Author: Franz Malten Buemann

Everyone wants a personalized and custom experience online, so it’s no wonder that social commerce has taken over the online shopping world.
Channels like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and WhatsApp already have thousands of businesses marketing on their platforms, and many have adopted shopping and payment functions that allow people to buy a product or service directly on the platforms.
While social commerce is relatively new, it falls under the larger umbrella of eCommerce sales, which are expected to reach $4.2 trillion this year. As a result, the revenue potential is high, and it’s attracting the attention of marketers across a variety of industries.
Whether you’re looking for information to boost your social media shop or shape your online strategy, read on to discover social commerce stats that will help you understand the current market and learn best practices for attracting buyers and growing your business.
Social Commerce Stats for 2021

General Social Commerce Stats
Social Commerce Stats by Demographic
Social Commerce Purchasing Stats
Social Commerce Stats by Platform
Social Commerce Stats for Business

General Social Commerce Stats

35.9% of internet users in the US will make at least one social commerce purchase in 2021. (Insider Intelligence, 2021)
US social commerce sales will surpass $36 billion in 2021, with more than 35% growth. (Insider Intelligence, 2021)
Chinese retail social commerce sales will reach $351.65 billion in 2021. (Insider Intelligence, 2021)
In 2021, US social commerce sales will increase from 35.8% to $36.62 billion. (Insider Intelligence, 2021)
In China, more than 424 million people ages 14 years and up will make at least one social commerce purchase in 2021. (Insider Intelligence, 2021)
There were almost 80 million social buyers in the US in 2020, a 30% increase from 2019. (Statista, 2021)
Social commerce attracted investment from US companies at the start of the pandemic, in addition to online and mobile commerce. (Statista, 2021)
8 in 10 ten US businesses anticipate selling on social media within the next three years. (Statista, 2021)
The number of US social commerce buyers grew to 80.1 million in 2020 and is anticipated to increase to 96.1 million in 2022. (eMarketer, 2021)
30% of eCommerce companies are already selling on social media, and 12% plan on selling through social media platforms in 2021. (Statista, 2021)

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Social Commerce Stats by Demographic

