16 Social Commerce Platform Examples That Prove Social Is Key

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Social commerce was probably always going to a significant force. Its popularity has gradually been increasing over the last few years. However, history will show that the Coronavirus of 2020 had a major impact, speeding up social commerce's popularity and usage.  

As with most types of inbound marketing, firms have begun to develop tools and platforms to make social commerce easier for both buyers and sellers. These provide solutions to brands looking for ways to make social promotions and sell through social media. The social commerce platforms also make the social shopping experience more user-friendly and palatable for consumers.


Top Social Commerce Platforms:


What are the Benefits of Social Commerce?

There are quite a few benefits for firms engaging in social commerce. For a start, social commerce provides a ready-made audience for brands wanting consistent audience growth. Each day, new users join Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other social networks. Each new user becomes a potential new customer for brands engaging in social commerce. Sure, to be valuable, the "clients" need to be relevant to the firm – new teenagers joining TikTok are hardly likely to benefit sellers of stairlifts, for instance – however, brands are still likely to encounter potential new clients every day.

Brand engagement on social media is proven to help search rankings too. Even if you sell directly within a social site, some of these people will follow through to your website to look at your products and other items you stock. Google will take note of this additional traffic and is likely to adjust its search rankings accordingly.

Social commerce encourages communication with potential customers. Social media is two-way, so you have the opportunity for feedback from your customers. Social media word of mouth can also increase your contact with new people. Social commerce helps you build new relationships with people that you can continue to cultivate and improve over time. Happy customers are likely to make further purchases.


What is a Social Commerce Platform?

Unlike most of the other platform types we cover, there is no consistent definition of what a social platform is and what kind of services it offers. Probably the best way to look at a social platform is being a tool that enables social commerce to occur. While we include some of the leading social networks in this list, they aren't social commerce platforms in their entirety. Instead, they now incorporate social commerce elements that allow social selling to occur, often without people having to leave their app. Some have effectively become self-contained marketplaces. 

Of course, social commerce is more than just buying and selling. It encapsulates the entire sales process – from research through to after-sales service. That means it includes activities such as brands communicating with customers via Facebook Messenger as much as it does enable the use of Buy Now buttons directly on sales posts.

You might notice the absence of Twitter from this list, which is somewhat ironic because it was the first major social network to trial social commerce capabilities. Between 2014 and 2017, Twitter let some brands add a Buy button to their posts, allowing direct selling from tweets. However, in 2017 Twitter decided social commerce wasn't for them, and they moved away from the idea. Perhaps they were just too ahead of their time.


Social Commerce on Social Media

Top
social commerce platforms
2024

1. CommentSold

CommentSold

To date, CommentSold has helped online sellers to sell more than 130 million items. Trusted by thousands of active merchants, it integrates with leading social media channels like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram.

In short, it lets you sell directly to your potential buyers via Facebook newsfeeds, your Facebook page, shoppable Facebook Watch Parties, Instagram Stories, etc. What makes it such a powerful tool is that it also lets you embrace live shopping. This means that you can take your social commerce to a whole new level by combining social commerce with live selling. 

In addition to letting you share your live shopping broadcasts via social sites, you can also use your own branded mobile app or customized web store to distribute these broadcasts. In fact, you can host your live sales on all three of these channels — your branded app, web store, and social accounts — at the same time

CommentSold
4.6 out of 5 stars
CommentSold is a powerful live selling software that enables businesses to engage customers in real-time, showcase products and services, close sales and drive growth. With its advanced technology platform combined with its intuitive user interface, CommentSold makes it easy to manage your business efficiently no matter the size or complexity.
Ratings
Features & Pricing
Pros and Cons
Ratings
Ease of Use
4.3
Customer Service
4.8
Features
4.6
Overall Score
4.6
Features & Pricing
Multi-Channel Support
Product catalog feature
Tools for businesses to manage customer relationships
Live Shopping
Shoppable Videos
Price on request
Pros and Cons
Easy to use: CommentSold has a simple interface and provides helpful tutorials and guides to help businesses get started
Connects with customers in real-time: With CommentSold, businesses can engage with customers and showcase products through live streaming
Flexible pricing plans: CommentSold offers three flexible pricing plans, making it easy and affordable to find a solution that fits your needs and budget
Limited customization: The features offered by CommentSold are limited, so businesses may not be able to fully customize the platform
No free plan: CommentSold does not offer a free plan, so businesses may have to invest in the platform to use its features
Limited customer support: CommentSold's customer service is limited, so businesses may have to rely on their own resources for assistance.
Best for: Small businesses
CommentSold
4.6 out of 5 stars
CommentSold is a powerful live selling software that enables businesses to engage customers in real-time, showcase products and services, close sales and drive growth. With its advanced technology platform combined with its intuitive user interface, CommentSold makes it easy to manage your business efficiently no matter the size or complexity.

