Social Media Shoppers Like to Stick With What They Know

For consumers making purchases via social media platforms, PYMNTS Intelligence research reveals, staying within their comfort zone is a top priority.

By the Numbers

PYMNTS Intelligence’s study “Tracking the Digital Payments Takeover: Monetizing Social Media,” created in collaboration with Amazon Web Services, drew from a census-balanced survey of nearly 3,000 U.S. consumers seeking to understand the factors driving them to shop on social media, among other matters.

Thirty-two percent of consumers who transact on social media say they do so because it is easy and familiar, the study found — a greater share than said the same of any reason for shopping via these platforms. Plus, a plurality (17%) cited this as the top reason to buy on social media.

When shopping via these apps and websites, users do not have to navigate away from the apps or websites they’re already familiar with to make purchases. Plus, these platforms often streamline the purchasing process, allowing users to make purchases with just a few clicks or taps.

The Data in Context

Brands are seeing the opportunity to capitalize on this demand for easy, intuitive shopping via social media platforms. Sean Knotts, director of global eCommerce at Sonos, noted in an interview with PYMNTS that these kinds of transactions are on the rise.

“One of the trends we’re also starting to see others invest in is native social checkout,” Knotts said. “We see a lot of sessions from paid social coming to the site through these in-app browsers. And so, making sure that we have an experience that is rooted in the ecosystem that they’re already in and allows them to with minimal clicks check out is something that we’re starting to invest in right now.”

Indeed, these channels are gaining ground. In December, it was reported that TikTok had passed the milestone of generating $10 billion in consumer spending, becoming the first non-game mobile app to do so.