The popularity of social media is at an all-time high, with 62.3% of the global population using it regularly. With the typical daily visitor logging on for an average of 2 hours 23 minutes per day, social media companies have spotted an opportunity to capitalize on their highly engaged user base. Platforms are achieving this through new social commerce offerings which combine elements of both shopping and community.
What is social commerce?
Social commerce is the process of selling products, goods, or services directly through a social media platform. There are several compelling benefits of social commerce for both brands and creators. For starters, it greatly simplifies the check-out process because your audience doesn’t have to leave the app to buy. Social media sites also already have a massive built-in audience, so sellers can start attracting customers simply by launching a storefront.
Social commerce platforms are designed to be personalized, which allows you to create custom storefronts that showcase your products in unique ways. Plus, many social media users are already using their platform of choice to research products. A recent PYMENTS-AWS study shows that 43% of consumers scan their social feeds to find goods and services they’re looking to purchase. Bringing the check-out process directly into the platform makes for a streamlined purchase experience.
What social commerce platforms exist?
Currently, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and TikTok are the only social media platforms offering social commerce features. While all of them are set up to support existing businesses, some aren’t as accessible for smaller creators. Let’s take a closer look at what those offerings entail and how they’re set up to help users drive both sales and views.
TikTok shop is the social video platform’s newest addition, allowing business accounts to set up shops with products for sale. Creators can then tag those products directly in their videos through TikTok Shop’s Affiliate plan. Audiences can check out reviews, watch demos, and check out directly from the app.
Instagram Shopping enables users with business accounts to set up shops of their own. You can create curated collections of products, product detail pages, and much more. Shop owners can add product tags to anything they post in the feed, Reels, or Stories to help customers tap in directly to a product page. Users can even create ads with product tags featuring large CTAs to shop for the product. And of course, users can check out right from the app.
Facebook Shops integrates directly with business page accounts, similar to Instagram’s setup and approach. Users can develop and show off curated product collections, showcase featured products, and much more.
Pinterest Shopping is Pinterest’s social commerce offering, and is generally more targeted at existing ecommerce brands. Users can upload their product catalog from a third-party commerce platform to turn them into pins, enhancing their visibility.
Creating a social commerce strategy with video
Given the surging popularity of video marketing, it’s no surprise that most social commerce platforms prioritize video. Which means it’s essential to use video as a key part of your strategy. Video is key to driving engagement, helping build trust and making an authentic connection with your audience.
Video and social commerce also complement each other in several ways. Incorporating video is a great way to engage with your audience, boost brand awareness, and promote your products, all at the same time. There’s a few different types of videos and tactics you can use to make the most of the videos you create for your social commerce, but we always recommend A/B testing to see what works best!
Product demo videos
Creating a demo video for your product allows your audience to see it in action so they know exactly what they would be purchasing. It also lets people ask questions in the comments so they have all the information they need before placing an order. Plus, by directing answering their comments, you can build a better 1-1 relationship with prospective customers!
Influencer collaborations
Working with established influencers whose viewers match your target audience for your product is a great way to promote your social commerce. After all, 69% of consumers trust what influencers say and recommend. By partnering with an influencer who genuinely likes or uses your product, you’ll be able to drive more sales and followers.
Live Q&A and BTS
Being able to go live on platforms like TikTok or Instagram have made it easier than ever to build a community around your brand. By hosting live question and answer sessions, you can directly connect with your audience in an authentic, helpful way. You can also go live and take your viewers behind the scenes of your brand, bringing them into your world to showcase how your business operates.
Order packing videos
Order packing videos are exactly what they sound like – you create a video where you pack an order for one of your customers. Many brands allow people to request these types of videos when they place their orders, so you can fill those requests to make your customer happy. As a bonus, depending on how you film your video, these types of videos can also appeal to lovers of ASMR content.
Examples of brands using social commerce
Countless established brands and indie creators alike have taken advantage of social commerce opportunities to sell their products. Below are two examples of a brand and a creator who saw success using TikTok Shop and Instagram Shopping.
Smart home products startup Wyze used TikTok’s social commerce offering to become one of the top-selling electronics brands on the platform. The brand leveraged the TikTok Shop Affiliate plan to let creators feature products at competitive prices. They also boosted their video content with Shop Ads for greater visibility. The result was over 1 million creator affiliate sales, with more than 100 million content views in just 60 days. They have also generated more than $100,000 in sales from a single video.
Connor DeWolfe is a digital content creator who focuses primarily on mental health topics, based on his own experience of living with ADHD. He created a successful Instagram Shop for selling and promoting his merchandise. He made videos wearing his merch and linking to his products in his Instagram Shop. Within the first two weeks of setting up his shop he was inundated by orders, selling 845 units.
Start creating videos for your social commerce
Social commerce has been picking up significant traction and is unlikely to disappear anytime soon. If you have products or merchandise to sell, setting up a social commerce shop is a good way to expand your audience reach and drive more sales. Using the power of video to showcase your products will help boost sales and show off your goods in front of a large audience.
With solutions like Storyblocks’ Maker, it’s fast and easy to create professional videos to support your social commerce ventures. Our expansive content library has everything you need to bring your videos to life, no matter which platform you use. Browse the Storyblocks library and you’ll find everything from high-quality b-roll footage and royalty free music to sound effects, and much more.