In the US, nearly 36% of internet users are social buyers, which is approximately 90.2 million people. (Insider Intelligence, 2021)
In a June 2021 survey, 35% of people said social media ads influenced their purchasing decisions. The number jumped to 75% for Gen Z respondents. (Statista, 2021)
70% of internet users in the US who regularly watched live streams led by influencers said they were likely to buy products recommended by the influencers. (Insider Intelligence, 2021)
Over 55% of social media users in the US aged 18 to 24 made at least one purchase through social channels, followed by users aged 25-34 years old. (Statista, 2021)
54% of Gen Z shoppers and 58% of Millennials agree that social platforms are better than online searches for finding out about new products. (Statista, 2021)
The US had about 79 million social buyers in 2020, and this number is estimated to grow to 108 million by 2025. (Statista, 2021)
$81.05 was the average value of online orders referred through social media during Q2 of 2021. (Statista, 2021)
Apparel and accessories are the largest categories for social commerce. (Insider Intelligence, 2021)
11% of social media users immediately make an online purchase after discovering a product, while 44% make a purchase later on. (Statista, 2021)
Most social media platform purchases in 2020 were in the video game and accessories category, followed by toys and hobbies and jewelry and watches. (Coupon Follow, 2021)
People that use social media to access educational and inspirational content, like livestreams and stories, are eager to buy on social platforms. (GWI, 2020)
27% of global internet users rely on social media to find products to purchase. (GWI, 2020)
13% of social networkers say a “buy” button is one of the top purchase drivers. (GWI, 2020)
Over 22% of internet users in the US were expected to make at least one purchase through Facebook in 2021. Nearly 13% were expected to shop on Instagram and over 5% were estimated to shop on Pinterest. (Statista, 2021)
By Q1 of 2021, there were one million active Facebook Shops with over 250 million active participants every month. (AdWeek, 2021)
With 56.1 million buyers, Facebook ranks as the top social commerce platform in the US. (Insider Intelligence, 2021)
People who use Pinterest on a weekly basis are 7x more likely to say it’s the most influential platform in their purchase journey when compared to other social media platforms. (Pinterest, 2021)
85% of Pinterest shoppers have more in their basket than shoppers on other platforms. They also spend twice as much per month. (Pinterest, 2021)
Around 40% of Pinterest users log onto the site to research brands and products. (GWI, 2020)
In Q3 of 2021, YouTube made its ads more shoppable by allowing video action campaigns on connected TVs. (Google, 2021)
51% of consumers in the US and UK use YouTube to research or find products to buy. (GWI, 2020)
Nearly 21% of tablet visits to eCommerce websites resulted from social media platform referrals in Q2 of 2020. (Statista, 2021)
Facebook and Instagram are most used to learn about, discover, and buy fashion apparel products in the US. Over half of users said the content they see in their feeds results in a purchase. (Retail Dive, 2021)
Over 36% of B2B decision-makers use Instagram to find out information on new products or services. (Hootsuite, 2020)
70% of shopping enthusiasts look to Instagram to discover new products. (Facebook, 2019)
Every month, over 130 million users engage with Instagram shopping posts. (Instagram, 2019)
One retail brand using Instagram Shopping, Jane, reported 80% of total social sales came from the platform between July 2020 and February 2021. (Instagram, 2021)
78% of US social network users discover new products through Facebook. Instagram and Pinterest come in second, both at 59%. (Net Solutions, 2021)
Social commerce sales are predicted to value $605 billion by 2027. (Statista, 2021)
Social commerce revenues are estimated to exceed $3.4 billion in 2028. (Statista, 2021)
In the US, over 5% of total eCommerce retail sales will be from social commerce by 2025. (Statista, 2021)
In a 2021 survey, 86% of marketers and agency professionals in the US reported they were enabling shopping functions in their influencer marketing campaigns. The most common function is linking to the brand’s own website. (Statista, 2021)
Advertisers anticipate spending $56 billion to promote their products on social networks in 2022. (Statista, 2021)
93% of US executives said their businesses are moving eCommerce efforts to social media. (Statista, 2021)
By 2023, 71% of small businesses plan to sell on social media platforms. (Statista, 2021)

Social Commerce Purchasing Stats

$81.05 was the average value of online orders referred through social media during Q2 of 2021. (Statista, 2021)
Apparel and accessories are the largest categories for social commerce. (Insider Intelligence, 2021)
11% of social media users immediately make an online purchase after discovering a product, while 44% make a purchase later on. (Statista, 2021)
Most social media platform purchases in 2020 were in the video game and accessories category, followed by toys and hobbies and jewelry and watches. (Coupon Follow, 2021)Image Source

People that use social media to access educational and inspirational content, like livestreams and stories, are eager to buy on social platforms. (GWI, 2020)
27% of global internet users rely on social media to find products to purchase. (GWI, 2020)
13% of social networkers say a “buy” button is one of the top purchase drivers. (GWI, 2020)

Image Source

Social Commerce Stats by Platform

Over 22% of internet users in the US were expected to make at least one purchase through Facebook in 2021. Nearly 13% were expected to shop on Instagram and over 5% were estimated to shop on Pinterest. (Statista, 2021)
By Q1 of 2021, there were one million active Facebook Shops with over 250 million active participants every month. (AdWeek, 2021)
With 56.1 million buyers, Facebook ranks as the top social commerce platform in the US. (Insider Intelligence, 2021)
People who use Pinterest on a weekly basis are 7x more likely to say it’s the most influential platform in their purchase journey when compared to other social media platforms. (Pinterest, 2021)
85% of Pinterest shoppers have more in their basket than shoppers on other platforms. They also spend twice as much per month. (Pinterest, 2021)
Around 40% of Pinterest users log onto the site to research brands and products. (GWI, 2020)
In Q3 of 2021, YouTube made its ads more shoppable by allowing video action campaigns on connected TVs. (Google, 2021)
51% of consumers in the US and UK use YouTube to research or find products to buy. (GWI, 2020)
Nearly 21% of tablet visits to eCommerce websites resulted from social media platform referrals in Q2 of 2020. (Statista, 2021)
Facebook and Instagram are most used to learn about, discover, and buy fashion apparel products in the US. Over half of users said the content they see in their feeds results in a purchase. (Retail Dive, 2021)
Over 36% of B2B decision-makers use Instagram to find out information on new products or services. (Hootsuite, 2020)
70% of shopping enthusiasts look to Instagram to discover new products. (Facebook, 2019)
Every month, over 130 million users engage with Instagram shopping posts. (Instagram, 2019)
One retail brand using Instagram Shopping, Jane, reported 80% of total social sales came from the platform between July 2020 and February 2021. (Instagram, 2021)
78% of US social network users discover new products through Facebook. Instagram and Pinterest come in second, both at 59%. (Net Solutions, 2021)

