NEW LENSES: Experimental Capture and Release

Social commerce has to do with selling products on social media platforms.

A lot of small businesses have been popping up on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. The platform I wanted to focus on is Instagram. There’s a wide variety of products being sold on Instagram — I’ve seen shops for custom shoes, candles, baby clothes, etc. Instagram even added its own shop tab around a year ago.

The shop tab is a mix of already established, well-known brands and smaller brands/businesses.

There are also Instagram profiles that don’t have a “shop” section but are able to do business through DMs and other inquiries. These stores usually offer local shipping/delivery or pick-up.

I’ve noticed this growth in small businesses and social commerce during the peak of covid when a lot of us had to quarantine and stay indoors. I think this is because people had a lot more time on their hands. People had time to cook, draw, bake, pick up new hobbies, or turn a hobby into a business. It was the perfect time to launch a small business on social media because most of us were already spending a lot of time on there due to the pandemic.

A friend of mine actually started an earring store during this time and another friend started a local pie store. They were both able to make some profit out of it.

I think it works really well because businesses are able to post stories and make reels to promote their products — it’s a combination of e-commerce and social networking. In addition, consumers are able to stay connected and build relationships with sellers.

Overall, I think social commerce will continue to grow because of its ease and convenience. People can either use social media as a stepping stone for launching their business or use it to sell and promote an existing business.