The 2022

The 2022 social so

commerce
commerce guide gu
Reach your customers on
Reach
their your
theirfavorite custome
favoriteplaftorms
platform
their favorite pla
Table of contents
3 Introduction

5 Meta

9 TikTok

13 Snapchat

17 Pinterest

20 6 tips for implementing social commerce

24 Where to next
Introduction
Consumers are now discovering, researching, and buying products
on more channels than ever before. New concepts, platforms, and
apps pop up all the time and some have grown incredibly quickly.
For instance, Instagram introduced in-app checkout in 2019. Then
Tiktok added in-app shopping functionality to sponsored videos.
All major social platforms have launched shopping capabilities,
making social commerce one of the biggest buzz phrases in retail. It
is estimated that social commerce will become a $1.2 trillion global
market by 2025.

Social commerce refers to the process of selling items directly on

social media, with consumers discovering, researching, and buying
products without ever leaving a social network. Although the buying
part is only available on a few platforms and in a few regions, we
can expect all big players in the space to offer a full social commerce
experience within the next few years.

3
There are two things to love about social commerce:

1 2
It reaches shoppers where It makes it easy for brands
they are. Someone can go from and retailers to get started online.
browsing their news feed to making Digitally native, vertical brands are a
a purchase in seconds. And because popular example. You can jump on social
they already trust a given app, there media and start selling even when you
are minimal blockers. Social commerce have a small team and no ecommerce
becomes a seamless experience for infrastructure. No matter the size or
shoppers. nature of your brand, social commerce
enables you to ​​build brand awareness,
engage with consumers, and sell your
products with ease.

While the proliferation of so many new social commerce platforms may feel overwhelming,
forward-thinking brands should charge ahead. Each new platform provides an opportunity
to showcase products in a new environment, adding an entertainment factor to the
shopping experience. Brands should tailor their approach to each platform’s unique
capabilities, content requirements, and audience.

4
Meta:
Facebook, Instagram,
and WhatsApp

5
 Over one billion
people connect with
business accounts Meta was known as Facebook until October 2021, when the company’s
weekly via Instagram, co-founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, introduced the company’s new
Messenger, WhatsApp. name, brand, and mission to “bring the metaverse to life and help people
connect, find communities and grow businesses.” Facebook has over 2.9
3.58 billion people billion monthly active users. Meta also owns Instagram, which has 1.4 billion
use at least one of monthly active users, and WhatsApp, the world’s most popular messaging
Meta’s core platforms app, with over 2 billion active users. Founded in 2004, the company has
each month. been leading the way in social commerce.

Meta launched Facebook dynamic ads in 2015, Instagram in-app checkout in

early 2019, and expanded Shops to Facebook Marketplace and Whatsapp in
June 2021.
An estimated 50% of Instagram
8% of all product users discover new
searches globally brands, products, “It’s still obviously early, but we now have more than 1 million active Shops, and
now take place on or services on the more than 250 million people actively interacting with Shops every month. So, I
Facebook alone. platform. think the progress in terms of being able to ramp up some of this stuff and all of
the different tools that now exist … it’s really amazing. I think that the next five

Meta
years are going to be really explosive in terms of the potential across a lot of
these verticals.”

Mark Zuckerberg, Co-Founder and CEO, Meta

6
Facebook dynamic ads
Facebook dynamic ads display relevant products to the right
people at the right time. Brands and retailers dynamically
create ads and target their audience with relevant products
based on their previous actions and performance data. The
Facebook platform uses machine learning to create a custom
ad experience. They don’t count as social commerce, as the
transaction must always be completed on another platform.
However, they represent the first step towards Facebook and
Instagram Shops.

In order to generate Facebook dynamic ads, you need a product catalog.

YOU CAN USE FACEBOOK DYNAMIC ADS IN TWO WAYS: If you sell online, chances are you already have one. All you need to do is
For broad audiences, targeting consumers who have not yet tailor and optimize it for Facebook. A Facebook product catalog is great.
visited your site. However, to make the most of the Facebook ecosystem you need an
For targeting previous visitors to your site or social media page enhanced catalog. It contains more detailed product information that
who made inquiries but left without converting. enables buyers to find the exact product they desire. In addition, it enables
you to venture beyond the mere use of dynamic ads and sell your products

Meta
through Facebook and Instagram Shops.

