Strategy February 23, 2022
98% of Consumers Plan Social Shopping in 2022
Younger shoppers are more likely to use visual-heavy networks like Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat when they make online purchases, according to a study from Sprout Social.
This year, 98% of consumers plan to make at least one purchase through social shopping or influencer commerce, according to a new study by Sprout Social. That’s a significant jump from 2021 when about 68% of consumers reported making at least one purchase directly from social media, according to the study.
The findings track with another recent report that social commerce is expected to reach $1.2 trillion by 2025.
Gen Z shoppers are most likely to gravitate toward visual-first social networks like Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, while baby boomers are sticking to Facebook. Women are more likely to shop on TikTok and Pinterest, whereas sites like Twitter and Twitch are more favored by male shoppers, according to Sprout Social.
As far as how shoppers are finding items to buy on social, nearly half (49%) say they’re purchasing after seeing a targeted ad. Four out of 10 say they’ve made a purchase after seeing an organic post by a brand. Seeing a friend’s post (34%) and researching on social media (34%) were other methods consumers used. Recommendations from friends have the biggest influence on buyers, followed by comments and product reviews as well as brand familiarity.
Inclusivity is important to social shoppers, with 60% reporting that they’re more likely to buy from a brand with inclusive marketing – featuring different races, ethnicities or gender identities in their ads and feeds. Perhaps unsurprisingly, inclusivity is most important to younger shoppers, with 73% of Gen Z and 72% of millennials naming it as a factor when they make a purchase.
When it comes to features, livestreams are the most popular for shopping, with 71% of livestream watchers having bought something on social, according to Sprout Social. Consumers also rate a “streamlined in-platform shopping experience” highly, with 45% of respondents saying they’re excited to buy directly from their favorite social platforms. Virtual reality and augmented reality features are most popular with younger users, with 32% of 18- to 24-year-olds using them, and 30% of 25- to 40-year-olds using them.
For its study, Sprout Social surveyed roughly 1,000 U.S. adults between Dec. 14 to 19. Selected participants had to use at least one social media platform and follow at least one brand on social media.