2. Videeo

Videeo

Videeo revolutionizes online shopping by blending the personal touch of in-store experiences with the convenience of eCommerce, particularly for Shopify users. By offering live demonstrations that highlight product details and provide personalized recommendations, Videeo™ boosts customer confidence and purchase likelihood. Its innovative approach ensures customers receive focused attention, mimicking a one-on-one in-store experience in a virtual setting, thus appealing to a broad audience, including the digitally native Gen Z and millennials.

The platform transcends traditional online shopping by encouraging direct interactions between your brands and customers, fostering a sense of community and loyalty. Videeo’s mobile app integration enhances user engagement through live shows, shoppable videos, and timely in-app notifications, promoting repeat purchases and sustained interest.

Videeo converts casual visitors into devoted fans, a strategy that drives significant sales growth, making Videeo a notable social commerce platform.

Videeo
4.7 out of 5 stars
Videeo™ for Shopify is an innovative live selling suite designed to take your Shopify business to the next level. With its state-of-the-art technology and user-friendly interface, Videeo™ simplifies live selling, making it accessible and efficient.
Ratings
Features & Pricing
Pros and Cons
Ratings
Ease of Use
4.7
Customer Service
5.0
Features
4.5
Overall Score
4.7
Features & Pricing
Direct social media selling
Live stream integration
Customer engagement tools
Insightful analytics
Easy setup
Customer support
Structured live selling shows
Shopify integration
Price on request
Pros and Cons
Simple and intuitive setup: Users can start live selling in just 5 minutes with an easy installation process.
High customer engagement: Engages customers effectively, fostering deep connections and turning viewers into repeat buyers.
Wide range of applications: Suitable for various retail sectors from women's retail to arts and crafts.
Limited to Shopify: While it offers great integration with Shopify, businesses not using this platform might find it less beneficial.
No explicit mention of a free plan post-trial: Businesses might need to consider the cost post-trial period.
Pending features: Support for YouTube and TikTok is still in the pipeline.
Best for: E-commerce businesses, especially those using Shopify
Videeo
4.7 out of 5 stars
Videeo™ for Shopify is an innovative live selling suite designed to take your Shopify business to the next level. With its state-of-the-art technology and user-friendly interface, Videeo™ simplifies live selling, making it accessible and efficient.

3. Creator.co

Creator.co

Creator.co is a collaboration and community hub that SMEs can use to create, manage, and monitor their influencer marketing initiatives. The platform connects clients to a strong database that contains millions of influencers. 

Creator.co focuses on social commerce and uses advanced data and analytics, high-level reporting, continuous assistance on campaigns, and more. Its soon-to-come Marketplace+ will facilitate social commerce by enabling brands to sell their products and services across various social media platforms through creators, influencers, and publishers.

Key Features: Search/Discovery, Automated Recruiting, Influencer Relationship Management, Influencer Marketplace, Content Review, Content Library, Campaign Management, Campaign Reporting, Influencer Analysis, Audience Analysis, E-commerce Tools, Product/Gifting Tools, Fake Follower/Fraud Detection, Payment Processing, Social Listening, Competitor Research, Creator Marketplace,

Channels: Instagram, YouTube, TikTok


4. Grip

Grip

Grip, a South Korean social commerce platform founded in 2018, has been an industry disruptor since its expansion to the US in 2022. Grip’s accessible, real-time platform enables sellers worldwide to connect with buyers. Direct communication between creators and buyers fosters transparency and insight into products. The live shopping experience combines entertainment with exclusive deals, allowing users to purchase items instantly.

The platform also offers a community of trusted creators, known as “Grippers,” who share their genuine experiences and insights with users. These influencers help build trust and reliability within the community, further solidifying Grip’s reputation as a go-to social commerce destination.

Grip’s live shopping experience combines entertainment with exclusive deals. As users watch the live events unfold, they can take advantage of special offers and purchase items on the spot. This seamless integration of shopping and entertainment has resonated with users, contributing to Grip’s rapid rise in popularity.

Grip
4.6 out of 5 stars
Grip is a cutting-edge live commerce platform that empowers SMBs and brands to create immersive live shopping experiences.
Ratings
Features & Pricing
Pros and Cons
Ratings
Ease of Use
4.8
Features
4.7
Pricing
4.2
Overall Score
4.6
Features & Pricing
Interactive live streaming
Live Shopping
Shoppable Videos
Sponsorship feature
Price on request
Pros and Cons
User-friendly interface
Innovative features
Lack of pricing options
Niche expansion
Best for: Small and Medium-sized Businesses
Grip
4.6 out of 5 stars
Grip is a cutting-edge live commerce platform that empowers SMBs and brands to create immersive live shopping experiences.

