Social buying. Everyone and their mama is doing it — or maybe it’s just me and my family. I’m consistently tagged in posts (thank you, cousin) about adorable gifts, must-have outfits, and social media platform-specific discounts and sales.
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And I know I’m not alone — marketers are seeing it, too. According to HubSpot’s Global Social Media Trends Report, 69% of marketers agree that more shopping will happen directly on social media than on brand websites or third-party marketplaces this year. This means that in-app shopping experiences have already reshaped consumer behaviors. So, if you’re a brand selling products to consumers and you’re not already using social commerce to your advantage, 2025 is a superb year to start.
Throughout this post, I’ll share new insights about the social commerce landscape and best practices to make your brand stand out amongst other brands’ in-app shopping efforts. Plus, I’ll highlight expertise from Dheena Allen, Digital Operations Manager at Ulta Beauty (and a true scroll-to-shop diva), and her opinions about the future (and present-day) of social commerce.
Table of Contents
- Social Media and Online Shopping — Today’s Landscape
- How to Improve Your Social Media Shopping Strategy, According to Dheena Allen, Digital Operations Manager at Ulta Beauty
- Best Practices to Make Your Social Media Shopping Strategy Shine Online
The State of Social Media in 2025
Explore the top trends in social media for brands to know and optimize your social strategy.
- AI Content Creation
- Community Building
- Social Media Shopping
- Social Vs. Search Engine
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Social Media and Online Shopping — Today’s Landscape
Salespeople. Marketers. Brands. They’re all jumping aboard the social commerce bandwagon for good reason. According to Statista, thus far, social commerce is 17% of total e-commerce worldwide; in 2029, it’s projected to rise to 18% of total e-commerce globally. In the U.S. specifically, social commerce generated $104 billion in 2025.
This new data is hard to ignore, especially because the facts do indeed check out. Don’t believe me? Take a look at some more eye-opening stats and numbers straight from HubSpot’s 2025 Global Social Trends Report to get a better glimpse at just how deeply social media shopping has altered the customer journey:
- 34% of marketers agree that selling products directly in social media apps will become more critical this year.
- Nearly 44% of marketers strongly agree that consumers will buy products from brands directly in social media apps more often than from a brand or third-party website.
- Nearly 50% of marketers agree that managing their brand’s social media shops (i.e., products sold directly to consumers through social media) is a top responsibility in social media marketing.
In addition to pivoting their social media strategies to social commerce strategies, marketers and the brands they work for rely on AI to make the time-consuming stuff much easier, faster, and unified.
Here are a few recent stats on how AI is impacting the broader social media industry:
- 35% of marketers strongly agree that using AI will make it easier to sell products through social media.
- 44% of marketers agree that social media content made with AI performs somewhat better than content created without generative AI.
- 59% of marketers use AI chatbots (i.e., ChatGPT, Google Bard) to generate social media content.
- 53% of marketers use generative AI tools to write copy for social media content.
In short, here’s the tea: Social media commerce is rising, and marketers are leveraging AI to personalize their customers’ shopping experiences.
How to Improve Your Social Media Shopping Strategy, According to Dheena Allen, Digital Operations Manager at Ulta Beauty
When I first pondered who to talk to and gain perspective from about the world of social commerce, I immediately thought of one person: Dheena Allen, Digital Operations Manager at Ulta Beauty.
Dheena and I met while I interned at Ulta; in my short time there, I learned she is just as passionate about deep-diving into the nuances that shape e-commerce experiences as she is about overseeing and managing them in her role.
During my conversation with Dheena, we chatted about all things — yes, all things — social media shopping, including:
- What consumers are looking for when purchasing online, particularly in-app (especially when influencers/content creators are involved)
- The challenges that brands face in creating seamless shopping experiences
- How brands can balance entertainment and commerce on social platforms, particularly across TikTok and Instagram
Here’s what she had to say in-depth:
The State of Social Media in 2025
Explore the top trends in social media for brands to know and optimize your social strategy.
- AI Content Creation
- Community Building
- Social Media Shopping
- Social Vs. Search Engine
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1. Embrace that entertainment and commerce are no longer separate entities.
At the start of our conversation, Dheena and I discussed a big challenge that most brands (and social media marketers) face: how to balance entertainment and commerce on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. This is particularly true because pushing shopping features has been a top priority for both apps and many others (I’m looking at you, Facebook Marketplace).
These days, it’s expected to engage with a platform and see paid social shopping content or ads sprinkled in with the algorithms we’ve built. As a bystander who is only exposed to what happens across my timelines, Dheena’s honest insider perspective offered clarity that I had been long searching for, specifically because the push I’ve observed for social media purchasing has been … intense, to say the least.
“Entertainment and commerce are no longer separate entities anymore, especially on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where the line between entertainment and shopping has blurred immensely,” she began to explain. And honestly, she’s absolutely correct.
