Social commerce is what happens when savvy marketers take the best of eCommerce and combine it with social media.
It’s time to sell out. You know, the good kind.
Social commerce is a game-changer when it comes to digital marketing: it makes the buying process simple for consumers, so supporting businesses like yours is a breeze.
Find out what people really want from brands on social — including why they follow, engage, buy, and even unfollow them — in The Social Media Consumer Report.
Social commerce is a business strategy in which brands sell products or services directly through social media. Social media users — for example, people scrolling through Instagram, TikTok or Facebook — can make purchases straight through the social platform itself.
It is, literally, a one-stop shop situation… but in this case, the shop also offers plenty of content.
If social commerce is sounding an awful lot like online shopping, that’s because it is (in a way).
While ecommerce usually refers to buying through the internet, social commerce is buying directly from a social media platform without leaving the app. There’s no third-party website involved in social commerce: from entering the shipping address to handing over that credit card info, everything happens within the social platform.
Some brands use both social commerce and ecommerce in their marketing strategy. For example, Arc’teryx has an e-commerce site, with the standard online shopping experience:
Source: arcteryx.com
And an Instagram shop, where IG users can buy a $700 parka without leaving the app.
Source: @arcteryx
Need proof that social commerce is here to stay? Here are the numbers.
Instagram’s built-in social commerce platform is called Instagram Shops. Shops is incorporated directly into the app, making it easy for companies to tag their products and for consumers to access them.
Since Instagram already has 2 billion monthly active users, Instagram Shops is a great opportunity to access diverse audiences in almost any niche, as long as they’re on mobile (this feature isn’t available from a desktop computer).
Instagram Shops is available in over 20 countries (find a complete list here). Instagram checkout — which allows users to buy directly from the Instagram Shop — is available only in the U.S. In all other countries, shoppers are brought to the brand’s website to checkout, but they still stay within the Instagram app.
Source: @shopdroosh
Why Instagram Shops works:
Facebook Shops works very similarly to Instagram Shops (they’re basically siblings, after all — Meta’s house, Meta’s rules). Just like on Instagram, users can access a company’s online storefront on Facebook and make purchases within the app.
PSA: Shopping on Facebook can be done on mobile only.
Source: @loverstempo
Why Facebook Shops works:
If your brand’s audience leans towards a younger crowd, definitely check out TikTok Shop — it’s available in select countries (Indonesia, Ireland, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam) and allows buyers to checkout within the app. Businesses can tag products in their videos, including live videos.
Source: business.tiktokshop.com
If you’re in a country that doesn’t have access to TikTok Shop yet (for example, Canada), you can still use TikTok as a platform for social commerce through TikTok for Business: via TikTok Ads, you can link to an e-commerce site in your video. The link will appear as a “Shop now” button.
Source: @nicole.delosreyes
Why TikTok Shop works:
YouTube shopping is a somewhat underutilized platform compared to the others on this list, but don’t count it out — YouTube is the most used social media platform across all age groups, so shoppable products on YouTube have the potential to reach a very wide audience.
Additionally, YouTube shopping has product tags that show up during videos (so, when a cycling creator talks about a certain helmet, for example, a clickable link to that helmet would appear on the video screen).
Why YouTube Shopping works:
Pinterest is a place that social media users go to be inspired — they are already looking for something new and exciting when they open the app — which vibes excellently with shopping.
Pinterest’s take on social commerce is Product Pins. Essentially, product pins are shoppable pins that will link users directly to that product. When you tap “Visit Site” on a product pin, the brand’s e-commerce website will open within the Pinterest app.
Source: Pinterest
From a shopper’s perspective, Product Pins are very simple. They show up organically and in search, so they appear almost identical to other pins—the only difference is a little shopping tag icon.
Why Pinterest Product Pins work:
Snapchat stores allows users to shop for products within the Snapchat app. It’s only available for brands that have a verified business profile. The store shows up in a Shop tab on its profile, similar to Facebook and Instagram Shops.
Source: Snapchat
Why Snapchat stores work:
Swimwear brand Strawberry Milk Mob has an notableTikTok presence (2.4 million followers) and effectively uses social media to generate a lot of hype around sales, promotions and new product drops — like this behind-the-scenes video.
Why this works:
Silk and Snow’s social content often focuses on the dreamier elements of the mattress and linen business (relaxing, slow videos of people making beds and cozying in) but this collaboration with biathlete Benjamin Brousseau has a very different vibe.
A post shared by Silk & Snow (@silkandsnow)
Why this works:
Despite being far out of school and not having any school-aged kids of my own, I am obsessed with classroom organization videos, and Miss Jacobs Little Learners has plenty of ultra-satisfying TikToks:
Why this works:
This tourism company capitalizes on the visual-focused Pinterest by publishing pins that combine text and images for informative, save-worthy content, like this “Local’s List” pin.
Why this works:
This organic Japanese matcha brand collaborates with creators (and celebrities) to market a very aesthetic product — perfect for Instagram’s audience. This partnership with @allthingslillyann uses is a great example.
A post shared by Jade Leaf Matcha (@jadeleafmatcha)
Why this works:
(Psst: the communications manager of Jade Leaf Matcha offers her social commerce tips later on in this post).
