5 Most Popular Social Media Platforms for Ecommerce Businesses

When it comes to getting the word out about your business, a multichannel approach is needed, including being active on a few social media platforms.

Every day, billions of people around the world use social media, often following and interacting with the brands they know and love. That said, social media is a powerful tool in getting your brand in front of your target customers making it a highly relevant part of your online marketing strategy.

When it comes to today’s online shoppers, Nine in 10 people buy from brands they follow on social media. You can think of going on social media as your way of going to where your customers are, instead of waiting for your target audience to find you on Google—which is less likely especially if you are a new store that hasn’t taken the time to build up your SEO strategy. If you are competing with some ecommerce giants, it’s hard to land a top spot on a search engine’s top results page. The next best thing is to simply go on social media where your target audience is.

Social media is also where your target customers are interacting with one another, sharing and discussing content that is relevant to your store’s niche—and you don’t want to be left out of that discussion. You want your target audience to know that you exist and that you’ve got something to offer them.

Need help building your Shopify website? You can view our Shopify Experts profile here to see our work or reach out to us by filling out this form.

Why is Social Media Important for Ecommerce Businesses?

Social media is a powerful tool for ecommerce businesses who are trying to reach a larger audience. You can use social media to improve brand recognition and awareness, funnel potential customers back to your site, or even sell directly through social apps.

Social media is also a great way to directly promote your business, products, and deals. You can also use your social media accounts to share relevant and interesting content, like your latest blog posts, giveaways, or your new product launch.

When you use social media effectively for your ecommerce business, your social media pages will be one of your online store’s biggest assets.

What Social Media Should Your Ecommerce Business Be Active in?

To connect with your intended audience on social media, you need to select the right social media channels, because your target audience may be more active in one and not the other. With the popularity of social media today and its importance to ecommerce, there are many options available for you to choose from, like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and so much more—each with its own set of features.

Ecommerce businesses use the unique features and benefits of each platform to market their products, draw in customers, and boost their sales. Knowing your target market, your objectives, and the nature of your products or services can help you select the appropriate social media platforms to optimize the performance of your online business as a whole.

Below, we list down the 5 Most Popular Social Media Platforms for Ecommerce Businesses in 2023:

1. Facebook

Facebook is still the world’s most popular and most active social media platform. While its growth in users has decelerated in recent years, its steady growth remains impressive overall. Because of Facebook’s massive user base, you can almost be certain that your target audience is actively using the platform.

According to Shopify’s Commerce Trends 2023 report, at least 70% of social media shoppers make purchases on Facebook either sometimes or all of the time, making it the perfect ground for you to build your social media presence and connect with more customers.

Strongpoint: Offers a wide range of advertising options, including targeted ads and ecommerce features within the platform. It also has a powerful analytics and tracking system for businesses.

Monthly Users: over 3.03 billion users worldwide.

User Demographic: Facebook has a broad user base across various age groups, but it is particularly popular among those aged 25-34, made up of mostly men of this age group. It has a global reach but also plays a big part in reaching those within your local community, making it suitable for businesses targeting both a wide and local audience.

2. Youtube

The social media platform that is second only to Facebook (yet quickly catching up) is YouTube. Youtube is a video-sharing platform and search engine in its own right with a vast repository of video content from users all over the world. There are 500 hours worth of videos uploaded to the platform every minute, making it a rich platform users flock to to explore a wide range of content, from entertainment and educational videos to product reviews and tutorials.

Users of YouTube subscribe to channels and create playlists to curate content they enjoy, making it easily accessible for future viewing. For Ecommerce businesses, YouTube is the place to share their product demos, how-to guides, and informative content to build brand authority and drive sales. With YouTube's extensive user base and advertising opportunities, it's a valuable platform for ecommerce brands to reach a global audience.

• Strong Points: YouTube is a dynamic video-sharing platform with users of all ages flocking to the platform to consume a vast range of content types, from informative tutorials to entertaining vlogs and beyond. YouTube has an extensive reach, ensuring that your content can reach a wide audience.
• Monthly Users: Over 2.70 billion active users worldwide.
• Demographic of Users: YouTube has one of the broadest demographic of users. This is because of the sheer number of content uploaded every minute by a vast range of creators catering to people of different ages and interests.  However, it’s particularly popular among younger age groups, with a strong presence among users aged 15-35.