Image Source

Social Commerce Stats for Business

Social commerce sales are predicted to value $605 billion by 2027. (Statista, 2021)
Social commerce revenues are estimated to exceed $3.4 billion in 2028. (Statista, 2021)
In the US, over 5% of total eCommerce retail sales will be from social commerce by 2025. (Statista, 2021)
In a 2021 survey, 86% of marketers and agency professionals in the US reported they were enabling shopping functions in their influencer marketing campaigns. The most common function is linking to the brand’s own website. (Statista, 2021)
Advertisers anticipate spending $56 billion to promote their products on social networks in 2022. (Statista, 2021)
93% of US executives said their businesses are moving eCommerce efforts to social media. (Statista, 2021)
By 2023, 71% of small businesses plan to sell on social media platforms. (Statista, 2021)

According to a 2019 Sprout Social Index survey, 40% of marketers believe private community groups are becoming more important. And 23% of consumers agree with them.
LinkedIn and Facebook have long implemented private groups within their platforms while Instagram and Twitter haven’t yet offered that feature.

That was until Sept. 2021 when Twitter announced that it was testing its own subcommunity platform called Twitter Communities.
Let’s take a look at how it works and how it can help brands connect with their target audience.

This experiment is Twitter’s latest attempt to help connect users. While hashtags, Twitter Lists, the “Moments” and “Topics” features can help surface conversations you’re interested in, it can be difficult to identify (and consistently engage with) users who share your interests.
Twitter Communities is meant to close that gap and provide one place for users to meet with users with whom they share personal and professional interests.
There are three types of users in Twitter Communities:

Admins who own the Community and manage its members.

Moderators who ensure the Community is safe, facilitate conversation, and connect like-minded people.

Members who have been invited into the Community and now can engage with other members.

Image Source
As a member, say you Tweet something to your Community. Anyone on Twitter can read, quote Tweet, and report it. However, only fellow members can interact with the Tweet, i.e.: Reply.
A Community can be based on any interest (as long as it follows Twitter’s terms of service), anything from career and finance to pets and astrology.
Currently, the platform is only available on IOS devices and on the web, with Android users having read-only access. However, Twitter does have plans to expand to Android devices soon.
Why You Should Use Twitter Communities
Similar to LinkedIn Groups and Facebook Groups, Twitter Communities is another way for brands to reach their audiences.
Because users will be connected by shared interests, brands can narrow down the Communities that align with their target audience and use it to connect with them.
We know that community building is key in building trust with users on social media, particularly with those who are near the top of the funnel. As such, using a platform like Twitter Communities helps brands connect with users and get a better sense of what resonates with them.
Finding Twitter Communities
As it currently stands, you can only access Twitter communities if you are invited or if you are approved to be an admin to start your own.
In that case, the Communities tab will show up on your Twitter app or on the sidebar of the web app. As a non-member, you can view the Community page and timeline if it has been shared with you but you cannot interact with the Tweets or request to join.
Because it’s in beta testing, Twitter has set up a request form where users can ask to become an admin or moderator. To qualify, your account must:

Be public.
Be at least six months old.
Have a verified phone number or email address.
Have two-factor authentication turned on.
Not have a history of violating Twitter’s terms of service.

