Consumers are discovering their shopping inspiration on social media now more than ever. According to a study by social commerce platform Curalate, more than 80 percent of consumers are starting the buying journey on these platforms, up from 58 percent in 2017. Instagram has seen the highest growth of product discovery, with 48 percent of consumers finding products there, a jump from 18 percent two years ago. Facebook (from 52 percent in 2017 to 70 percent in 2019) and Pinterest (22 percent to 28 percent) also showed an uptick.
Curalate found that what sets social media apart from ecommerce is inspiration. Ecommerce helps those who already know what they’re looking for but doesn’t necessarily inspire. According to the survey, 47 percent of shoppers who discover a product on social media buy it later online. While 19 percent buy it immediately from the social tag, 13 percent buy it later in a physical store. Eighty percent of consumers are most likely to research a product when they discover it.