More than 70% of sellers participate, and US social e-commerce sales are close to 37 billion US dollars!

Social e-commerce is developing. The current mainstream social platforms mainly include Meta's Instagram and Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest, etc.

After reviewing the e-commerce operations of some mainstream social platforms, eMarketer found that in terms of innovation, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, the favorite of Generation Z, are currently in the leading position; but platforms such as Pinterest and Twitter are also doing their best to expand their e-commerce functions.

Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest have separate "Shop" tabs where sellers can create online storefronts; TikTok does not have a dedicated store page, but brands can add a "Shopping" tab.

eMarketer also found that Instagram and Facebook lead in features like in-app checkout, but TikTok and Pinterest are leveraging their strengths in product discovery to create value for retailers.

While many platforms offer some form of shoppable content, only Facebook and Instagram currently have in-app checkout options.

The lack of an in-app checkout isn’t necessarily a deal breaker for consumers, as 56% of U.S. consumers will make a purchase through social media by linking to a retailer’s website, according to Bizrate Insights. But eMarketer believes that purchase conversion rates should be higher if an in-app checkout option is available.

In addition, live shopping is increasingly being used as an entry point for social commerce. Twitter has begun testing live shopping features. And Pinterest recently launched Pinterest TV.

It is important to note that although 48% of American social media users said they had made purchases through social media in the past year, according to another survey, social commerce has not yet fully become mainstream. eMarketer expects social e-commerce sales in the United States to reach $36.62 billion this year , only one-tenth of China's.

Still, marketers are enthusiastic about the promise of social commerce: A study by The Harris Poll and Sprout Social found that 73% of businesses currently sell through social media, a number they expect to rise to 79% in the next three years.

eMarketer said that although social commerce has not yet become mainstream, it is still a very valuable tool for brand communication.

Social e-commerce

USA