Once you are approved, you must continue to meet these eligibility requirements to maintain your privileges.
With the HubSpot Marketing Hub, you can integrate your Twitter account, which allows you to schedule and publish Tweets and track your key metrics right from the platform.
How Marketers Can Leverage Twitter Communities
Twitter Communities is another tool marketers can use to connect with their target audience and build a community around their brand.
Brands should avoid using Twitter Communities as a way to promote products and/or services to specific groups of users.
A good rule of thumb to follow with any social network is to focus on engagement, not promotion. While promoting your products and/or services is a natural part of building your brand awareness, it shouldn’t be your sole content strategy.
Instead, focus on connecting with your users by posting content they care about. With Twitter Communities, it’s even easier to accomplish this, as you can tailor your content to specific sub-audiences within your broader followers.
It’s also an opportunity to learn more about your users and see which topics they discuss, what their pain points are, what challenges they face, and what resonates with them.

According to a 2019 Sprout Social Index survey, 40% of marketers believe private community groups are becoming more important. And 23% of consumers agree with them.
LinkedIn and Facebook have long implemented private groups within their platforms while Instagram and Twitter haven’t yet offered that feature.

That was until Sept. 2021 when Twitter announced that it was testing its own subcommunity platform called Twitter Communities.
Let’s take a look at how it works and how it can help brands connect with their target audience.

This experiment is Twitter’s latest attempt to help connect users. While hashtags, Twitter Lists, the “Moments” and “Topics” features can help surface conversations you’re interested in, it can be difficult to identify (and consistently engage with) users who share your interests.
Twitter Communities is meant to close that gap and provide one place for users to meet with users with whom they share personal and professional interests.
There are three types of users in Twitter Communities:

Admins who own the Community and manage its members.

Moderators who ensure the Community is safe, facilitate conversation, and connect like-minded people.

Members who have been invited into the Community and now can engage with other members.

Image Source
As a member, say you Tweet something to your Community. Anyone on Twitter can read, quote Tweet, and report it. However, only fellow members can interact with the Tweet, i.e.: Reply.
A Community can be based on any interest (as long as it follows Twitter’s terms of service), anything from career and finance to pets and astrology.
Currently, the platform is only available on IOS devices and on the web, with Android users having read-only access. However, Twitter does have plans to expand to Android devices soon.
Why You Should Use Twitter Communities
Similar to LinkedIn Groups and Facebook Groups, Twitter Communities is another way for brands to reach their audiences.
Because users will be connected by shared interests, brands can narrow down the Communities that align with their target audience and use it to connect with them.
We know that community building is key in building trust with users on social media, particularly with those who are near the top of the funnel. As such, using a platform like Twitter Communities helps brands connect with users and get a better sense of what resonates with them.
Finding Twitter Communities
As it currently stands, you can only access Twitter communities if you are invited or if you are approved to be an admin to start your own.
In that case, the Communities tab will show up on your Twitter app or on the sidebar of the web app. As a non-member, you can view the Community page and timeline if it has been shared with you but you cannot interact with the Tweets or request to join.
Because it’s in beta testing, Twitter has set up a request form where users can ask to become an admin or moderator. To qualify, your account must:

Be public.
Be at least six months old.
Have a verified phone number or email address.
Have two-factor authentication turned on.
Not have a history of violating Twitter’s terms of service.

Once you are approved, you must continue to meet these eligibility requirements to maintain your privileges.
With the HubSpot Marketing Hub, you can integrate your Twitter account, which allows you to schedule and publish Tweets and track your key metrics right from the platform.
How Marketers Can Leverage Twitter Communities
Twitter Communities is another tool marketers can use to connect with their target audience and build a community around their brand.
Brands should avoid using Twitter Communities as a way to promote products and/or services to specific groups of users.
A good rule of thumb to follow with any social network is to focus on engagement, not promotion. While promoting your products and/or services is a natural part of building your brand awareness, it shouldn’t be your sole content strategy.
Instead, focus on connecting with your users by posting content they care about. With Twitter Communities, it’s even easier to accomplish this, as you can tailor your content to specific sub-audiences within your broader followers.
It’s also an opportunity to learn more about your users and see which topics they discuss, what their pain points are, what challenges they face, and what resonates with them.