With sales already amounting to over $117 billion, according to Statista, social commerce sales are expected to multiply by almost 600% in the next 6 years. The rising tide of social commerce is transforming the shopping experience with no signs of slowing down. According to Statista, such trends are fast entering the Asian markets as well with 46% of Chinese internet users purchasing from social networks and over 70% of consumers from Thailand and Vietnam wanting social media commerce integration. 

 

So, what exactly is social commerce and how is it different from social selling? 

Unlike social selling, which focuses on building a stronger customer-brand relationship, social commerce involves direct buying and selling of products and services on social media platforms. With social media penetration as deep as 86% in Malaysia and 84% in Singapore, it is inevitable that social media will become an important step in the customer purchase journey, not just serving the purpose of awareness and connection, but also boosting sales and revenue growth. 

 

From becoming aware of the platforms that you can open your shop on to learning about how you can incorporate this into your social media marketing strategy, this might be time to deep dive into the world of social commerce for you and your business.