Social Commerce
Social commerce is the buying and selling of products through social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest. Shoppers discover products in social content, then buy inside the app or on the seller’s website. Brands use it to shorten the path between seeing a product and purchasing it.
Why Social Commerce Matters
Social platforms now influence purchases as well as awareness. eMarketer forecasts that US social commerce sales will reach about $101 billion in 2026. It also estimates that social commerce made up 6.9% of US retail ecommerce in 2025, with 108.3 million US social buyers.
Treat any single global figure with caution. For 2026, Statista’s estimate is about $908.5 billion, while Mordor Intelligence’s is $2.11 trillion. The gap suggests that researchers do not count the same activity, so compare forecasts only after checking their definitions.
How Social Commerce Works
Most social commerce purchases follow one of two paths:
- In-app purchase: A shopper finds a product in a video or livestream and completes checkout on the platform.
- Link-out purchase: A shopper finds a product in social content, taps a link, and pays on the seller’s website.
Some definitions count only the first path, but common usage includes both. The difference matters because it decides who controls the checkout, who owns the customer data, and where the sale gets reported.
Social Commerce Platforms
Social commerce platforms differ mainly in where checkout happens. Availability and features vary by country, so confirm the details for your market before planning a launch.
| Platform | Main shopping format | Where checkout happens |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok Shop | Shoppable videos, LIVE, and a Shop tab | Inside TikTok |
| Facebook and Instagram Shops | Product catalogs, tags, and ads | Mainly the seller’s website |
| YouTube Shopping | Product tags from creators in videos, Shorts, and live streams | The merchant’s website, per Google’s Merchant Center documentation |
| Product Pins generated from a catalog | The merchant’s website |
These rules change often. Meta began moving Shops to website checkout in June 2025. In March 2026, it announced a new one-tap checkout flow built with Stripe and PayPal, so check its current status before relying on either setup.
TikTok is a major player in the US. eMarketer attributes 18.2% of US social commerce sales to it in 2025.
Social Commerce vs Social Selling vs Social Shopping
Social commerce is the sales channel, social selling is a relationship-building practice, and social shopping is the buyer’s activity. The terms overlap in everyday use, and sources do not define them consistently.
- Social commerce: Selling products through social platforms, including their shops, tags, and checkout tools.
- Social selling: Using social networks to find and build relationships with prospects. A B2B sales rep who engages buyers on LinkedIn is social selling, and the deal usually closes elsewhere.
- Social shopping: The shopper’s experience of finding, discussing, and buying products on social platforms. Many writers use it as a synonym for social commerce.
Social Commerce Marketing
Social commerce marketing relies on content that shows the product in use and gives people a direct way to buy. Common tactics include:
- Creator and affiliate partnerships: Creators tag products and earn commission on sales. The FTC requires creators in the US to disclose these paid relationships.
- Live shopping: Hosts demonstrate products and answer questions in real time.
- Shoppable short video: Product tags appear directly on the video.
- User-generated content: Customer photos, videos, and reviews supply proof that brand ads cannot.
- Paid amplification: Ads extend the reach of creator posts that are already selling.
How to Track Social Commerce Sales
How you track social commerce depends on where checkout happens. UTM parameters work when a shopper clicks through to your website, but they cannot follow a purchase completed inside an app.
For link-out purchases, tag each post, creator, or ad, then measure the resulting purchases with ecommerce tracking in GA4:
https://example.com/products/running-shoes?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=paid_social&utm_campaign=spring-sale&utm_content=reel-01
Orders completed inside an app do not reach your website, so GA4 will not record them. Use the platform’s own seller reports for those sales. Then combine both data sets in one report, and watch for customers who appear in both.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is social commerce?
Social commerce is selling and buying products through social media platforms. A shopper might buy inside TikTok or tap a Pinterest Product Pin and pay on the seller’s website. Definitions vary on whether link-out sales count, so check the scope of any statistic you cite.
What is the difference between social commerce and ecommerce?
Social commerce is a subset of ecommerce that uses social platforms for product discovery, and sometimes for checkout. Ecommerce covers all online selling, including online stores and marketplaces. The main difference is where the shopper finds the product and how much of the journey the platform controls.
Is social shopping the same as social commerce?
Often, yes, although some writers separate them. In common usage, social shopping describes the buyer’s experience, while social commerce describes the wider sales channel and its tools. Neither term has a formal standard definition.
Is social selling the same as social commerce?
No. Social selling means building relationships with prospects on social networks, often in B2B sales, and the deal usually closes elsewhere. Social commerce means selling products through social platforms, often directly to consumers. A team can use both.
What are the main social commerce platforms?
The main social commerce platforms are TikTok Shop, Facebook and Instagram Shops, YouTube Shopping, and Pinterest. They differ most in where checkout happens: TikTok keeps it in-app, while YouTube and Pinterest send buyers to the merchant. The best choice depends on where your customers spend time and which markets each platform serves.
To tag links from Instagram posts, stories, and ads before your next campaign, use the free Instagram UTM builder.