Chapter 3
From Likes to Sales: Becoming a Social Media Master
Maintaining social media relevance can feel like an uphill battle, but mastering it offers significant rewards , especially for branding and sales. Our respondents indicated two primary uses for social media: offering exclusive discounts or promos (58%) and showing off new products with photos or videos (53%).
The power of social selling has grown rapidly over the past few years and shows no signs of stopping. In fact, just 28% say they have not tried selling on social with 60% actively using social media and the remaining 12% considering it as an option.
Instagram shopping and Facebook are the most popular platforms for selling products. Despite the hype surrounding it, TikTok Shop is being used by only 23.3% of respondents.
When asked about their primary social media goals our data revealed the most popular answers to be building a good reputation (24%) and enhancing brand awareness (22%). These goals highlight the importance of both creativity and consistency in social media strategies, as businesses seek to foster deeper customer relationships, gain a competitive edge, and ultimately drive conversions.
Influencers offer a unique opportunity to promote brands products in a more subtle, trustworthy way. With this in mind, it is no surprise that 35% of industry leaders work with influencers regularly and 51% collaborate with them on an infrequent basis.
Evidently, influencer marketing is being hailed for its effectiveness at engaging audiences and will continue to rise alongside social media.
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Question 1: How are you currently using social media to build brand awareness and drive sales?
Question 2: Have you tried selling your products directly on social media platforms?
Question 3: For Those Who Said Yes, Which Platforms?
Question 4: If no, what is the biggest thing stopping you from selling directly on social media?
Question 5: What's your main goal for using social media?
Question 6: Do you work with influencers to promote your brand or products?
Question 7: If yes, how do you find the right influencers to work with?
How are you currently using social media to build brand awareness and drive sales? (Respondents were asked to select all that apply)
Offering Discounts or Promotions
Sharing Product Photos or Videos
Working with Influencers or Creators
Sharing fun or interesting content
Running Contests or Giveaways
Running Ads or Sponsored Posts
Using Hashtags to Get Discovered
Chatting with People & Building a Community
Showing Customer Reviews or Testimonials
"If we look back to a few years ago, social media would be known as quick commerce, and we wouldn’t be the topic of conversation. Therefore, it makes sense that a majority of respondents have already tried to sell online, and I think it depends on the type of item being sold where it is being sold to name a few.
We have sections of the business working on this now and we are trying to understand how the economics would work and what the cost of traffic is to bring in new customers and convert them to repeat customers."
Guy Keeling, Vice President, Global Digital Commerce, Barilla
Have you tried selling your products directly on social media platforms (i.e through a "shop" feature)?
Yes
No
Considering It
"This result makes sense for the industry especially when you bring influencers into the equation. Products sold through social become more credible and therefore lead to significantly higher conversations. Selling on social sites is all about streamlining the customer journey and the extra clicks that risks losing people.
On the other hand, if you can’t sell on a certain social platforms, you can still link to your own shop. For example, when influencers feature your product, they should ensure the item is easily clickable. It's all about optimising the customer journey, making it as smooth, efficient, and user-friendly as possible."
Erik Liebe, Head of Marketing & Digital Commerce, Unilever
For Those Who Said Yes, Which Platforms?
91.7%
86.7%
81.7%
23.3%
16.7%
For those who answered yes, which platforms are you using? (Respondents were asked to select all that apply)
Instagram Shopping
YouTube
Facebook Shops
TikTok Shop
What's your main goal for using social media?
To Build a Good Reputation
Brand Awareness
Building a Community
Showcasing New Products/Services
Get Feedback From Customers
To Sell More Products/Services
"Social media is such a unique tool, and I would expect branding to be one of the main goals over the past few years. However, I would also highlight that as social media continues to grow, so will the active community engagement and beginning to elicit direct feedback from customers. Again, this does make our industry oddly specific on the influencer front as you have to get the right people for your brand."
Guy Keeling, Vice President, Global Digital Commerce, Barilla
Do you work with influencers to promote your brand or products?
Yes
No
Sometimes
Yes
No
Sometimes
"I would argue that in today’s industry, it's not just about working with creators and influencers to promote your brand. For us, influencers are involved in nearly every product we sell. We follow a social-first strategy, focusing on co-creating content that resonates with our audiences. By involving influencers not only in promoting products but also in the content creation process, we can design offerings that truly meet what people want."
Erik Liebe, Head of Marketing & Digital Commerce, Unilever
If yes, how do you find the right influencers to work with?
(Respondents were asked to select all that apply)
Look at How Much People Interact With Their Posts
Look at How Many Followers They Have
Look for People Who Like Our Brand
"Influencer marketing is here to stay and is most accurate in China where KOLs, KOCs and Brand Ambassadors are crucial to brand success online. I would say that the industry is slightly constrained by agency experts, and this is something China has done well in recent years as they have created a marketplace where brands can match with the right influencers for them. I expect that to become better organised and more competitive in Europe and USA over the coming years."
Guy Keeling, Vice President, Global Digital Commerce, Barilla
