The number of people actively using social media is projected to reach 5.66 billion by the end of 2026. In other words, over two-thirds of the world’s population is currently on social media, and that number is projected to exceed the 6 billion mark by the end of the decade.
In addition to being the preferred source of entertainment for the majority of the population, social media is rapidly becoming a go-to destination for online shopping.
The figures reveal the rapid growth of the social commerce market and indicate that it will continue to grow in the foreseeable future, as AI personalization, livestream shopping, and other trends attract more online shoppers.
Hence, establishing a strong presence on top social commerce platforms is no longer optional for digital merchants who run independent online stores or offer their products on online marketplaces.
Let’s explore facts and statistics that will help boost your social commerce efforts.
Key takeaways
- The social commerce industry is growing three times faster than the conventional ecommerce market.
- The social commerce market is expected to reach $8.5 trillion by 2030.
- 8.9% of ecommerce sales in the US in 2026 will come from social commerce.
- YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok are the most popular platforms for product discovery, as over 60% of social media users learn about new products there.
- 73% of Gen Z use social media as a primary source for learning about new products.
- Millennials and Gen Z consumers account for 60% to 70% of global social commerce revenue.
- Users worldwide spend 58% of their time on social media watching short-form videos.
What is social commerce and how can sellers on online marketplaces use it to improve sales?
Social commerce is an umbrella term for a range of practices for promoting and selling products through social media platforms.
Unlike traditional ecommerce, social commerce features in-app checkout, which simplifies the buying process and eliminates the need to visit the retailer’s online store to complete a purchase.
The term is also frequently used to refer to transactions that occur on an online marketplace or a retailer’s website after a consumer follows a link to a product they discovered on a social platform.
Moreover, major online marketplaces, like Amazon and eBay, offer sellers a variety of social commerce tools that enable them to share their product listings across different platforms, reach new potential customers, and drive external traffic back to their stores.
As a result, social media has become an important sales and promotional channel for sellers on online marketplaces, helping them reduce customer acquisition costs and increase revenue.
Furthermore, setting up an Instagram Shop, Facebook Shop, or TikTok Shop enables marketplace and independent online sellers to expand their audience and establish additional sales channels.
The overview of the global social commerce market
The social commerce market is growing at a dizzying pace.
In 2020, the market’s size was approximately $0.5, and according to current projections, it is expected to exceed $8 trillion by 2030. 22.4% of ecommerce sales worldwide will take place on social media.
Such swift growth of social commerce sales can be partially attributed to the growing trust consumers place in shopping through social networks, driven by the increased safety of payment options, influencer marketing, the emergence of verified seller badges, and easy access to user-generated content (UGC).
The figures show that North America and Southeast Asia are the fastest-growing social commerce markets. The US social commerce market is projected to reach $126.6 billion in 2026, surpassing the $100 billion mark for the first time.
9 out of 10 social media users in China make frequent purchases through social networks, while more than half of social media users in the US completed at least one purchase on social media in 2026.
What’s more, 94% of social media users in the US purchase products on Amazon after discovering them through an influencer or a social media network.
It’s also worth noting that 52% of consumers prefer social search to AI chatbots when seeking UGC, while 82% of people use social media to research a product before buying.
The most popular social media platforms for ecommerce
A handful of platforms dominate the social commerce market.
For years, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok have been the go-to destinations for businesses and shoppers alike, and that outlook is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future.
In 2025, Instagram generated $37.2 billion in sales worldwide, while TikTok Shop’s global GMV doubled from the year before, reaching $64.3 billion, while Facebook Marketplace generated between $10 and $15 billion.
83% of marketers use Facebook to advertise products, followed by 78% on Instagram and 53% on YouTube. Interestingly, only 26% of study participants reported using TikTok for product promotion.
According to the latest data, TikTok Shop is the fastest-growing social commerce platform in the US, as it is projected to reach 24.1% of the US social commerce market share by 2027. Moreover, TikTok Shop’s annual sales are expected to exceed $30 billion in 2030.
Additionally, more than half of consumers who shop on social media made their most recent purchase on Facebook Marketplace. At the same time, a third of Instagram users in the US are expected to make at least one purchase on this platform.
Social media and product discovery
Aside from being an online sales engine that is expected to generate over 30% of worldwide ecommerce sales by 2030, social media is also a powerful product discovery tool.
