Social commerce is rapidly transforming the e-commerce landscape, and 2025 is poised to be a pivotal year for this trend. With social platforms evolving into shopping hubs, brands are increasingly integrating social commerce into their marketing strategies to reach consumers where they spend the most time—on social media. This article will explore the rise of social commerce, and why influencer marketing is key to success.

The Rise of Social Commerce

1. Global Growth of Social Media Usage: With over 4.89 billion active social media users globally, platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook are becoming integral to e-commerce strategies. Users can now shop directly on these platforms, blurring the lines between browsing and buying. Social commerce is expected to drive $2.9 trillion in global sales by 2026 (source).
2. The Power of Peer Influence: In today’s digital age, consumers trust influencer recommendations far more than traditional advertisements. According to a Nielsen report, 92% of consumers trust influencers’ opinions over brand-driven content. This makes influencers the perfect vehicle to drive purchases within social commerce channels, where customers are already looking for authentic content.
3. Increased Social Shopping Features: Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook have introduced shoppable posts and in-app checkout functionalities, making it easier for consumers to discover products and buy them without leaving the app. This seamless integration is driving higher sales conversions and transforming social media into a powerful sales funnel (source).

How to Incorporate Influencer Marketing into Social Commerce

1. Leverage Micro-Influencers: While mega-influencers have broad reach, micro-influencers (with smaller but highly engaged audiences) are driving more authentic engagement and trust. Partnering with micro-influencers allows brands to tap into niche audiences with higher conversion potential. A report from Influencer Marketing Hub suggests that 82% of consumers are more likely to act on recommendations from micro-influencers (source).
2. Utilise Shoppable Influencer Content: Shoppable content is key in bridging the gap between discovery and purchase. Whether it’s an Instagram post, TikTok video, or Facebook story, influencers can embed product tags and affiliate links that allow followers to purchase seamlessly. Influencer-generated content helps build trust and reduces friction in the buyer’s journey.
3. Leverage Live Shopping: Live streaming is an interactive and engaging way to showcase products in real-time. According to eMarketer, live commerce generated over $480 billion in China alone in 2022 and is gaining traction globally (source).
4. Encourage User-Generated Content: User-generated content (UGC) drives more engagement and trust than brand-created content. Encouraging influencers and their followers to post UGC featuring your products helps spread brand awareness, establish trust, and drive traffic to your social commerce channels. According to Crowdtap, UGC is 50% more trusted by consumers than traditional brand content (source).
5. Track and Optimise Campaigns: It’s important to use data to track influencer marketing performance, including engagement rates, click-through rates, and conversions. Continuously optimising based on performance will help ensure maximum ROI.

Partnering with Referwo for Streamlined Influencer Marketing

As social commerce grows, Referwo is here to be your partner in managing your influencer marketing campaigns effectively. From selecting the right influencers to managing campaign execution, Referwo can simplify and streamline the entire process. Whether you’re working with micro-influencers or running large-scale campaigns, we help you:

• Identify and Collaborate with Micro-Influencers: We can connect your brand with influencers whose audiences align with your brand values, ensuring a strong fit and higher engagement.
• End-to-End Campaign Management: From influencer outreach to content delivery, Referwo handles the entire process so you can focus on growing your brand.
• Optimise Campaign Performance: We track and analyse data including the influencers’ discount code usage to ensure your influencer marketing campaigns are driving the desired results, improving your ROI over time.

By partnering with Referwo, you can stay ahead of the social commerce trend and leverage influencer marketing to grow your business in 2025. Whether you’re new to influencer marketing or looking to scale your efforts, we’re here to support your brand’s journey to success.

Conclusion

Social commerce will continue to dominate the e-commerce space in 2025, and influencer marketing is a crucial component of this evolution. By partnering with Referwo, brands can streamline their influencer marketing efforts, boost engagement, and drive sales. With influencer partnerships playing an increasingly important role in consumer purchasing decisions, businesses must adapt and stay ahead of this growing trend to remain competitive.

For more information on how Referwo can support your influencer marketing campaigns, visit our website.