98% of Americans will participate in social shopping in 2022! Here are the marketing priorities that brands should not miss

According to the latest data from Sprout Social, more than 68% of consumers in the United States will shop directly from social media in 2021, and 98% of consumers plan to make a purchase through social media in 2022. By 2025, the US social e-commerce market will be worth $1.2 trillion, and these data show the growth opportunities that brands cannot miss.

Sprout Social surveyed nearly 1,000 consumers in the United States, revealing their preferences and trends for shopping through social media in 2022, providing a reference for brands to conduct marketing.

Data shows that Generation Z consumers (ages 18-24) expect to use social platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat for shopping in 2022, while Generation X (ages 41-56) and Baby Boomers (ages 57-75) plan to increase their purchases on Pinterest and Facebook.

Other findings from the survey and key trends related to social commerce include:

1. Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) features are gaining popularity

More than 85% of respondents have used VR and AR features for social shopping, and some plan to experience this new way of shopping this year, mainly targeting Generation Z (32%) and Millennial (30%) consumers.

2. Inclusivity is important to social e-commerce buyers

60% of consumers say they are more likely to buy from a brand that emphasizes inclusivity in its content, such as showing different racial, ethnic or gender identities in ads and feeds. Inclusivity is especially important to younger shoppers, with 73% of Gen Z and 72% of Millennials citing it as a purchasing influencer.

3. Recommendations from friends still have an influence on consumers’ purchasing decisions

Recommendations from friends rank high among factors that influence purchases for consumers of all ages, and are the main source of influence for purchase decisions for consumers aged 18-40, even ahead of influencers. This is also true for baby boomers, who still trust friends and family the most.

Sprout Social points out that the opportunity for brands to leverage social platforms to build powerful, frictionless relationships with customers has never been greater. Since the majority of consumers have already made a purchase on social media this year or plan to do so, brands that make social commerce a key strategy will be able to reach consumers more effectively.

Editor ✎ Xiao Zhu/

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