Currently, 52% of social media users visit YouTube and 45% visit Facebook to research a product before making the purchasing decision.
Additionally, shopping is the primary reason for using social media for 27% of consumers, while 26.7% use it to find inspiration for things they could buy.
58% of online shoppers in the US, 44% in the UK, and 40% in Germany have purchased a product after seeing it on social media.
These figures univocally show the impact social media has on consumer behavior and its power to influence purchasing decisions.
It’s also worth noting that 92% of consumers who frequently shop online turn to social media for social proof, such as unfiltered product reviews and UGC, which suggests that social media has become instrumental for ecommerce businesses as they enable them to build trust with their customer base.
Interestingly, the statistics also show that ambient shopping is rising in popularity, as 69% of consumers say they have purchased a product while scrolling on social media or engaging in another activity.
A glance at the consumer behavior and shopper demographics
The audience on social media is predominantly young, as roughly 65% of social media users worldwide are aged between 18 and 24.
Over 70% of Instagram users are under 35, while Facebook users are slightly older, as millennials are the platform’s largest demographic.
Still, YouTube is the most used social media platform among Millennials and Gen Zers, with more than 90% of Internet users in these age groups frequently watching videos on the platform.
On the other hand, the gender balance varies by platform. For instance, 56.6% of Facebook users are male, and 43% are female, while 52.7% of Instagram users are male and 47.3% are female.
The average person uses between six and seven social media platforms and spends 18 hours and 36 minutes per week.
Short-form video is the most popular content format across social media platforms, as 73% of consumers prefer learning about a product by watching a video.
It’s also worth adding that 82% of consumers reach the purchasing decision after watching a video on social media.
Social media as a source of organic traffic for online stores
As noted earlier, social media is the preferred channel for discovering products for the majority of its users.
Consequently, developing an effective social commerce strategy has become mandatory for sellers on online marketplaces, as it enables them to expand the reach of their products and drive organic traffic back to their stores on Amazon, eBay, and similar platforms from social media sites.
Meanwhile, the cost of paid traffic on major online marketplaces is increasing as merchants are forced to spend more on CPC and CPS campaigns to reach new customers.
Building a social media presence enables sellers to reach new customers without having to invest extensively in costly advertising campaigns.
However, simply sharing a product listing is no longer enough to reach a broad range of potential buyers as algorithms on social media platforms continue to evolve.
The organic reach of posts decreased in 2026, and it currently ranges from 1.5% to 6% of the account’s followers.
That’s why sellers on online marketplaces need a content strategy that includes short promotional videos and sharing user-generated content.
Understanding the live shopping trend
Even though it’s not a particularly new social commerce trend, live shopping has been gaining momentum over the last few years.
The live shopping market is projected to reach $2.5 trillion by 2033, growing at a 40% CAGR.
Furthermore, 71% of Instagram users have purchased products during live shopping sessions, and 80% of consumers have discovered new brands or products during live shopping events.
According to the latest data, brands using Instagram Live to promote products have seen a 52% increase in customer interaction.
Besides interacting more with brands, consumers are also likely to spend more during live shopping sessions, as one in five shoppers spent $500 or more on products purchased through this channel in 2025.
Sellers on online marketplaces who primarily offer products in the fashion, beauty, or electronics categories can benefit from this trend, as items in these categories are among the best-selling products during live shopping sessions.
In addition, live shopping encourages impulse buying, as over half of impulse purchases during live shopping events occur on TikTok, while 45% occur on Instagram and Facebook.
Leveraging the power of social media to improve sales on ecommerce platforms
Online marketplaces attract millions of shoppers daily, but standing out in such crowded, competitive environments is becoming increasingly difficult.
That’s why growing numbers of online sellers are turning to social media channels to expand the reach of their products and secure a steady flow of organic traffic for their stores on online marketplaces.
The figures show that the rise of social selling is sustainable and indicate that social media presence has become an important part of sales strategy for independent merchants and marketplace sellers.
Do you need assistance scaling your eBay business? Book a call to find out how Webinterpret can help you create high-converting product listings and achieve social commerce success.
About Webinterpret
Webinterpret supports merchants selling on eBay.
Our AI-based solutions enable more effective selling through automated listing localization, advertising, and returns, and ensure all products placed on EU markets are GPSR-compliant.
By giving your international customers a full, end-to-end local shopping experience, Webinterpret improves your conversion and helps establish your business globally.
