Imagine you’re scrolling through Instagram or TikTok and see a product that catches your attention.
Maybe it’s a pair of sneakers, a kitchen gadget, or a skincare set. A few taps later, you’ve bought it without ever leaving the app. That is social commerce in action, and it is fundamentally changing how people shop online.
Social commerce is not just another e-commerce trend. It is projected to generate $1.2 trillion in sales by the end of 2025, accounting for nearly 20% of all global e-commerce transactions (Accenture).
The convenience of in-app shopping is making traditional online stores feel outdated. Consumers no longer need to visit a separate website to complete a purchase when they can do it seamlessly within the platforms they already spend hours on.
Brands that fail to integrate with social commerce are leaving revenue on the table. The businesses that embrace it are seeing stronger engagement, higher conversions, and a shorter path from discovery to checkout.
This post breaks down how social commerce is evolving, what it means for e-commerce brands, and how businesses can use it to drive sales. Let’s dive in.
The Shift to Social Commerce: Why It’s Reshaping Online Shopping
A decade ago, social media was where people discovered brands. Now, it is where they shop. Social commerce is closing the gap between discovery and purchase, eliminating the need for customers to leave the platforms they already spend hours on.
More than 106 million U.S. consumers made a purchase directly through social media in 2023, and that number is expected to reach 118 million by 2027 (Forbes Advisor). This shift is not just about convenience. It is about expectation. Customers are no longer browsing Instagram or TikTok just to explore. They are ready to buy, and if your brand is not optimized for social commerce, you are losing out on sales.
Brands that adapt to this shift are seeing:
- Higher engagement: Social commerce creates a direct line between brands and customers, allowing for seamless interaction through comments, DMs, and real-time product Q&A.
- Lower drop-off rates: The fewer steps between product discovery and checkout, the higher the conversion rate. Eliminating redirects to external sites reduces friction.
- Stronger customer loyalty: Personalized shopping experiences and AI-driven recommendations keep customers engaged and returning.
Social commerce is not just another sales channel. It is becoming a primary way customers shop. The brands that embrace it will see higher conversions. The ones that do not will struggle to keep up.
Native Social Commerce Integrations: Connecting Your Store to Social Platforms
The brands that are winning in e-commerce are not just running ads on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok. They are turning those platforms into direct sales channels.
Shoppers are not browsing social feeds the way they used to. They are buying in real time, mid-scroll, without ever leaving the app. If your brand is still treating social as just a marketing tool, you are missing out on revenue.
Instagram and Facebook Shops: Frictionless Shopping Without Leaving the App
Instagram and Facebook have transformed from ad-driven platforms into full-scale shopping destinations. Businesses can sync their product catalogs directly with Meta’s ecosystem, creating an in-app storefront where customers can browse and purchase without ever clicking away.
Social commerce on Meta is growing fast. In 2025, Facebook and Instagram are expected to generate over $115 billion in global social commerce sales, accounting for nearly 40% of the total market (eMarketer).
For brands, the benefits are clear:
- Less friction: Customers discover products and checkout in seconds, rather than navigating through multiple redirects.
- Personalized experiences: AI-driven recommendations show users products tailored to their browsing behavior and past purchases.
- Direct customer engagement: Shoppers can ask questions in comments or DMs, reducing hesitation and increasing conversions.
TikTok Shop: Turning Engagement into Instant Sales
TikTok is not just about viral dances and trends. It is one of the fastest-growing e-commerce platforms. With TikTok Shop, brands can tag products directly in videos and livestreams, turning every piece of content into a direct sales opportunity.
Social shopping on TikTok is exploding. In 2024, TikTok Shop is projected to drive $20 billion in sales, a 400% increase from the previous year (Bloomberg).
Brands are capitalizing on this by:
- Using influencers and UGC to showcase products in action.
- Launching real-time product drops during livestreams to create urgency.
- Leveraging AI-driven product recommendations to put the right products in front of the right audience.
