Social Media’s Role in Reshaping Online Shopping, According to Retailers

Buying things through social media is becoming really common. We often get tagged in posts (thanks, cousin) showing cute gifts, stylish clothes, and other cool items.

Even if we work in content marketing and know when someone is trying to sell us something, we still get interested in the products we see on social media.

If your business sells products and you’re not yet using social media to sell, 2025 is a great time to begin.

Not sure if it’s for you?

Let’s explore how social commerce works, what successful brands are doing, and some easy tips to help you get started. We’ll also share what experts think about the present and future of shopping on social media.

Social Media and Online Shopping — What’s Happening Now

Today, more and more salespeople, marketers, and brands are using social media to sell — and for a good reason. By 2026, sales from social media shopping might reach around $2.9 trillion worldwide.

That number is huge. But sometimes, numbers alone don’t help us convince the people in charge of our sales and marketing plans.

So, let’s look at what people are really saying:

• Sales teams say, “Our best leads come from social media, so we focus on it.”
• Shoppers say, “36% of us use social media to find new things to buy. And 28% of Gen Z and Millennials have bought directly from social media apps in the last 3 months.”
• 80% of marketers agree, “People are buying more from social media than from our websites or other stores.”
• 87% of brands say social selling has helped their business.
• Instagram says 71% of Gen Z are likely to shop on their platform, compared to 68% on YouTube and TikTok.

Still not sure? Just look at the sales numbers — many brands are seeing real growth with social selling.
In short, social shopping is growing fast, loved by younger buyers, and helping brands sell more.

7 Social Media Shopping Trends to Watch

Wondering why social selling is growing so fast? There’s no secret trick. Like other types of marketing, you have to watch what others are doing and try out different ideas.

Here are some of the biggest trends right now, based on expert tips and research.

1. Easy Shopping Inside Social Media Apps

As more people shop directly through social media, it’s important to make the process quick and smooth. No one wants to click through many steps just to buy something simple. That’s why it helps to use platforms that already support easy shopping.

Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are great choices. In 2025, there are estimated to be 5.42 billion total social media users worldwide, with an average person using 6.83 different social networks per month.

So, what social platforms should you focus on? Here’s what 1,000+ marketers said:

• Instagram (33%)
• Facebook (25%)
• YouTube (18%)
• TikTok (12%)
• Twitter/X (6%)

2. Short Product Videos That Grab Attention

Short videos are helping brands sell more. Around 66% of marketers say these videos work well.

The best part? They’re short and to the point, just 3 minutes or less. These videos help explain products quickly, and 40% of marketers say they make it easier for buyers to understand what’s being sold.

Want to make videos that feel natural, not like ads? Try using an influencer. Small, trusted creators can make your product feel more real to their followers.

Here are a few easy video ideas:

• Behind the scenes (BTS) – Show your human side.
• Product teasers – Show off something new.
• How-to videos – Give a quick tip using your product.
• Customer videos – Show others using your product.
• Highlight videos – Share all the great uses of your product.
• Customer reviews – Let others talk about their experience.
• FAQs – Answer common questions.
• Influencer videos – Let influencers show your product in action.

3. Working With Smaller Influencers Builds More Trust

Lately, we have noticed fewer big influencers and more small ones in our feed. These smaller creators feel more real and easier to relate to.

It looks like more brands agree. Working with nano- and micro-influencers costs less and often brings better results. About 67% of influencer marketers choose micro-influencers, and 24% go with nano-influencers.

The top platforms they use are:

• Instagram (27%)
• Facebook (19%)
• YouTube (18%)
• TikTok (15%)

So far, 47% of marketers say working with micro-influencers has been a success. That’s not a surprise, 21% of people aged 18–54 have bought something just because an influencer recommended it.

Wondering how brands are using this? Take Glossier, for example. This makeup brand often works with small influencers to share how their products are used in real life. One Instagram reel showed Sky Mejias using their lip product. The short video was part tutorial and part review, getting 320,000 views and nearly 7,000 likes. Sky has just over 3,500 followers, making her a nano-influencer.

Also, one in three Gen Z buyers has purchased from a brand started by an influencer. This shows just how much trust younger people place in influencers.

4. Social Media is the New Way to Search

Gen Z and millennials are changing how people search for products. They don’t just use Google or Bing anymore, now they turn to Instagram to find brands and ideas.

According to a report, 72% of Gen Z users prefer Instagram for customer care over any other channel.

So, how can brands keep up? They need to treat social posts like they do SEO content. This means using the right keywords and hashtags.

