Social commerce is one of the latest innovations in online shopping.
The term refers to a purchasing journey that takes place entirely on a social media platform – from product discovery all the way to the final purchase.
In this post, we take a look at what this new form of e-commerce is all about.
An Integrated Shopping Experience on Social Media
As the name suggests, social commerce is a new and “social” form of online shopping.
It’s an incredibly exciting phenomenon that was bound to happen, in my opinion.
Consumers have long been able to access everything from inspiration to detailed product reviews on social media, and the only missing piece in the purchasing journey was the final step to make the process a fully integrated part of social platforms.
With social commerce, the idea is that users don’t need to leave the platform to make a purchase—they can do so directly from their preferred social media site.
In other words, the transition from interest to action is seamless, which is why social commerce has become an essential part of social media’s strategic expansion.
Examples of Social Commerce
Social commerce reaches consumers where they spend most of their time—on social media.
Meta offers a “Buy Now” function, Pinterest integrates shopping features for a smoother purchasing experience, and TikTok has recently partnered with Shopify to make in-app shopping easier and faster.
It’s undeniable that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly influenced this trend, making social media a primary shopping destination for many consumers.
Live shopping is another great example of this ongoing development, remaining popular even after physical stores have fully reopened.
Many of these trends originate from the Chinese market, which is a global leader in e-commerce and its innovations, and it’s definitly worth it to pay attention to this market in particular.
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