However, Dheena’s realistic view of social media shopping doesn’t discourage brands and businesses from utilizing short-form video platforms like TikTok or multi-media platforms like Instagram, to attract new consumers. Instead, Dheena advocates for authenticity always, staying away from overly promotional selling, prioritizing relatability, and creating truly eye-catching content.
Dheena continued, “I think the key to success with these platforms lies in creating engaging and subtly persuasive content.” She then went on to say, “I don’t think consumers respond well to traditional ads or hard sell tactics, so it’s important that the content feels natural, relatable, and entertaining first. That means incorporating products into stories or trends in ways that don’t feel forced but still highlight their value.”
2. Understand that promoting the product needs to be secondary.
Dheena emphasized that consumers will interact with organic and genuine content, but then the question remained: How can brands make that happen? Luckily, when I raised this critical point, she came all the way through.
“To make the leap from entertainment to commerce, creators and brands [must] always engage in a way that resonates with consumers, not just promoting the product,” Dheena explained. “Promoting the product needs to be secondary.”
She clarified that the key to social commerce isn’t about pushing products — it’s about creating content that seamlessly fits into a user’s feed without disrupting their experience. That’s where resonance comes into play. It’s not just about what you’re selling, but how and when you show up.
Dheena expanded on this idea, diving deeper into why this integration matters so much in today’s algorithm-driven landscape. “I think consumers are more likely to purchase a product when it feels like it’s a part of their entertainment that they’re already consuming. It’s already a part of the world they’ve decided to curate based on whatever algorithm they’ve set forth.”
3. Accept that AI is here, and it’s not going anywhere.
When I asked about emerging technologies, specifically AI-driven personalization and augmented reality features, and their potential impact on the future of social commerce, Dheena had tons to say about how she has seen both transform the work she does in her own role.
“Both of them, to me, are game changers in social commerce. Personalization is the future of connecting with consumers on a deeper level,” Dheena revealed. She also elaborated on AI’s impact on making the customer journey more intuitive.
“AI can really analyze consumer behaviors, which I can appreciate. [Its ability to track] preferences and previous interactions helps create a tailor-made shopping experience that feels more like a conversation than a transaction. I feel like AI has power in helping [digital teams] with that.”
As our dialogue continued, it became clear that Dheena views AI not just as a convenience tool but as a critical driver of meaningful customer experiences. Her perspective highlighted how AI’s real power lies in its ability to personalize at scale, not in a robotic way, but in a way that feels thoughtful and human.
That’s when she shared a deeper take on how this technology is reshaping the path to purchase in social commerce. She explained, “These types of technologies seem to be transforming social commerce into more dynamic, individualized experiences, making it far easier for consumers to envision a product as a part of their life, which is the key to driving the conversion.”
4. Acknowledge that trend-based selling on social can be tricky (so don’t put all your eggs in one basket).
While discussing trends that marketers and digital teams should monitor to stay competitive in the social shopping landscape, Dheena and I discussed the rise of trend-based selling through social commerce and the importance of marketers understanding when it’s actually worth it to adopt a trend, especially if the expectation is to increase sales.
“I think the key for marketers and digital teams is to focus on the long-term viability of a trend before committing to [it]]. And what I mean by that is … short-lived trends might grab attention, but they don’t always lead to sustainable sales,” Dheena cautioned.
Since the inception of TikTok’s in-app shopping features, many brands have found success through TikTok’s algorithm. (‘Cause, sometimes, a trending audio will do it.) But between ever-changing algorithms and new features, sometimes, the demand to push new products through social may feel like a game of catch-up rather than a deliberate approach rooted in a strategy that’s meant to represent a brand’s long-term identity. For Dheena, this is a point of contention and concern.
She added, “I think marketers need to invest in the true lifespan of a trend and whether it aligns with the core values of their brand. I think that the core value of the brand, even some of their staple products, always needs to be their focus versus what’s the trendy moment right now.”
5. Get with pocket-friendly dupes (or get left behind).
As we wound down our discussion, amid our exchanges about trends, platform evolution, and understanding how consumer behavior is shifting in real time, Dheena and I landed on something unexpected. But regardless of whether or not I was ready to go there, Dheena was more than willing to bring it to the surface of our chat; I’m glad she did.
Suddenly, we were gabbing about the rise of dupes through social media and the value in offering more pocket-friendly options for consumers. “When I think about the current economic climate, where consumers are more cautious with their spending, they’re prioritizing product quality and long-term value over fleeting trends as well.”
This shift in behavior highlights a bigger trend: consumers aren’t just shopping based on hype — they’re shopping smarter. As Dheena put it, value is not just about price but about performance, longevity, and relevance.
She noted thoughtfully, “I’ve seen a rise in pocket-friendly dupes, which is … interesting because that hurts brands as well. I think consumers are now looking for the next best option that is more affordable. Consumers are willing to spend on a trend, yes, but they still want to feel like they’re getting a deal. So brands need to balance the allure of trend-based selling with an emphasis on quality and value to stay competitive.”