Read about our 8 Expert Tips for Your Small Online Business.

3. Instagram

Instagram is a social media app with its main features centered around photo sharing and short video formats. This platform is popular among online brands, and it's the perfect place for you to share images and videos of your store and products with your audience.

Instagram users are highly engaged and usually on the younger side. Instagram features ecommerce functions like curated shoppable feeds and many tools created to support small businesses. The social media app has been a powerful force in ecommerce in recent years, introducing within the app a social media+shopping experience that users have welcomed.

• Strongpoint: Instagram is known as a photo-sharing app and is a highly visual-driven social media platform. It has special ecommerce features like shoppable posts and stories for online businesses. Many Instagram users like to follow brands they love. It's also a great place for discovering new brands.
• Monthly Users: over 2.35 billion users worldwide.
• Demographic of Users: Instagram tends to be popular among the younger generation of users, with a a user base in the 18-34 age group. It is particularly popular among women users.

Looking for a top-rated Shopify Plus Agency near you? View our Ecommerce Pro Shopify Experts profile here to see our work or reach out to us to learn more.

4. TikTok

TikTok is the newest social media platform on this list, but its explosion into popularity has been impressive. TikTok is a short-form video-sharing platform, where users can create or watch short entertaining videos in a highly engaging infinity scroll format that has proven to be a big hit.

First of all, TikTok users are highly engaged and belong to a younger demographic. Brands that target an audience in their teens or twenties should give TikTok some serious consideration, as content often gets better engagement on TikTok when it comes to young shoppers.

Today, brands are starting to recognize the significance that TikTok may pose to their ecommerce businesses, with experts claiming that it may even be the future of ecommerce. Whether this is just hype or not, it's worth looking into as a business owner.

• Strong points: TikTok’s user base is young and highly engaged. The platform is known for its viral challenges and trends, making it an excellent platform for creative and engaging content. Ecommerce businesses can use TikTok to showcase products through video, collaborate with influencers, and participate in trending challenges.
• Monthly Users: over 1.677 billion monthly users worldwide.
• Demographic of Users: TikTok has a strong presence among younger users, primarily in the 16-24 age group, but its user base is diversifying. TikTok is great for reaching Gen Z and millennial audiences.

5. Pinterest

Pinterest isn’t just a social media platform, it's a visual search engine as well. Pinterest allows its users to search for and find ideas for things like recipes, home, fashion, and lifestyle inspiration. Users on Pinterest find and save pins on boards that keep ideas organized and make them easier to find and consult later.

Pinterest is unique compared to other social media platforms because people that visit the app and website are people who are eager for new ideas and are in search of things that inspire them. 85% of users say that they use Pinterest when they want to start a new project. They use the app to browse, discover, and buy through Product Pins. Pinterest supports ecommerce functions, making it another great ecommerce platform for your brand to engage in.

• Strong Points: Pinterest is a highly visual social media platform and search engine that's great for businesses selling products or services with strong visual appeal. It offers features like shoppable Product Pins.
• Monthly Users: Over 463 million active users worldwide.
• Demographic of Users: Pinterest is particularly popular among female users, with a strong presence in the 18-49 age group. It's particularly popular among users looking for inspiration and shopping ideas.

Wrapping Up

Social media is one of the best tools to build meaningful connections with your audience, allowing you to have real, two-way interactions with them. If you are trying to grow your Shopify online store and gain new customers, social media should hold one of the top places in your marketing strategy.

In this article, we’ve talked about 5 of the top social media platforms for ecommerce businesses. While it may not be possible or even practical for a small online business to handle building a social media presence on every single platform, it's important to pick one or two based on which platforms you know your target audience uses actively.

Make sure that the platform you use is one that you can use consistently in promoting your brand. When you do decide which platforms are best for your brand, remember to be active and consistent. When it comes to building a social media presence, consistency is key.

Get in Touch

At Ecommerce Pro - Shopify Web Developers Agency, we help entrepreneurs and business owners build better and more successful Shopify businesses. Have a question or a project in mind? Get in touch with us today!