Social shopping - also called social commerce - involves selling products where the entire purchase process is completed in an app. This shopping process is becoming increasingly popular as it combines the convenience of online shopping and fun of social media.

The advantage of social commerce is that it is accessible to the whole world. Not only are purchases becoming easier, but also searching for new products or reviews is increasingly done through social networks. So this is the time to capitalize on this need.

With social commerce, you create a fluid experience: from product discovery to the actual purchase. You seamlessly blend the entire customer journey, making the process from desire to possession effortless.

The familiar environment of social media makes consumers less likely to drop out during the purchase process. The threshold to purchase a product becomes lower which benefits both consumers and brands.

From Instagram to Pinterest, let's see which channels support this way of shopping.

• Pinterest Shopping

Besides discovering inspiring images, Pinterest also lets you shop directly with product pins and ads. But this inspiration platform is also thinking more and more about shopaholics. In the form of photo carousels and video shopping ads, you can highlight items in a creative way. (Image source: Pinterest.com)

• Instagram Shops

With Instagram Shopping, tagging products is not an unfamiliar method for increased promotion. With a shoppable post, users can store directly without leaving the app. You can also add a "shop button" via Instagram stories that links directly to the product. Want to show more of your brand? Then it is also possible to create a special shop page. This place is a kind of shop window where Instagrammers can find all products, collections and the brand story.

• Facebook Shop

For brands, Facebook Shopping offers the opportunity to set up their own virtual store. Here, customers can store products, find extensive information about collections and products and, of course, shop. In addition, Facebook offers the option to personalize the store so that it is also more in line with your brand.

• TikTok

#TikTokMadeMeBuyIt is a popular hashtag that many TikTok users deploy. These recognizable hashtags influence viewers to make a purchase faster. The app capitalized on this trend by opening the TikTok Shop, but unfortunately this has not yet (at the time of writing) been implemented in the Netherlands.Advertising on this platform is possible. This usually takes the form of short videos, but brands also use a photo carousel to highlight products. In both forms, you can add a link to a product or website and visitors remain in the app to complete the ordering process.

Online shopping already allowed us to tick off our wish list within a few clicks. Shopping via social media only makes this even easier. With augmented reality (AR) and the use of social media as a search engine, social commerce is expected to increasingly contribute a personal and smooth shopping experience.

So it seems very likely that social commerce will become a continuing and growing aspect where consumers can discover and purchase products more quickly and easily.

With one of our social media training courses, you'll become a social shopping expert. From Pinterest to Instagram, we share effective strategies for each platform.

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