Social media is an incredible tool for increasing awareness, personally, the only reason I’m know the grip strength of chinchillas is due to social media.
When you use social commerce, you’re meeting your audience where they’re already at, and getting more content-hungry eyes on your brand.
Unlike more traditional forms of advertising (we see you, billboards, and blimps), social commerce allows you to target specific demographics and communities.
When you place ads on social platforms, you can select the age, gender, location, and even interests you’d like to target. That way you can be sure that your eco-friendly drink koozie ads are showing up on the feeds of 30-something Americans who love watching football and taking care of the planet.
Hey, that’s the bottom line, right? Using social commerce can help you make more money and grow your brand.
When you’re effectively reaching your target audience on social media (instead of just shouting about your brand into the abyss, real or imagined), people are more likely to buy your product and support your brand — and, you know, give you their money.
We asked Siona Baldwin, Communications Manager of Jade Leaf Matcha, to stir up some social commerce advice. Jade Leaf Matcha makes the most of every opportunity to sell on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and more — here’s how.
When it comes to filling out the text fields, Baldwin suggests thinking of your “Product Info” section like a mini landing page. “Don’t just add the basics, like price or size,” she says. “Add short additional selling points about why the product is special.”
Source: @jadeleafmatcha
Jade Leaf Matcha, for example, includes caffeine content, a flavor description, certifications (like USDA Organic), and reasons why it’s a good coffee alternative: “It helps convert new customers who are just discovering matcha,” Baldwin explains.
Not only will a good product description give a potential buyer more information about your product, it will also give the social platform’s search engines and ranking system (otherwise known as the algorithm) the data it needs to show your content to the right audience.
Speaking of ranking…
Strategic hashtagging can also make sure that your social commerce content ends up on the feeds of the right people. Hashtags help the platform understand what your content is about and who it’s relevant to.
For Jade Leaf Matcha, Baldwin uses a mix of broad and niche hashtags (#matcha, #matchalatte) and also incorporates lifestyle and seasonal hashtags (#matchagirlie, #summerdrinks). “We like to update hashtags based on trends and tailor them to our product benefits, like #energyboost,” Baldwin shares.
A post shared by Jade Leaf Matcha (@jadeleafmatcha)
Not all of your social commerce content needs to link directly to a product. In fact, generating some buzz about a new offering before it’s available can be really effective (as in the Strawberry Milk Mob example we referenced earlier).
“We love to start teasing new products 1-2 weeks before the launch,” Baldwin says. Jade Leaf Matcha uses sneak peeks, countdowns, and “something new is coming” hints to stimulate interest and even rewards early buyers with exclusive discounts.
Creating hype can be as simple as eating a cookie:
A post shared by Dana’s Bakery® (@danasbakery)
Baldwin points to the brand’s launch of Vanilla & Strawberry Matcha Lattes as another example: cryptic hints about flavor and close-up product shots were posted ahead of the official release. “By the time launch day hit, people were ready — and the excitement helped us have a huge summer kickoff,” she shares.
Take a quick scroll through Jade Leaf Matcha’s feed, and you’ll likely recognize actress Lili Reinhart, who has partnered with the brand to promote their products. Celebrity collabs aren’t within reach for every brand, but even small brands looking to partner with micro-influencers can learn from this social commerce strategy.
“Partner with influencers who genuinely align with your brand values and target audience,” Baldwin advises. She explains why Lili Reinhart is perfect for Jade Leaf Matcha: “she’s passionate about mental health, self-love, and she’s a longtime matcha lover.”
A post shared by Jade Leaf Matcha (@jadeleafmatcha)
Value alignment will help your partner incorporate your brand naturally into their existing content — for example, Lili Reinhart’s ASMR matcha video.
“UGC is a game-changer for building trust faster than traditional ads,” says Baldwin, adding that user-generated content creates a more authentic, relatable brand experience. Plus, it’s great for businesses that have smaller marketing budgets or limited resources.
A post shared by Jade Leaf Matcha (@jadeleafmatcha)
Jade Leaf Matcha incorporated UGC into paid promotions for their National Matcha Day sale.
“We tested three different hooks to see which one performed best, then shifted our spend to the winning creative,” Baldwin explains. “This approach helped optimize our performance and increase sales.”
Using Hootsuite, you can schedule your posts to go live when the majority of your audience is online. This gives your social marketing campaigns the most visibility and the best chance of reaching shoppers.
Don’t let people talk about you behind your back — Hootsuite’s social listening tech enables you to monitor brand mentions and measure your engagement so you can be part of the conversation and know what the buzz is about.
There’s no one way to succeed with social commerce, but Hootsuite analytics will tell you exactly how your content is performing. It’s the simplest way to figure out what’s working and what’s not… and know which social commerce strategies to invest further in.
Save time managing your social media presence with Hootsuite. Publish and schedule posts, find relevant conversions, engage your audience, measure results, and more — all from one dashboard. Try it free today.
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Alyssa is a freelance writer, editor and illustrator based in Vancouver, BC. Her portfolio ranges from lifestyle articles to travel journalism to restaurant reviews to technical writing to editing annual reports for non-profits—she wears a lot of hats (metaphorically… in real life, she rarely wears hats).
Create. Schedule. Publish. Engage. Measure. Win.
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