7
Facebook Shops and
Instagram Shopping
Checkout: The checkout feature is what truly makes social commerce
Facebook and Instagram Shops are digital storefronts social commerce. The transaction is completed on Instagram, so shoppers
where brands can list products while still highlighting can have a seamless experience on a single platform. Although first
their respective identities. Prospective buyers can either be announced in 2019, Instagram checkout is still not available globally.
directed to the business’s website or make their purchases
natively from within the Facebook family of apps. The in- Product launches: This new feature highlights new product drops,
app checkout functionality is not yet available globally. allowing users to preview products details and set reminders for when
Please remember to check its availability for your market. products become available for purchase.
Meta seems to be more focused on Instagram Shops than
on Facebook Shops. The more recently launched Instagram
Shopping entails a set of features that allow people to
easily interact with brands’ photos and videos all across
Instagram: LATEST Instagram added a live shopping component to its Shop Tab, which features
5
UPDATES a variety of livestream shopping events for users to tune into. Businesses can
Shops: Think of them as windows on the high street.
broadcast their products using influencer marketing and drive sales through
Shops are where people can browse products and explore
purchases made directly on the Instagram app. It also introduced ads to its
collections.
Shop Tab. In addition to Reels and the Explore feed, sponsored products
now appear among other posts on the Shop home page. Businesses can
Collections: They enable brands to customize their
pay to increase the visibility of their products in an environment where
Shops by curating products under themes. Think new
consumers are already in a shopping mindset. The platform also launched
arrivals, gifts, seasonal trends, or sales.
a new tool to help connect businesses with creators. The Branded Content

Meta
Partnerships feature allows brands to discover relevant creators and
Product detail pages: They contain all product data, like
communicate sponsorships and deals directly on the app.
titles, pricing, sizes, images, etc. When in-app checkout is
not available, they can also drive people to your website to
complete a transaction.

8
TikTok
 It was the most
downloaded app
in 2021.

TikTok calls itself the “destination for short-form mobile videos,” and is
TikTok has one of the fastest-growing social media platforms. It began as Musical.ly,
over one billion a lip-sync video app launched in 2014. Musical.ly was bought by Chinese
monthly active tech company Bytedance and relaunched outside of China as TikTok.
users. The company still owns a separate version of the app, ​​Douyin, which is
only available in China. TikTok’s relatively young users are tech-savvy
and highly engaged. Whether memes, lip syncs, or dance challenges,
the content is short, funny, and relatable. TikTok has been testing the
social commerce waters for a while now. In late 2020, it partnered with
Shopify to launch shoppable video ads. TikTok Dynamic Showcase Ads
83% of were launched in September 2021. New data from TikTok shows that ad
consumers browsing content not created specifically for TikTok performs the worst on the app.
TikTok say seeing
trending content
has inspired them to Approximately
make a purchase. 105
68% of TikTok

TikTok
users are GenZ
and Millennials.
shar e

10
Tiktok Dynamic Showcase Ads As your product feeds power these ads, they are rather low
maintenance. And because they’re so personalized and relevant, this
In a nutshell, TikTok Dynamic Showcase Ads enable advertisers has a positive effect on campaign performance, leading to better brand
to promote their hundreds, thousands, or millions of SKUs experiences and more sales.
through personalized, targeted ads. The available templates
enable the creation of content that feels native to TikTok’s
community, including audio, text overlays, and engaging clips. “On TikTok, content that feels native to the platform is key to creating an
You can show your audience unique, tailored ads, without engaging experience. We’re thrilled to be working with the best-in-class
partners who can help brands to integrate their product catalogs and create
the need to set them all up from scratch. Content is auto-
personalized Dynamic Showcase Ads that capture consumers’ attention.”
generated by pulling creatives from your product feeds.
- Gabe Nicolau, Head of Vertical Ads Solutions, TikTok
What makes TikTok Dynamic Showcase Ads special? TikTok is
a home for creative self-expression that nurtures authentic,
entertaining content. Its Dynamic Showcase Ads offering
follows the same creative principles. This means that your ads
will make an engaging and entertaining product showcase and
will enable you to connect with new audiences. TikTok can
help you drive app downloads, website traffic, and conversions
through personalized ads targeting at scale.

TikTok
11
TikTok Shopping While product discovery and product detail experiences are also native
through partner integration, check out and post-payment (e.g. returns
TikTok Shopping is TikTok’s social commerce solution. The or refunds) happen outside of TikTok. There are three kinds of partner
company partnered with Shopify to launch in-app shopping integrations: through commerce platforms (e.g. Shopify, BigCommerce),
experiences for merchants in the US, Canada, and the UK in manual setup (create your catalog directly in your TikTok For Business
2021. TikTok Shopping is still not available globally, but new account, or by using the TikTok Marketing API to set up and manage
markets open up all the time. There are two ways for companies your storefront.
to sell their products on TikTok: direct integration and partner
integration.

The direct integration allows businesses to sell directly on

TikTok. TikTok Seller Center and Affiliate Center enable a
LATEST
marketplace model, where creators can get commissions UPDATES TikTok recently launched TikTok TV and introduced live shopping events
through the TikTok Affiliate Program. Shoppers discover where brands can connect with consumers in real-time, sharing direct links
products via livestreams, video content, and Showcase to products and services. It also created a new platform to help facilitate
(the Shopping tab of each profile). This is a native shopping partnerships between creators and businesses, Creative Exchange, and
experience where product discovery, product detail pages, announced building its own AR development platform. TikTok’s Creator
product management, shipping, billing, purchases, and returns Marketplace API provides companies with access to audience demographics,
are powered and performed directly on TikTok. growth trends, best-performing videos, and real-time campaign reporting.
The API also enables brands and retailers to better work with TikTok
influencers on marketing campaigns.

TikTok
12
Snapchat
 Snapchat reaches
75% of millennials
and Gen Z.
Snapchat was launched in 2011 as a camera-first entertainment app.
It soon became popular with younger generations across the world.
Snapchat may have lost some of its market dominance to competing
Around 306 million platforms but still gives marketers access to a large and uniquely engaged
people worldwide use audience. The company has been investing heavily in AR technology. It
Snapchat daily. introduced its iconic Lenses six years ago and has continued to improve
the app experience for users and brands alike. In 2020, Snapchat used
its ‘Shoppable AR’ technology to launch a virtual try-on campaign in
cooperation with Gucci. It was the first time Snapchatters could purchase
Gucci shoes directly via a “Shop Now” button from within the app.
75% of the global
population and almost all
In 2021, Snapchat betted on social commerce with quite a few
smartphone users will be
acquisitions, such as Fit Analytics - a company that assists online buyers
On average, frequent AR users.
to choose the right clothing size, WaveOptics - a company that designs AR
Snapchatters spend wearables with enhanced features, Vertebrae - which enables sellers to
over 30 minutes create and manage 3D renditions of their products, and Screenshop - an

Snapchat
daily on the app. app that scans user photos to determine the desired style and to make
fitting recommendations accordingly.

14
Snapchat Dynamic Ads Dynamic Collection Ads feature a single image or video
with multiple tiles to advertise products. The tiles will be
Snapchat’s Dynamic Ads offering works similarly to
dynamically populated using content from a pre-selected
that on other platforms. Just like Facebook dynamic
product set and the product catalog. Sellers may choose
ads, Snapchat Dynamic Ads automate ad creation
to retarget buyers who previously have shown interest or
and aim to optimize campaigns.
prospect new ones.
With its in-house Snap Pixel and assistance from
third parties, Snapchat collects behavioral data
concerning amongst others, views, contents of Snapchat Shopping
shopping baskets, and previous purchases. Sellers
Snapchat’s commerce strategy has moved beyond the
are able to target users who viewed or added items
exploration stage. Since May 2021, the company allows
to their shopping basket but have failed to complete
any business to set up shoppable product catalogs and AR
the purchase within a set number of days.
filters and lets customers place orders with each business
Dynamic Single Image Ads showcase one item without leaving the Snapchat app. AR remains a focus
from a product catalog at a time and permit for Snapchat with Lenses being a central part of the
the application of text fields and other creative purchasing process. Shoppers who can ‘try on’ products
elements. On offer are five templates, a preview with Lenses then make their purchase. Through a new API
tool, and both default and custom text fields the tool, Snapchat also said it will match Lenses to available
ladder of which may be pulled from a product SWIPE UP
product inventory: if a new product is added, or one runs

Snapchat
catalog. Prospective buyers will be able to simply out of stock, Lenses will appear or disappear on Snapchat
swipe up to open another website, the app store, or accordingly.
the brand’s app itself.

