Social commerce has been gaining more and more prominence as people's consumption on the internet has evolved.
By 2024, 19.4% of global e-commerce sales were generated from social commerce, according to Statista . Since 2020, this number has been growing significantly, reaching a percentage increase of 9.7%.
Consumers are increasingly looking for convenience when making purchases online, and e-commerce companies must be aware of this to take advantage of the profit potential available through the use of social networks – one of the main social commerce channels.
Continue reading to learn all about social commerce and understand how you can put it into practice in your online store.
What is social commerce?
The benefits of investing in social commerce
Who is social commerce suitable for?
The main social networks used to sell
6 tips for doing social commerce
Easily integrate your online store and social networks
What is social commerce?
Social commerce is a type of commerce carried out – and promoted – through social interactions. Nowadays, although it is more comprehensive, the concept can be understood as commerce that takes place mainly through social networks.
You’re scrolling through your Instagram feed and come across an ad for a store with products that interest you. In this ad, when you click to see the details of each image, a kind of “showcase” appears with the price, information about the product and a “buy now” button.
This is an example of how a social network can be used as a social commerce platform, through targeted paid ads.
Types of social commerce
In addition to social commerce that takes place through social networks, there are other types of commerce that have gained visibility over time.
Social commerce between individuals
Perhaps the oldest type of social commerce, person-to-person commerce occurs when one person negotiates directly with another to sell a product.
Platforms for buying and selling new or used items, such as OLX or Enjoei , are examples of this type of commerce.
Collective social commerce
Group buying gained prominence in the early 2010s, but has lost its effectiveness over time – and with the expansion of direct e-commerce.
These are sites that sell specific products in batches, with more attractive prices for group purchases, such as Groupon .
Social commerce from influencers
The use of influencers , or creators , as a means for social china phone number data commerce is a growing strategy. It consists of a person, or group of people, with great influence and followers, who recommend products and brands, usually with discount coupons in mapped links.
The relationship between influencers, brands and end consumers is related to the trust that people place in other people – to the detriment of what happens between people and companies.
Read also: How to use micro-influencers in e-commerce
Social commerce on social networks
This is the most common and what we will cover in this article. This method allows users to discover and purchase products directly on social platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.
The big benefit here is the visual appeal of social media, where brands can share creative content that attracts users’ attention and encourages purchases, reducing friction in the purchasing journey.
Additionally, social commerce promotes social interaction, enabling consumers to comment, share and rate products.
Data on social commerce in Brazil
To make it clearer and closer to our reality, we will use social commerce as a synonym for sales made through social networks – which is the most popular type of social commerce.
Brazil is the third country worldwide with the highest penetration of buyers on social networks (51.3%), behind only China and Russia. (Insider Intelligence, 2024)
Brazil is the third country in the world that uses social networks the most ( Comscore , 2023)
86.6% of the country's total population is on the internet ( We Are Social, 2024)
62% of users have already used WhatsApp to make a purchase ( Opinion Box , 2023)
43.2% of internet users say they use social media to search for products to buy. ( We Are Social, 2024).