Research has revealed that almost a 3rd of world consumer brands haven’t any social commerce strategy in place despite the growing importance of social shopping platforms.
The study of senior marketers at 70 global consumer brands found that while 70% have implemented social commerce strategies, significant gaps remain in how businesses approach social selling and community engagement.
Instagram emerged because the dominant platform for social commerce, with 40% of brands using it as their primary channel – ahead of owned e-commerce platforms at 34%. The photo-sharing app’s influence extends beyond commerce, with one in 4 marketers planning to allocate not less than 25% of their 2025 marketing budgets to the platform.
Patricia Aragón, Global Director of eCommerce Emerging Solutions & Innovation at SAMY Alliance, said: “The undeniable fact that nearly a 3rd of consumer brands admit to lacking a social commerce strategy when you may see the expansion of platforms like TikTok Shop is astounding.”
The research highlighted shifting consumer search behaviours, with social platforms gaining ground on traditional search engines like google. While Google stays the first destination for brand searches at 86%, Instagram (70%) and TikTok (44%) have gotten increasingly vital discovery channels.
Short-form video content appears central to marketers’ 2025 plans, with 69% believing Instagram Reels will gain prominence, closely followed by TikTok videos at 66%. These statistics reflect a broader trend towards ‘shoppertainment’ – the fusion of entertainment and commerce.
“Short-form video captivates audiences with quick, impactful bursts of joy and entertainment, requiring minimal time commitment,” Aragón said. “However, social commerce strategies will only succeed in the event that they are humanised and handled accurately. Brands must remember their goal is to attach with consumers authentically, construct trust, and supply an experience that adds value.”
The study also showed shortcomings in community management. Only 25% of brands engage in frequent, proactive interactions with their online communities. This represents a missed opportunity, as effective community management may also help drive algorithm-boosting engagement, customer feedback, brand loyalty, and sales.
Nearly half of the surveyed brands preferred social platforms with built-in commerce features, suggesting a move towards integrated shopping experiences. That’s broadly consistent with the rise of social commerce platforms like TikTok Shop and Instagram Shopping, which aim to shorten the trail from discovery to buy.
Looking ahead to the remainder of 2025, marketers appear focused on developing more sophisticated social commerce strategies that balance entertainment, community engagement, and shopping experiences.
However, the research suggests many brands still must bridge the gap between recognising the importance of social commerce and implementing effective strategies.
As social platforms proceed to evolve their commerce capabilities, brands without clear strategies risk falling behind within the retail landscape.
For brands looking to reinforce their social commerce strategy, the research suggests specializing in three key areas: platform selection, with Instagram foremost; content format, particularly short-form video; and community management, where significant improvement opportunities exist.
The survey was conducted by SAMY Alliance, a digital marketing agency, and provides insights into how global consumer brands approach social commerce and community management.
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