15
A company’s product catalog is the foundation of its digital
LATEST In early 2022, Snapchat introduced catalog-powered Shopping Lenses,
commerce presence. Snapchat is no different than other UPDATES “combining the scale and efficiency of commerce catalogs with the
social commerce platforms in that regard. You will need a personalization and performance of AR”. Lens Product Cards are a new AR-
product catalog, just like you do for Facebook, Instagram, powered user interface built just for shopping. Just as you’d browse through
and TikTok. Only Snapchat can do more with your product selfie filters, you can now browse through products and see how they’d look on
data through its AR technology. It can give your customers you (e.g. fashion, makeup) or in your environment (e.g. ‘placing’ a sofa in your
an experience that’s a little closer to shopping in a store. living room). While focusing on social commerce, the company doesn’t forget it
is a social media platform with a community to serve. In early 2022, for instance,
it announced a Bitmoji-powered concert with Jennifer Lopez and four new
features to boost social engagement through the app.

“Our focus is to reduce the friction in creating and distributing AR

experiences on and off Snapchat. Each Lens features a product card,
where Snapchatters are able to see real-time information about a product
name, price, and description. It also gives product-level insights into
the performance of specific SKUs, allowing much richer feedback for the
advertiser.”
- Evan Spiegel, Co-Founder and CEO, Snapchat

Snapchat
16
Pinterest
 80% of weekly
users have
discovered a new Pinterest is a visual discovery engine that enables users (Pinners) to explore
brand or product on and share their interests, ideas, and inspirations by pinning (posting) images
431 million Pinterest. and videos. From kitchen cabinets to holiday destinations or recipes, if
people use Pinterest you can think of it, you can pin it. Pinterest’s user base is much smaller
every month. than Facebook’s, but that shouldn’t deter you from conquering this channel.
Pinners are uniquely engaged users who are more likely to let their Pinterest
experience fuel their purchase decisions.

“Compared to people on other platforms, people on Pinterest are 3x more likely to

The most popular say they’re always shopping. And 40% more likely to say they love shopping. That
product categories translates to spend. On average, people on Pinterest spend 40% more than people
on Pinterest are on other platforms every month and have a 30% bigger basket size.”
​​Shoppers on fashion, interior - Milka Kramer, UK & IE Country Manager, Pinterest
Pinterest spend 40% design, and health &
more per month fitness.
than people on other

Pinterest
platforms.

18
 LATEST
Pinterest Shopping UPDATES In 2021, Pinterest launched Idea Pins, making it easy for creators to
publish high-quality, lasting, and preservable content directly to Pinterest.
In March 2018, Pinterest announced the expansion of shopping Pinterest offers Pinners the opportunity to shop directly from Pins,
ads, which were previously only available to select retailers. The on boards, and from search results. Shopping spotlights are another
format can now be used by brands and retailers in a few dozen way by which Pinners can find inspiration. These showcase expert
countries. recommendations and highlight trends from influential tastemakers.
Another feature is Shopping List, a way for Pinners to have their
Shopping ads on Pinterest are automatically created with product Pins automatically saved in one place and receive relevant price
dynamic information directly from a product feed. These work notifications. This makes it easier for them to return and complete a
similarly to Facebook dynamic ads and require a lot of the same purchase when they are ready. In late 2021, it announced the purchase
information. This also means that the quality standard between of Vochi, an app focused on helping creators bring more quality video
the two formats is similar. Product Pins make it easier for content to Pinterest. In early 2022, Pinterest launched Try On for Home
Pinners to see product information, including pricing, availability, Decor, an AR-powered feature enabling Pinners to virtually place furniture
and buying location. To get the best results from Pinterest items from US retailers like Crate & Barrel, CB2, Walmart, West Elm, and
shopping ads, you need to provide a high-quality product Wayfair in their homes. Pinterest has plans to begin testing native checkout
catalog for your product Pins. functionality to allow for in-app purchases, but when will truly native
shopping experience happen on this platform? We’ll have to wait and see.