Michael Nemeroff, co-founder of Rush Order Tees, says, “Hashtags and reels are our best tools. We use keywords as hashtags, but we choose ones with fewer than 100,000 uses so we can stand out.”

5. Live Streaming Is Becoming More Popular

Posting photos and videos on social media helps keep your audience interested. But live streaming is a step further. It lets people talk to your brand and even ask questions in real time.

Live videos make your brand feel more personal and help shoppers decide if they want to buy.

One great idea is to do live Q&A sessions. These help answer people’s questions and remove doubts about buying. You can invite an employee or an influencer to host the live stream.

For example, Hallmark Timmins, a Canadian gift shop, saw great results from live-stream shopping events. Shawn Stack, the founder, said these live streams had 3–4 times more sales than regular posts.

“People love the live, personal feel. They ask questions, get style advice, and feel closer to the brand,” says Stack.

Your live stream doesn’t need to be all about selling. It can be a demo or a casual chat. If you sell fashion, you can show models or influencers using your items. This gives people a better idea of how the product works or looks before buying.

Brands in Canada are already doing this well. For instance, Aldo did a live shopping stream with influencers Mimi Cuttrell and Nate Wyatt to promote their spring collection. The event got a 308% engagement rate and 17,000 visits to their site in just five days. With social commerce growing fast, this trend will likely become more common in the U.S. too.

6. Augmented Reality is Changing the Way We Shop

During the pandemic, many people got used to shopping online for everything, even big things like houses and cars.

Now, some brands are using Augmented Reality (AR) to make online shopping feel more like shopping in a real store. With AR, shoppers can see what a product looks like in their home, or even on themselves, before buying.

For example, you can use your phone or tablet to see how a lamp would look on your nightstand. Want to try on some glasses? Just use selfie mode to see how they look on your face.

Many brands are also using AR on social media to bring people to their websites. Some even build AR tools right into their apps so customers keep shopping with them.

American Eagle worked with Snapchat to create a fun AR experience called “Dress Yourself.” It let users try on back-to-school outfits using their front camera, then shop the look or send it to friends. They also teamed up with Bitmoji to launch digital clothes for avatars.

After earning $2 million from a virtual store on Snapchat in 2020, AE built a team just for the metaverse. More brands are likely to follow this path soon.

Tips to Use Social Media Better

Want to try these new social shopping trends? Here are some simple tips to help you get started:

1. Use fun, interactive content to learn more about your customers.

Posting on social media is great for brand awareness, but to sell more, you need engagement. One smart way is by using quizzes. Not just for fun, but ones that help people find the right product for them.
One quiz helped you pick the right face cream and even led to an extra purchase before checkout!
According to PopSmash, quizzes have helped:

• A hair brand increased sales by 41%
• A makeup brand increased ad earnings by 200%
• A home brand raises the average order by 60%

“People go on social media to have fun, not to shop,” says Gabe Mays from PopSmash. “That’s why quizzes work. They help people enjoy the experience and find the right product.”

Around 30% of people who comment on a post end up taking the quiz and sharing their details.

2. Make live videos fun and real

Live videos are popular now, but no one wants to watch a boring one. Don’t just show your products, make your video interesting with themes, fun facts, or helpful tips. You can also team up with influencers on sites like Twitch, YouTube, or Kick.

Ross shared an example: “For Mother’s Day, we worked with mom influencers to talk about hair loss after giving birth. They shared their stories and showed how our hair extensions helped.”

The honest stories made people feel connected, and a special offer made it even better.

3. Use giveaways to bring more people to your quizzes

Gabe Mays says not to think of social selling as just selling. Instead, try to start with fun, then gently introduce your product.

Giveaways work well because they bring in more people, who then take the quiz. The quiz collects their name, email, and product choices so you can reach them later through email or text.

Social selling isn’t just about quick sales. It’s about learning more about your customers so you can keep them coming back.

4. Build a community, not just a customer list

About 1 in 5 people take part in online communities. Some of these are created by brands. These groups help people share ideas, give feedback, and learn more about products. It helps grow trust, loyalty, and even word-of-mouth sales.

In 2025, most social media marketers plan to focus on building active communities.

Mark Sheng from DoDo Machine says, “We started the ‘DoDo Crews’ program to give fans tools to share their looks online. It’s already helped us increase sales by 25%.”

The Future of Social Shopping

Social selling isn’t about pushing products. It’s about making real connections and building a community of fans. The best brands today are the ones that make shoppers feel like they’re hearing from a friend.

People trust other people more than they trust ads. That’s why content made by users, influencer partnerships, and helpful tools like AR are so powerful.

If your brand focuses on making connections and using fun tech like AR, you’ll see more clicks, more sales, and more loyal customers.