Social buying. Everyone and their mama is doing it — or maybe it’s just me and my family. I’m consistently tagged in posts (thank you, cousin) about adorable gifts, must-have outfits, and social media platform-specific discounts and sales.

And I know I’m not alone — marketers are seeing it, too. According to , 69% of marketers agree that more shopping will happen directly on social media than on brand websites or third-party marketplaces this year. This means that in-app shopping experiences have already reshaped consumer behaviors. So, if you’re a brand selling products to consumers and you’re not already using social commerce to your advantage, 2025 is a superb year to start.

Throughout this post, I’ll share new insights about the social commerce landscape and best practices to make your brand stand out amongst other brands’ in-app shopping efforts. Plus, I’ll highlight expertise from , Digital Operations Manager at Ulta Beauty (and a true scroll-to-shop diva), and her opinions about the future (and present-day) of social commerce.

Table of Contents

• Social Media and Online Shopping — Today’s Landscape
• How to Improve Your Social Media Shopping Strategy, According to Dheena Allen, Digital Operations Manager at Ulta Beauty
• Best Practices to Make Your Social Media Shopping Strategy Shine Online

Social Media and Online Shopping — Today’s Landscape

Salespeople. Marketers. Brands. They’re all jumping aboard the social commerce bandwagon for good reason. According to , thus far, social commerce is 17% of total e-commerce worldwide; in 2029, it’s projected to rise to 18% of total e-commerce globally. , social commerce generated $104 billion in 2025.

This new data is hard to ignore, especially because the facts do indeed check out. Don’t believe me? Take a look at some more eye-opening stats and numbers straight from