The social commerce market in the United States is booming, with more and more consumers turning to social media platforms to discover, research, and purchase products.
From Instagram shoppable posts to Facebook Marketplace, the ability for consumers to easily browse and buy products directly from their favorite social media apps has revolutionized how we shop.
It’s estimated that the social commerce market in the U.S. will reach $30 billion by 2023, with a compound annual growth rate of 23.8% from 2018 to 2023.
Let’s understand the growth of social commerce in the U.S.A. and look at some of the benefits of social commerce.
Social Commerce Market Forecast
By 2025, the opportunity for social commerce will nearly triple. Global social commerce sales are expected to reach $492 billion in 2021.
The social commerce opportunity will reach $1.2 trillion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 26%.
This accounts for 16.7% of the total e-commerce spend of $7 trillion. China will remain the most advanced in size and maturity, but developing markets such as India and Brazil will see the most growth.
Social commerce has the potential to overtake e-commerce in these markets as new business models enable greater participation in digital commerce across all societal spectrums.
In the United States, social commerce will more than double to $99 billion by 2025, with the most opportunities in apparel, consumer electronics, and home decor. But this is only the beginning.
Social commerce is a democratizing force that creates new opportunities for individuals and small businesses.
For example, 59% of social buyers say they are more likely to buy from a small business when they shop on social media rather than online. And 44% are more likely to purchase a brand they have never heard of.
The Growth Of Social Commerce In The U.S.
Over the last few years, U.S. social and creator platforms have added a slew of social-commerce features:
Pinterest’s “Shopping List” feature, which will be available in 2021, automatically saves users’ shoppable product pins (launched in 2019 and uploaded from verified retailers), displays product reviews, and notifies users when a pinned product has a price reduction.
Instagram Shopping Live
Influencers can live stream on Instagram in 2020 to introduce and sell products to fans in real-time.
This expands on influencers’ ability to include shopping tags in their posts that consumers can use to purchase products.
Brands can also use Instagram to create a digital, shareable catalog of their products, with customers purchasing directly from the app or clicking through to the brand’s e-commerce site.
Amazon.com Live
This live-streaming feature, which debuted in 2019, allows brands and creators to broadcast product demos and other innovative content.
According to the company, tens of millions of customers watched Amazon’s Prime Day 2021 live streams.
Snapchat
Snapchat has introduced A.R. filters, also known as “catalog-powered shopping lenses,” to make the purchasing experience more immersive.
Fundamentals Of Social Commerce Business
Social commerce operates in three major ways, through brands, influencers, or individuals themselves:
Content-driven: Authentic discovery, engagement, and action are driven by unique content created by brands, influencers, or individuals. Social media users, for example, are discovering new goods and experiences through shoppable posts and in-app stores on Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram, to name a few platforms.
Experience-driven: channels enable shopping within the context of an overall experience, most commonly live streaming, but could also include AR/VR experiences or gaming. Consider Obsess’ “Shop with Friends” feature, which allows groups to visit virtual stores with their friends9.
Network Driven: People are buying and selling through their existing social networks. That could imply banding together to obtain bulk discounts, a strategy that has proven so successful in China that Pinduoduo now has more active buyers than Alibaba10. Individuals may also use their influence and network to drive sales and earn commissions. Meesho in India now has over 13 million entrepreneurs who communicate with their customers via social media platforms such as WhatsApp11.
Strong Social Media Presence: To succeed in social commerce, a business must have a strong presence on social media platforms. This includes regularly posting engaging content, responding to customer queries and feedback, and utilizing influencer marketing strategies.
Mobile Optimization: With the majority of social media usage taking place on mobile devices, a social commerce business must have a mobile-optimized website and shopping experience.
User-Generated Content: Encouraging customers to share their experiences with a business’s products on social media can help to drive sales and build trust with potential customers.
Personalized Shopping Experiences: By utilizing the vast amounts of data available on social media users, businesses can create personalized shopping experiences that are tailored to each customer’s individual interests and preferences.
Analytics and Metrics: Monitoring key metrics such as conversion rates, customer satisfaction, and return on investment is crucial for any successful social commerce business. Utilizing analytics tools can help businesses to understand their customers and make data-driven decisions.
Fulfillment and Delivery: A social commerce business must have efficient and reliable fulfillment and delivery processes in place to ensure that customers receive their purchases promptly and in good condition.
Why Is Social Commerce Booming So Much?
There are several reasons why social commerce is booming in the United States:
- Increased use of social media: The number of social media users in the U.S.U.S. is growing rapidly, with more and more people turning to platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok for entertainment, news, and information. As a result, businesses have more opportunities to reach potential customers through social media.
- Convenience and ease of use: Social media platforms allow consumers to discover, research, and purchase products without leaving the app. This convenience appeals to younger generations, who are more likely to use mobile devices and social media.
- Trust in social recommendations: Consumers trust recommendations from friends and influencers more than traditional advertising. Social commerce allows businesses to leverage this trust by promoting products through user-generated content and influencer marketing.
- Personalization: Social media platforms offer a wealth of consumer behavior and preferences data, allowing businesses to personalize better their social commerce efforts to target specific demographics.
- The emergence of new features: Many social media platforms are adding new features, such as shoppable posts and live streaming, that facilitate social commerce.
- Convenient Shopping Experience: Social commerce provides a seamless and convenient shopping experience for customers. They can browse and purchase products without having to leave the social media platform they’re already using.
- The Rise of Mobile: The widespread use of smartphones has made it easier for people to shop online, and social commerce has capitalized on this trend by offering mobile-optimized shopping experiences.
- Influencer Marketing: Influencer marketing has become an increasingly popular way for businesses to promote their products, and social commerce provides a direct link for customers to purchase the products that influencers are promoting.
- Better Targeting and Personalization: Social media platforms have vast amounts of data on their users, which allows businesses to tailor their marketing efforts to specific target audiences and personalize their shopping experiences.
Social commerce is booming in the U.S. because it aligns with consumer behavior, preferences, and technology trends and offers businesses new ways to reach customers and drive sales.
Wrapping Up!
In conclusion, social commerce is booming in the United States due to various factors.
These factors include the growing number of social media users, the convenience and ease of use of social media platforms, the trust in social recommendations, the ability to personalize marketing efforts, and the emergence of new features that facilitate.
So if you want to incorporate social commerce in your business field, this blog will surely provide you with all the necessary inputs and statistics.
