Menu
Social platforms have transformed from content sharing into powerful social commerce engines. Despite uncertainty surrounding TikTok’s future in the U.S., research from MikMak indicates that social commerce sales reached nearly $1.3 trillion worldwide in 2023 and could exceed $8 trillion by 2030.
These global networks host the entire purchase journey, compressing the funnel from discovery to checkout. For brands, this lowers friction and boosts conversion.
Social is driving a fundamental shift in commerce — this is not simply an incremental new channel. TikTok users in the U.K. spend nearly 50 hours per month in the app on average, making social media a primary product discovery engine, especially for Gen Z and Millennial consumers.
Social platform algorithms are oriented around user intent, organically connecting users with content (and therefore brands) that they’re likely to be interested in. This conversion-based ecosystem drives the success of social commerce. In the U.K. beauty category, for example, 58% of TikTok users are purchasing directly through the app.
A social commerce strategy built around product–platform fit can be genuinely incremental for brands. Authentic distribution by content creators is key, and the checkout and return processes must be engineered for speed and trust.
While the opportunities in social commerce are certainly significant, the challenges and risks are real. Regulatory uncertainty and checkout trust barriers may present obstacles for some brands. Walled-garden measurements can complicate the effort to measure incrementality and obscure true lift.
Brands should also strive to avoid the pitfalls of one-size-fits-all thinking. Replicating brick & mortar processes for eCommerce (or Amazon strategies for omnichannel) often yields unsatisfactory results. Likewise, dedicated strategies will be necessary to drive incrementality and profitability through social commerce.
Step 1: Audit & sizing the prize. Determine whether social commerce is right for your brand, and if so, which platforms, markets, and audiences to target. Consider your competitors’ activity on potential social platforms, catalogue gaps and product/price elasticity.
Step 2: Evaluate product–platform fit. Selecting the right venue for your brand’s products and story is essential. Choose channels by customer mindset:
Step 3: Activate. Brands that win build ongoing creator engagement and live shopping cadences. Optimising content and streamlining the customer experience is a must.
Step 4: Measure & learn. Accept that each platform may come with walled-garden constraints that require working within the app’s attribution model, but insist on the fundamentals — including holdout insights, SKU-level reporting where possible and contribution margin. Implement weekly reporting & iteration.
P.Louise (U.K., beauty)
Stockport-headquartered viral beauty brand P.Louise held a pre-launch of its Christmas collection in a TikTok Shop live event, attracting millions of viewers and smashing sales records.
The company, founded by makeup entrepreneur Paige Louise, has amassed a large community on social media with some 3.2 million followers on TikTok and 1.6 million on Instagram. The brand had previously broken records for the most revenue generated on a TikTok shop by a U.K. brand, earning more than £1.5m in just 12 hours in 2024. Its recent pre-launch Christmas collection event, held across more than 14 hours, generated over £2m in sales.
PacSun (U.S., apparel)
PacSun ran weekly livestreams with micro-influencers targeting Gen Z, generating PR momentum alongside commerce results. Live content reduces friction by allowing for brand showcasing and Q&A.
Neen (DTC strategy)
Neen combined storytelling content with timed discount offers in TikTok Shop to improve sell-through rates.
What’s the biggest mistake brands make?
Too often, brands treat social as “just another ad buy.” Social commerce works when content is native (short video/live), creators provide authentic reach, and the back-end (catalogue, fulfilment, returns) protects margin.
Do we need in-app checkout to win?
Not always. In-app checkout can lift conversion, but adoption in the U.K. and Western markets is mixed. Particularly for high-consideration categories, a fast, mobile PDP with clear delivery/returns plus reliable product tagging can still perform.
Which products win most often?
Products priced at £100 or below, that can be demonstrated in creator content, in impulse categories (CPG, beauty, fashion, home/household). Exclusives and limited-time offers help too.
How do we measure properly with walled gardens?
Use platform reporting for baseline reporting metrics (purchases, value, ROAS). Then, layer in insights from geographic/audience holdouts and creator-vs-brand handle splits. Build your MMM teams to measure revenue impact across all channels. Expect some opacity, but optimise weekly regardless.
90-Day Social Commerce Pilot Plan
Social platforms differ from traditional eCommerce channels, requiring dedicated strategies and capabilities. Building out a social commerce strategy can be daunting for brands that are just dipping their toes in the water, but Strategic Advisory Services from Profitero+ can guide brands towards the right investments and successful activation. We offer:
