Skip to main content
  • Toolset
  • Solutions
  • About DMS
  • Case Studies
  • Contact Us

Connect With Your Audience At Scale

    • Acquire New Customers
    • Generate More Inquiries
    • Grow My Email Database
    • Grow My Website Traffic
    • Monetize My Audience
    • Re-Engage Consumers
    • Contact DMS
    • See The DMS Live Schedule
    • Be Inspired
    • How To / Best Practices
    • What Is...?
    • DMS Reports & More
    • Contact DMS
    • As Seen In...
    • Press Releases
    • Contact DMS
    • Enjoying The Journey
    • Work/Life Harmony
    • DMS Team
    • Contact DMS
    • Events
    • DMS Case Studies
    • Careers @ DMS
    • DMS Toolset
    • DMS Solutions
    • DMS Overview
    • DMS Investor Info
    • Contact DMS

Recent Searches

    Share this Post

    • Share on facebook
    • Share on twitter
    • Share on linkedin
    • Share on email

    What Is...?

    1. Home
    2. What Is...?
    3. What Is Social Commerce?

    What Is Social Commerce?

    Published Date June 10, 2021

    Social commerce, the use of social media platforms to promote and sell products and services, has seen an uptick in popularity as consumer behaviors evolve to include a preference for seamless, online purchases. Many social media platforms in recent years, including Snapchat and Instagram, have introduced new creative opportunities and advertising features, maximizing the potential of social commerce for brands.

    What Is Social Commerce?

    In aggregate, social commerce is the use of social media as part of multichannel campaigns to promote products and drive sales. For advertisers, the use of social commerce stems from the desire to drive conversions from an additional digital media channel, particularly when trying to reach younger, more online audiences. Often, brands deploy creative tactics like video, carousel ads and XR to engage social media users as they leverage social commerce functionality to drive conversions from or within social media platforms.

    The growth of ecommerce, online shopping and time spent on social platforms during the pandemic increased consumer comfort with buying directly from social media platforms. Therefore, over the past year, social commerce has evolved to more specifically mean the use of social media platforms to facilitate sales without leaving the platform. 

    What Are Examples Of Social Commerce?

    Some social media outlets, like Pinterest, have been encouraging sales directly from their platforms for several years, while others have recently begun upping the ante. Instagram and Facebook Shops launched in 2020, and Instagram has since expanded its social commerce capabilities to IGTV and Reels. Facebook recently introduced live streaming with “Live Shopping Fridays,” while Snapchat Lens continues to be leveraged by brands for its unique AR and VR, creator-based campaigns. YouTube introduced shoppable ads in 2019, with parent company Google announcing an upcoming expansion of creative that supports social commerce. 

    What Benefits Does Social Commerce Offer Advertisers?

    As social commerce continues to gain popularity, the benefits to advertisers increase, including: 

    Attribution: Social commerce offers the ability to directly measure the return on investment (ROI) of social media spend, because the conversions take place in the same platform as the advertising.

    Reaching Browsing & High-Intent Consumers: Social media has increasingly become a platform on which consumers receive advice on what to purchase from friends, family and interest-based social media groups. Social commerce gives brands the opportunity to contextually target browsing shoppers and convert high-intent audiences.

    Engaging Creative Options: Social media platforms offer access to sophisticated advertising features that brands might not otherwise have the budget for, increasing engagement with visually interesting campaigns.

    Tight Audience Targeting: Digital advertisers can reach tightly defined audiences, including lookalike audiences, younger consumers and people engaging with creative from competitive brands.

    Paid And Organic Growth: Both paid and organic social media campaigns can drive traffic to branded social commerce opportunities.

    Social commerce is still in early stages, with new features regularly being launched by social platforms. Brands able to facilitate social commerce are likely to benefit from broad testing to see which styles of social commerce and which platforms perform best to convert their audiences.

    Seeking New Ways To Maximize Your Customer Acquisition?

    Digital Media Solutions (DMS) is a technology-enabled, data-driven performance advertising solutions provider connecting consumers and advertisers. Contact DMS today to learn how our first-party data asset, proprietary technology and expansive digital media reach can help you scale your customer acquisition results.

    Contact DMS
    • Previous Article

      What Are Twitter Fleet Ads?

      What Are Twitter Fleet Ads?

      Twitter Fleet ads present advertisers with a new format to reach consumers as they continue leveraging social platforms to discover new products and services.

    • Next Article

      What Is The Google Cryptocurrency Advertising Policy?

      What Is The Google Cryptocurrency Advertising Policy?

      Google recently announced that it will initiate an update to the advertisement of cryptocurrency related business and services.

    Other content in this Stream

    • What Is The Latest News On Apple And Push Notifications?
      8 months ago

      What Is The Latest News On Apple And Push Notifications?

      At this year’s annual WWDC, Apple announced that beginning in 2023, iOS 16 will support web push notifications.

      Read Article

    • What Is Happening With The Twitter Purchase?
      9 months ago

      What Is Happening With The Twitter Purchase?

      Elon Musk is taking over Twitter. Now what? Here’s what you need to know about the sale of Twitter and how you can proceed confidently on the social media platform.

      Read Article

    • What Is A Publisher?

      What Is A Publisher?

      Do you want to understand the best way to reach the right people with the right messages at the right time? Consider partnering with publishers.

      Read Article

    • It's Okay To Believe Advertising IRL > Metaverse
      9 months ago

      It's Okay To Believe Advertising IRL > Metaverse

      Metaverse marketing is likely to be a part of future strategies for brands & businesses, but many are taking a “wait and see” approach while relying on the “tried & true,” like performance marketing.

      Read Article

    • What Are Data Signals?

      What Are Data Signals?

      Real-time data signals can pinpoint the individual consumers most likely to respond to your advertising when they are ready to take action.

      Read Article

    • What Is Real-Time Data?

      What Is Real-Time Data?

      Quality, real-time data helps understand consumer desires and predict future actions, allowing advertisers to get the right message in front of the right person at the right time to encourage action.

      Read Article

    • What Is Propensity Marketing?

      What Is Propensity Marketing?

      Propensity marketing is an approach to marketing that focuses on engaging consumers with the greatest propensity to take a desired action.

      Read Article

    • Actions Count More Than Impressions: How CPA Advertising Campaigns De-Risk Media Spend
      about 2 years ago

      Actions Count More Than Impressions: How CPA Advertising Campaigns De-Risk Media Spend

      Cost-per-action (CPA) advertising, a category of digital performance advertising, de-risks media spend because advertisers only pay when a measurable action is taken.

      Read Article

    • What Is The Difference Between Traditional Digital Advertising & Digital Performance Advertising?
      over 1 year ago

      What Is The Difference Between Traditional Digital Advertising & Digital Performance Advertising?

      By focusing on ROI and measurability, digital performance advertising offers reliable results that are aligned with marketing objectives.

      Read Article

    • What Is Push Marketing, And How Can It Enhance Audience Engagement?
      over 1 year ago

      What Is Push Marketing, And How Can It Enhance Audience Engagement?

      Learn more about what push marketing is and how it can help bolster existing marketing efforts to better connect with consumers.

      Read Article

    • What Are The New User Safety Measures Within TikTok?
      over 1 year ago

      What Are The New User Safety Measures Within TikTok?

      TikTok recently announced that it was introducing new user-safety measures to prevent harmful content from making its way onto the popular short-form video app.

      Read Article

    • What Is The Snapchat Ads Certification?
      over 1 year ago

      What Is The Snapchat Ads Certification?

      Snapchat has introduced an Ads Manager Campaign Activation certification through its Snap Focus platform.

      Read Article

    • What Are Microsoft Multimedia Ads?
      over 1 year ago

      What Are Microsoft Multimedia Ads?

      Microsoft announces the introduction of Multimedia Ads, a new responsive ad format, offered on Bing search pages.

      Read Article

    • What Is TikTok Jump?
      over 1 year ago

      What Is TikTok Jump?

      TikTok Jump will welcome third-party providers to help build upon the content that creators can currently share with users.

      Read Article

    • What Are The Best Times To Post On Social Media?

      What Are The Best Times To Post On Social Media?

      As consumers continue to utilize social media for news, product discovery and connectivity, brands & advertisers must adjust their strategies to increase user engagement and activity across platforms.

      Read Article

    • What Is The Aimtell Offer Network?
      over 1 year ago

      What Is The Aimtell Offer Network?

      Aimtell’s Push Content Network provides push marketing users with an optional additional revenue stream to incorporate into their existing push marketing strategies.

      Read Article

    • What Is Twitter Blue?
      over 1 year ago

      What Is Twitter Blue?

      Twitter introduces Twitter Blue, a subscription-based service that offers special features for subscribers.

      Read Article

    • What Are Twitter Fleet Ads?
      over 1 year ago

      What Are Twitter Fleet Ads?

      Twitter Fleet ads present advertisers with a new format to reach consumers as they continue leveraging social platforms to discover new products and services.

      Read Article

    • What Is The Google Cryptocurrency Advertising Policy?
      over 1 year ago

      What Is The Google Cryptocurrency Advertising Policy?

      Google recently announced that it will initiate an update to the advertisement of cryptocurrency related business and services.

      Read Article

    • What Is The Google Ecommerce Suite?
      over 1 year ago

      What Is The Google Ecommerce Suite?

      As ecommerce continues to thrive, Google introduces a suite of tools they’re working on to create seamless online shopping experiences.

      Read Article

    Return to Home
    DMS Logo

    Tech-Enabled, Data-Based Performance Advertising

    facebook icon twitter icon linkedin icon instagram icon

    © 2021 Digital Media Solutions, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Digital Media Solutions and its logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Digital Media Solutions, LLC. All other company and product names referenced herein are the property of their respective owners.

    Digital Performance Advertising

    linkedin icon
    facebook icon
    twitter icon
    instagram icon

    Subscribe To News From DMS


    About DMS
    Toolset Solutions DMS Insurance DMS Performance Ad Market DMS Ecommerce Advertising DMS Consumer Finance DMS Education DMS Managed Services DMS Nonprofit Advertising DMS Subscription Advertising Newsroom DMS Insights Investor Info
    Contact Us
    (877) 236-8632 connect@DMSgroup.com Careers Become A DMS Advertiser Become A DMS Publisher
    DMS Proprietary Technology
    Aimtell Sparkroom ZipQuote
    Logins
    Aimtell Login DMS Exchange Login DMS Performance Ad Market Publisher Login Sparkroom Login ZipQuote Agent Login
    Privacy & Terms
    Privacy Policy Terms and Conditions Code of Conduct

    © 2022 Digital Media Solutions®, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Digital Media Solutions and its logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Digital Media Solutions, Inc. All other company and product names referenced herein are the property of their respective owners.