In a landscape where TikTok-fueled dupes go viral overnight, brands are challenged to justify their price points and double down on what sets their products apart. That balance between staying current and staying credible is where brand loyalty is either strengthened or lost — and it’s one of the most critical dynamics social media marketers need to navigate right now.
Best Practices to Make Your Social Media Shopping Strategy Shine Online
Now that you’re equipped with advice to level up your social commerce strategy straight from Dheena, I think you’re in good shape to put those tips into practice.
But before you do, I’ve got a few more tools to equip you with before you step into the social media shopping spotlight. Take a look at the following recommendations I gathered from retailers and marketing experts to set you up for success:
1. Use interactive content to engage and collect first-party data.
You and I know that social media posting can help with brand recognition. But if you’re trying to sell on social media platforms, engagement is the name of the game (like it is across all channels right now).
You can use a mix of videos to drive views and interest, but I found another way to spark organic social media interactions and gather data ethically: quizzes. However, these aren’t just your typical, run-of-the-mill, “take this quiz to see what type of dog you are” content. I’m talking about quizzes that tie directly into a purchase.
The key to making an interactive, in-app social media quiz that actually converts? Build it with both the user experience and the sales journey in mind. You want the quiz to feel fun and low-pressure, but also strategically guide participants toward a personalized product or service recommendation.
Here’s how to make a quiz that doesn’t just collect clicks, but drives real action:
- Keep it short and sweet. Aim for 5–7 questions max to avoid drop-offs. Folks aren’t trying to fill out a U.S. census survey.
- Make every question intentional. Each one should help narrow down product recommendations or segment customers for future marketing. There should be no fluff or filler — every click should bring them closer to “add to cart.”
- Use visuals that consumers can resonate with. Add culturally-relevant images, viral GIFs, or original, playful design elements that match your brand’s vibe to keep users invested. (HubSpot’s Free Form Generator is super easy to personalize, just FYI.)
Pro Tip: Offer a small incentive, like a discount code or free shipping, for completing the quiz. Folks will come back to use it. Trust me.
2. Pitch engaging, authentic live sessions.
Live streaming is a growing trend, but it won’t work well if your streams are … well … boring. It’s tempting to jump in and showcase your products, but remember, just like Dheena mentioned, consumers want to be entertained, not sold to.
So, you shouldn’t create infomercials. Use themes, trends, and edutainment content to attract viewers, then quietly sell to them with shoppable items in the video.
I’d also recommend teaming up with influencers across platforms like Discord, Twitch, YouTube, and Kick (the new kid on the block). Then, when a sale comes around, like a seasonal event or a new product launch, you can partner with influencers to showcase all the goods.
3. Don’t just generate customers — grow a community.
HubSpot’s 2025 Global Social Media Trends Report shared that 85% of marketers agree that building an active online community is crucial to a successful social media strategy. Consumers aren’t just looking to be in community with their favorite brands; they also want to be in community with the other folks who shop from them.
That said, online communities are a fun way to connect with customers, get feedback, and share products and information they care about. And if you want to build an online community that sticks, you’ll have to put in the work. That means:
- Build relationships and loyalty — and hopefully, brand advocates — to increase your brand awareness and sales. Community members who feel seen and heard are far more likely to recommend your brand to others.
- Create spaces for conversation, not just promotion. This could mean hosting live Q&As, sharing user-generated content, or setting up a private group where members can talk directly with your team (or each other). The new community-rewards platform, Try Your Best, is perfect for this; Instagram broadcast channels are a great option, too.
- Stay consistent and show up authentically. Community isn’t built overnight. It requires ongoing engagement, a human tone, and thoughtful, not templated, responses.
Facilitate down-to-earth connections among brands, creators, and shoppers. Use trusted voices and native video. Social shopping should feel like genuine sharing between friends.
Community & Connection = Clicks & Conversions
Alright. Social commerce is hot. Shameless selling without substance is not. Before you go, here are a few more of my final thoughts about the future of social media marketing, social media shopping, and what it takes to connect with the modern consumer:
- Selling on social media isn’t about shoving products down people’s throats. It‘s about fostering genuine connections and cultivating communities of passionate fans.
- The brands that win are those that make their customers feel like they’re sharing recommendations with friends (or at least trusted advisors). It’s less about transactions and more about creating a sense of belonging around the brand.
- User-generated content, influencer partnerships, and community curation — these are what will continue to drive sales on social media. When trusted voices sell for you, it turns a promotion into a friendly recommendation.
Brands that are putting community first will unlock clicks, purchases, and meaningful loyalty. They’re the ones who understand that the future of social commerce is all about human-to-human connection, not brand-to-consumer broadcasting.
At the end of the day, people don’t log onto social media to be sold to — they show up to be seen, heard, and inspired. Smart brands will meet them there. Do the work to be one of them.
Editor's note: This post was originally published in May 2024 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
The State of Social Media in 2025
Explore the top trends in social media for brands to know and optimize your social strategy.
- AI Content Creation
- Community Building
- Social Media Shopping
- Social Vs. Search Engine
Download Free
All fields are required.
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