5. impact.com

impact.com

Impact.com supports shoppable content and provides integration with additional marketing analytics and e-commerce-related software to offer a comprehensive view of customer journey analytics.

With its shoppable content capability, impact.com offers businesses an opportunity to showcase their products and services in a visually engaging and interactive manner. The platform integrates with social media channels like Instagram and Pinterest, allowing businesses to tag products in posts and make them shoppable. The integration with Pinterest is particularly noteworthy as Pinterest’s visual discovery engine is ideal for social commerce, and 80% of Pinners starting with visual search when shopping. Impact.com integrates with Pinterest’s shoppable Product Pins, allowing businesses to make their products discoverable to Pinterest users. The platform also supports Shop the Look ads, which enable traders to feature multiple products in a single ad, and users can click through to the retailer’s site to check out.

Impact.com also provides integration with additional marketing analytics and e-commerce-related software, providing businesses with a comprehensive view of customer journey analytics. This feature makes it easy for businesses to track the effectiveness of their social commerce campaigns and make data-driven decisions to optimize their results.

Key Features: Influencer Content Amplification, Search/Discovery, Automated Recruiting, Influencer Relationship Management, Influencer Marketplace, Team Collaboration Tools, Content Review, Content Library, Campaign Management, Campaign Reporting, Influencer Analysis, E-commerce Tools, Product/Gifting Tools, Forms and Compliance, Payment Processing,


6. Instagram

Instagram

Nowadays, the primary way that Instagram acts as a social commerce platform is with its “Shoppable Posts” feature. 

Instagram has always had an advantage over many of its social competitors because of its inherently visual nature. It has always been the ideal social platform to display products, particularly if you make an effort to make your images enticing. It is the perfect medium for visual storytelling. 

Initially, Instagram didn’t allow for pure social commerce. When somebody clicked on one of your Shoppable Posts, they followed a link to the appropriate page on your online store, rather than making the sale entirely on Instagram itself. However, Instagram has since upgraded the capabilities of Shoppable Posts, and they now include an in-app checkout feature, so the customer never has to leave Instagram to make their purchase.


7. Facebook

Facebook

Facebook is building a collection of social commerce tools to help brands. It now lets many US businesses use Instagram’s in-app checkout so that customers can experience the entire buying process within their Facebook app. 

With Facebook Shops, merchants can create a customizable store from which consumers can shop within Facebook and Instagram. Facebook Shops have dedicated places on the platform for consumers to browse and make purchases. Facebook Shops have a messaging button so consumers can communicate with sellers through Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp. Facebook also encourages brands to livestream and is looking at allowing consumers to purchase directly from a livestream. 


8. Pinterest

Pinterest

Like Instagram, Pinterest focuses on creative things. Their visual discovery engine is ideal for social commerce. They feature a visual search engine, Lens, that works with shoppable Product Pins. These find items, based on users’ photos, that Pinterest thinks might interest the user. Pinterest makes suggestions to users of shoppable products, with a direct link to a retailer’s checkout. Research shows that 80% of Pinners start with visual search when shopping, compared to 58% of non-Pinners. 

Pinterest also offers Shop the Look ads that allow traders to feature multiple products in a single ad. Pinners can discover great products related to a Pin’s image and click to check out on the retailer’s site. Sellers can tag up to 25 items in a photo.


9. Snapchat

Snapchat

Although Snapchat hasn’t particularly focused on social commerce in the past, they have encouraged augmented reality (AR) that has interesting social commerce possibilities. Snapchat calls its AR lenses. Users can take selfies using a lens that helps them digitally try on makeup and sunglasses. Indeed, they can now virtually try on any type of clothing. 

Snapchat reports that more than 170 million users engage with AR on the platform daily.

At this stage, while you can try on products within Snapchat, using its AR lenses, you still need to click outside Snapchat to make the purchase, however.


10. TikTok

TikTok

It is relatively early for TikTok involvement with social commerce, but the video-sharing platform has been making trials in this area. It has already established a global partnership with Shopify.

Shopify merchants can create, run, and optimize TikTok marketing campaigns directly from the Shopify dashboard by installing a new TikTok channel app from the Shopify App Store. Merchants can create native, shareable content that turns their products into In-Feed shoppable video ads. 