Pinterest Shopping and Buyable Pins: Turning Inspiration into Action
Pinterest has always been a place where consumers go for ideas. Now, it is where they go to buy. With features like Buyable Pins and Pinterest Shopping Ads, brands can turn inspiration into instant sales by tagging products directly in pins.
Shoppers on Pinterest are twice as likely to convert compared to users on other platforms, making it one of the most profitable social commerce channels (Pinterest Business).
The brands that are doing it right:
- Create shoppable boards that feel organic rather than overly promotional.
- Use dynamic product tagging to ensure customers always see in-stock items.
- Run targeted Pinterest Shopping Ads that blend seamlessly into user feeds.
Advanced Social Commerce Features in E-commerce Platforms
To stand out, brands need to leverage advanced tools that make social commerce seamless, personalized, and engaging.
Platforms like Shopify Plus and Magento 2 are rolling out features that allow businesses to automate product feeds, use AI for better recommendations, and tap into influencer-driven sales. Here is how brands are making social shopping frictionless.
Shopify Plus and Magento 2: Social Commerce Powerhouses
Both Shopify Plus and Magento 2 have built-in capabilities to streamline social selling. These features allow brands to sync their product catalogs, automate inventory updates, and sell directly within social apps.
- Shopify Plus: Shopify’s deep integration with Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok allows brands to push product listings automatically and run social-first campaigns that link directly to checkout. Shopify stores that sell through TikTok Shop see a 20% higher conversion rate compared to traditional e-commerce traffic (TikTok Business).
- Magento 2: Magento’s flexibility allows brands to customize social selling experiences through integrations with dynamic pricing, AI-powered recommendations, and influencer sales tracking. Brands using Magento’s social commerce tools report a 35% increase in engagement from social shoppers (Adobe Digital Trends).
The Role of AI, Dynamic Product Feeds, and Influencer-Driven Commerce
Social commerce is more than just listing products on Instagram or TikTok. Brands that win are using automation and AI to personalize the experience at scale.
- Dynamic product feeds: Instead of manually updating product listings across multiple platforms, brands use automated feeds that sync inventory and pricing in real time. This ensures that customers always see in-stock products at the right price, reducing abandoned purchases.
- AI-powered recommendations: AI analyzes shopping behavior to show personalized product suggestions in real time. A user who watches multiple TikTok videos about sneakers might see AI-generated recommendations tailored specifically to their preferences.
- Influencer-driven commerce: More than 60% of consumers trust influencer recommendations over brand advertisements (Influencer Marketing Hub). Shopify and Magento brands are leveraging native influencer tracking tools to measure direct sales from social campaigns, making influencer partnerships more accountable.
How Brands Are Using Social Proof, UGC, and Interactive Shopping to Convert More Customers
People trust other people more than they trust brands. That is why e-commerce companies that integrate social proof, user-generated content (UGC), and interactive shopping features are seeing higher engagement and more conversions.
- Social proof in action: When customers see real people wearing or using a product, they are far more likely to buy. Social commerce platforms allow brands to pull in real-time reviews, showcase customer videos, and display live sales notifications.
- User-generated content as a sales driver: Over 79% of consumers say UGC impacts their purchasing decisions (Stackla). Brands that embed real customer content—like video reviews and Instagram posts—into their social storefronts are seeing higher engagement and trust.
- Interactive shopping experiences: Live shopping events and shoppable videos are turning browsing into real-time buying. TikTok’s live shopping feature alone has driven billions in e-commerce sales, and Pinterest’s shoppable Pins allow users to buy without ever leaving the platform.
Ready to Make Social Commerce Work for Your Business?
Selling on social platforms is not enough. You need a custom social commerce experience that connects your store, syncs real-time data, and removes every possible barrier between discovery and purchase.
Bighorn Web Solutions specializes in seamless social commerce integrations, from API-driven product feeds to influencer-driven storefronts. Whether you need to connect Shopify, Magento, or a fully custom e-commerce platform, we build frictionless shopping experiences that convert.
Let’s build your social commerce strategy. Schedule a free consultation.