Influencers Could Help Drive Social Commerce
By Blake Droesch
Social networks like Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok have ramped up their social commerce efforts in the past year, shifting toward an ecosystem where users can discover, shop and purchase products in one place. Initially, these social commerce features were only offered to brands, but now social networks are experimenting by bringing the same tools to influencers.
Earlier this year, Instagram gave some influencers the ability to create shoppable posts using Checkout on Instagram, a feature that allows users to buy products within the app. Snapchat gave select top-tier influencers a “shop” button, where the likes of Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian West can sell products from their respective brands. TikTok doesn’t have in-app checkout, but the popular short-form video app has begun testing features that lets influencers link out to ecommerce sites from their videos and profile pages.
“We’ve seen influencers enriching the social commerce experience in a number of ways, and we predict even more innovation in the coming year,” said Adam Williams, CEO of Takumi, an influencer agency. For Instagram in particular, Williams sees the platform positioning itself to become a “one-stop-shop” where brands can solicit influencers for every stage of the customer journey, “from announcing a new product, sharing reviews and tutorials, right through to purchase,” he said.
Consumers often look to social media for brand and product discovery but have traditionally been less enthusiastic about making purchases on social platforms. And while engagement with social commerce is growing, it has yet to reach mass adoption.
According to an October 2019 eMarketer survey conducted by Bizrate Insights, 31% of US internet users have purchased a product through social media at some point, up from 23% who engaged in December 2018.
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