“People have always come to Pinterest to shop - they use Pinterest to discover
new ideas and actively consider what to do or buy to bring those ideas to life.
We want to help users to find products just right for them and feel confident

Pinterest
that they’ve made a solid choice from reputable merchants with a seamless
shopping experience. We’re excited that Pinterest users in more countries
will now be able to go from inspiration to purchase anywhere on Pinterest,
bringing us one step closer to our goal of making every Pin easy to shop.”

- Dan Lurie, Global Head of Shopping Products, Pinterest

19
6 tips for implementing
social commerce
 1 2
Know your audience Consider customer intent
Social commerce gives marketers a unique Users on different platforms consume or engage
Before you plunge your brand into social opportunity to target niche audiences based with content in different ways. An Instagram
commerce, plan out a clear strategy. Take the on consumer data including demographics user may stumble across an ad while looking at
time to research the intrinsic qualities and and geolocation. Examine which social sites a friend’s vacation updates, not intending to buy
nuances of different platforms. These insights your audience uses. This will enable you to anything at all. A Pinterest user, by contrast, is
will help you establish marketing best practices utilize your resources in a targeted manner. more likely to have an intent to purchase when
and ultimately increase ROI. Here are five tips For example, Facebook is a better platform on visiting the platform specifically for discovery. Do
for a successful foray into social commerce, no which to target older consumers than TikTok, not limit yourself to efforts aimed at raising brand
matter the platform: where the majority (70%) of users are under awareness only — instead, make sure the platform
35. Use your resources wisely and reach your content will highlight your product features and
target audience through the channels they use help you close a sale.
most often.

21
 3 4
Adapt content and leverage Perfect your product
visual content listings
Another way platforms vary is in the content Each social commerce platform has unique
they support. For example, Instagram ads let product data requirements. To achieve success
you showcase carousels of multiple items with across platforms, you must provide the right
creative or colorful backgrounds, which can tell a product information to the right channel. — Your
story about your brand and products. On TikTok, product information needs to be up-to-date,
it’s all video. You’ll need to work with creators accurate, and contextualized for each channel. A
to ensure their videos highlight a product’s key robust commerce platform can help you advertise
selling points without sacrificing their unique and sell across social commerce channels with
voice. Get creative! Social platforms and users minimal fuss.
alike love high-quality images and videos that
inspire. Grab users’ attention and stand out
from the crowd by ensuring that your images
and videos are platform-ready in order to boost
conversions. Dynamic content in your images
and videos allows for an even higher level of
customization and will allow you to better reach
your target audience.

22
 5 6
Choose the right products Engage with influencers
Sometimes less is more. Be strategic about Influencer marketing may further advance your
which products you place on each platform by sales after the right platform has been chosen.
performing ROI analysis to identify your top A 2019 study showed that eight out of 10
performers. Users can become overwhelmed people have purchased a product after seeing an
with too much choice, so make sure that you are influencer recommend it on social media. Some
selecting the products that will help you drive the platforms, like Snapchat and Instagram, allow
most conversions. certain users to have a shopping feature on their
profiles thereby bridging the gap between product
discovery and checkout. The combination of
influencer marketing with social commerce offers
a more organic and creative brand exposure to
users.

23
Where to next
Twitter, which initially started dabbling in social commerce in
2015 and soon stopped to focus on other areas, is now back with
Twitter Shopping. YouTube has also been testing shopping
features. With more and more platforms launching more
and more shopping capabilities, social commerce is growing
exponentially and presents a huge opportunity for brands and
retailers. It is estimated that social commerce will grow three
times faster than traditional commerce by 2025.

The successful navigation of the complex, fractured, and fast-

changing social commerce landscape demands total control over
your product information flow. No matter the channel, you need
to get your products to consumers through seamless experiences.
That’s where we come in. The Productsup product-to-consumer
(P2C) platform processes over two trillion products a month,
empowering the world’s biggest brands to realize their
commerce potential.

24
Whether you’re interested in dynamic ads or shops, we’ve got you covered! Our P2C platform
comes with a sophisticated set of modules and features that are built to reach more customers
and maximize sales. Plus, we work closely with all major social commerce platforms, so you’ll
never have to worry about meeting channel requirements ever again.

Let’s talk!

25
 Empowering commerce

www.productsup.com [email protected]