How can you promote a shopping experience on social media? Learn from these successful brands

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Discover how to create a great shopping experience for your customers on social media with these 5 successful examples
Reading time: 7 minutes
A lot has changed since the beginning of 2020, especially after the lockdown in many countries around the world. The role of social media in marketing strategies has also changed .

Once used only as a potential channel between a company and its customers, botim database today big businesses are reinventing this interaction and creating social-first shopping experiences.

This is because, as a result of social isolation, millions of people today use online shopping as a routine to obtain all kinds of products and services.

Social media is also increasingly used by businesses due to its power to create viral content.

Because of the way these platforms are structured and operated (smaller, more eye-catching content, easy sharing, and instant social commentary), content that truly resonates with people tends to go viral very quickly.

According to Hootsuite’s Social Trends 2022 report , 53.2% of people from younger generations prefer to turn to social media to research brands.

What does this mean? This year, more than ever, small businesses will need to pay special attention to social commerce to create a better brand experience and generate more positive business results.

On the one hand, at Rock Content we are experts in Content Marketing and we offer you a great experience through incredible materials.

On the other hand, Hootsuite specializes in social media and its trends. That is the reason that led us to combine these two specialties to create this exclusive series of posts in partnership.

Read this article to the end to gain deeper insight into each trend provided in Hootsuite’s report and assess how this could impact your brand in 2022.

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The shocking growth of social commerce
There seems to be no turning back from the trend of purchasing via social media platforms. According to Statista, market forecasts indicate that the global volume of this type of sales will reach $2.9 trillion by 2026 .

One of the main reasons for the rise of social commerce is the personalized shopping experience that users can find on apps like Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook.

Hyper-targeted ads play an important role in helping businesses target ideal customers. That claim is confirmed by the report that 75% of Gen Z users in the US say that there is a real influence of social ads on their purchasing decisions .

Also worth mentioning is the remarkable growth of visual content formats. Companies have noticed that more and more consumers are engaging with quick videos, live broadcasts and high-quality images.

It’s no surprise, then, that 40% of Pinterest users search for products and brands on the image-based platform .

YouTube once again demonstrates the trend of visual content, which is a source of research for 51% of buyers in the US and UK .

The numbers don't lie, so let's not waste any more time and look at some cases of companies that created excellent social commerce experiences for their current and potential customers.

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5 striking examples of social commerce strategies
1. Goodbye Cidirella
Fashion footwear brand Au Revoir Cinderella from Barcelona is currently using User-Generated Content to promote its offerings while engaging with its audience.

In this post, they shared an image sent by a buyer to express the authenticity of their shoes.


Interactions like this allow brands to build more natural relationships with potential buyers because they can see how a product fits into the lives of real consumers.

With a solid UGC strategy, your followers will be happy to create content for your brand and also promote it on their social channels. This is a great way to develop a genuine bond with your audience.

The strategy could work even better if the users who generate content for you are popular online. Au Revoir Cinderella also partners with micro-influencers from the fashion industry to achieve a greater reach on Instagram and acquire more leads.


2. Sephora
The iconic beauty brand is well known for the great experiences it provides customers in its physical stores. For example, there are usually 2 colors of baskets, one for people who need help and one for people who prefer to shop alone.

With social commerce, you need to create an experience on that same level. With that in mind, Sephora created a great shopping experience with its Fragrance IQ quiz .


Recommendations are always a great way to attract new customers, and creating an interactive quiz further enhances this experience.

Resources like this reinforce your brand's credibility. After all, you're actively helping users choose the product that best suits their needs, rather than selling them whatever item you have in stock, just to take their money.

As a result, shoppers who completed the survey are likely to return for more purchases if your recommendations prove to be accurate for their preferences.

At the same time, quizzes and other interactive experiences give you a more accurate understanding of your customers’ behavior. Every response and click generates data that you can capitalize on to approach customers with offers they’re most willing to accept.

3. Bollé
Leveraging augmented reality (AR) to create a unique experience for Instagram followers, Bollé allowed potential buyers to virtually try on its new sunglasses model, Phantom.

Users were able to feel how the glasses look on their faces using the camera in selfie mode. They can then switch to the front view and add effects to the camera to see how the sunglasses would behave in a real-world setting.

The experience is fully integrated into the purchasing process, so after enjoying their image with the sunglasses, the user can immediately select the desired model and which supplier they will buy from.

Try out Phantom lens with Bollé revolutionary Augmented Reality Experience
Bollé’s initiative is another great example of how social commerce can be made more effective and profitable with the support of advanced technologies. From a brand perspective, it is also a strategic way to boost engagement and authority in the market.

Furthermore, providing sophisticated ways for users to interact with products before spending their money is a win-win approach. The more interactions are recorded on the AR page, the higher the chances of capturing valuable data from each visitor.

4. Dollar Shave Club
Leveraging positive customer feedback is key to a brand doing well in the e-commerce world. With that in mind, Dollar Shave Club created a Pinterest board entirely dedicated to their customers’ valuable feedback about them and unboxing photos.

This action combines user-generated content with social proof to gain credibility and trust not only with its base, but also with all Pinterest users who want to learn more about the brand.

dollar shave club pinterest board
This example eloquently shows how the different steps of the customer lifecycle can feed off of each other to benefit the brand as a whole.

Dollar Shave Club leverages loyal shoppers in the retention phase to advocate for their service in order to attract new shoppers. It’s the perfect combination!

5. Jordan
In 2018, the legendary footwear brand teamed up with Snapchat to create an exceptional digital experience to launch its special edition Air Jordan III ‘Tinker.’ It was only accessible in a certain area of ​​the NBA All-Star Weekend court.

In addition to creating urgency for Jordan’s customers, this strategy involved a gamification process to keep Snapchat users on the platform during the event. They could simulate a classic Michael Jordan play from 1988 by activating a unique lens effect.

The QR code provided by Jordan to attendees allowed them to purchase the sneakers directly from Snapchat, through an integration with Shopify.

The cherry on top was the fast delivery system, run by a company called Darkstore . Most buyers received their new shoes at home the same day.

This engaging experience represents the best of both worlds for social commerce. It takes advantage of the emotional spike that shoppers feel due to the event environment while providing a direct purchasing method that eliminates objections.