unnecessary steps. No need to go to a new site, switch apps or follow deeper into the weeds. Just click and purchase!
- Social proof and increased reviews – Selling on social media also allows customers easy access to review social proof, which can be a vital part of the decision process. As your social commerce grows, buyers will be more likely to purchase and leave reviews in one central location. More engagement will boost algorithm response, ranking your content as more relevant and serving more people. It’s essentially a feedback loop for the customer journey.
- Collect data – Customer purchases help you collect data, which can inform current strategies and even help you find new potential audiences. This data can also be used for A/B testing, CTA optimization and more.
- Drive revenue – Social commerce is becoming an increasing portion of online revenue. As noted above, social commerce revenue in 2025 is expected to see $100 billion in the U.S. alone. Embracing this selling opportunity can help open new channels for purchase and grow revenue.
Tips for leveraging social commerce in 2025
Want to make the most of your social commerce? Here are some social commerce strategy tips:
Select the right platforms – Before starting, figure out where your customers are already online. Go where they are and set up shop there.
Utilize features such as tags and links – These will help your customers find you throughout the customer journey.
Allow in-app purchases where available – Duh! That’s the whole point! Make it as easy as possible for your audience to complete their purchase right away.
Go live – Take advantage of various live streaming opportunities and connect and engage with customers in real time.
Work with influencers – Especially on social media, working with influencers and collaborations can be lucrative and attract more customers. Influencers can also offer a degree of social proof, which can help buyers make their final purchase decisions.
Embrace the platforms – Honor the channel’s structure and create content specific to each platform. Don’t share the same video to Facebook, TikTok and YouTube. Same with posts. Create content that is platform- and audience-specific.
Follow the data – Social media provides a host of data options. Take advantage of all that juicy information to determine strengths and opportunities. Then adjust your social commerce strategy appropriately!
Examples of social commerce platforms
Two of the most prominent social commerce platforms are Meta and TikTok. Here’s a deeper dive into these platforms and why they are strong options for your social media strategy.
- Meta (Facebook and Instagram)
- Offers Facebook Shops and Instagram Shops
- Can create storefronts directly on your brand’s profile
- Able to tag products in posts, Reels, Stories and Lives
- Capable of in-app checkout (U.S. only)
- Integrated with Meta Ads so product discovery can be both organic and paid
- TikTok
- Offers the TikTok Shop
- Capable of in-app checkout (U.S., U.K., Southeast Asia)
- Able to tag products in videos and livestreams
- Affiliate tools for creators to earn commission
- Live shopping features to promote real-time sales
Social selling success
If your brand isn’t selling where your customers are, you’re not just missing out on a trend; you’re losing out on the most significant retail development of the decade. Social commerce offers a wide range of benefits including boosting your brand’s social presence and making your page and posts more appealing to the platform’s algorithm.
With so much revenue on the line, connecting with your customers where they already are is a smart move. Plus, the sooner your brand embraces the strategy, the more prepared you’ll be for its ongoing and inevitable evolution.
Click to purchase! Connect with the experts at Beyond Fifteen to learn how we can develop a social commerce strategy to drive revenue.