Shopify and TikTok have also trialed a new shopping button that allowed TikTok creators to link their Shopify storefront from their videos.


11. WeChat

WeChat

WeChat has done much to facilitate the growth of social selling. WeChat mini programs are pivotal to the success of social commerce on the platform. They allow users to share eCommerce-related content and shopping experiences.

Companies have created marketplaces using WeChat mini programs. Probably the best known is Pinduoduo, which sells to users, giving them steep discounts if they team up with other users to make bulk purchases.

The real advantage of WeChat mini programs is that users can make purchases and communicate with sellers from within WeChat. They can share the products they like with their friends and family. In fact, they can participate in all phases of the buying process without leaving WeChat.

Social Commerce on Websites


12. Verint

Verint

Verint Community is a community-led social commerce platform that creates business opportunities from customer collaborations. It’s a customizable, interoperable, fully-featured platform that provides opportunities for socially-driven e-commerce.

An active, open discussion forum facilitates brand trust and leads to organic conversions through shared real-life experiences and interactions. Discussion and Q&A forums can be fully customized visually, as well as utilizing modern, responsive UX for ease-of-use.


13. Tagshop.ai

Tagshop.ai

Tagshop.ai is a shoppable content platform for brands to grow sales, trust, traffic, and engagement and offer a full shopping experience. It helps you turn your social content or UGC into Shoppable feeds and galleries. Just collect content, tag products, and publish galleries on your eCommerce website and online store. Shoppable feeds allow users to get inspired and buy products, leading to more conversions, inspired purchases, brand social proof, and consistent revenue growth.


14. Pinduoduo

Pinduoduo

As we referred to above, Pinduoduo is built on a WeChat mini program. It incentivizes users by giving them steep discounts if they bring in other users. All of these transactions occur within the Pinduoduo platform (which in turn is built upon the WeChat app.) Users don’t have to go outside Pinduoduo / WeChat to communicate with anyone involved in the transaction. There is no need for a separate messaging app or email communication.

Pinduoduo includes two prices for each product it sells. One is the “single buyer” price. However, there is a second cheaper price shown that the buyer can pay if he/she can find someone else to buy the good (the second person also gets the lower price).


15. Beidian

Beidian is another Chinese WeChat social commerce platform. It was founded in 2017 by the maternal and childcare shopping conglomerate Beibei Group. It lets users buy, share, and sell products across various product categories, though it focuses mainly on mother and infant goods. It directly leverages existing WeChat friendships for marketing. Most people on Beidian sell to someone they know rather than strangers.


16. Amazon Live

Amazon Live

Amazon Live takes a different approach. It gives the opportunity for brands to engage with shoppers in real-time using interactive, shoppable livestreams. Amazon Live is designed to inspire, educate, and entertain customers in a format that allows real-time brand interaction.

You can use it to introduce shoppers to your products and provide them with the information they need to make confident purchase decisions. You can also use live streams to inform audiences on product features, benefits, and special offers in an interactive environment with live product demonstrations.

Amazon Live also includes a chat feature, where you can answer questions and provide information in real time to help drive connection.


Frequently Asked Questions

What is social commerce platform?

Social commerce is the concept of selling products and services across social media platforms. Social commerce provides a ready-made audience for brands wanting consistent audience growth. The entire shopping experience, from product discovery to the check-out process, happens on social media.

What are the best platforms for social commerce?

These are the top 10 best platforms for social commerce:

  1. Instagram
  2. Facebook
  3. Pinterest
  4. Snapchat
  5. TikTok
  6. WeChat
  7. Verint
  8. Taggbox Commerce
  9. Pinduoduo
  10. Beidian

What is an example of social e commerce?

An example of social commerce includes user recommendations, customer ratings and reviews, social shopping experience tools, social apps, marketing, and social media optimization.

What is a commerce platform?

A commerce platform is a platform that allows transactions to take place. The platform lets you overlay technology to integrate online and in-store. With social commerce, the entire shopping experience, from product discovery to the check-out process, happens on social media.

Is Facebook an ecommerce platform?

Facebook is one of the largest ecommerce platforms. ​​With Facebook Shops, merchants can create a customizable store from which consumers can shop within Facebook and Instagram. Facebook Shops have dedicated places on the platform for consumers to browse and make purchases in addition to messages with the client.

About the Author
With over 15 years in content marketing, Werner founded Influencer Marketing Hub in 2016. He successfully grew the platform to attract 5 million monthly visitors, making it a key site for brand marketers globally. His efforts led to the company's acquisition in 2020. Additionally, Werner's expertise has been recognized by major marketing and tech publications, including Forbes, TechCrunch, BBC and Wired.