We’re in the middle of a major, revolutionary shift in digital behaviour – people aren’t searching on Google like they used to.
Instead they’re heading to TikTok, Instagram and even LinkedIn to answer any queries around finding a product, planning a purchase or their next DIY project. Social media platforms are no longer just for scrolling and sharing what you had for dinner. They’ve transformed into powerful search engines, online shops and a product discovery tool all in one. And this isn’t just a big change for consumers, it’s a change for brands as well – and it’s already having a huge impact.
Social media search is outweighing Google
So why did we make the switch? Simply as consumers, we trust real people who are equally consumers. We trust authentic appraisals and content thats represents the products and services in real life applications, rather than overproduced adverts. With this in mind, today’s social media platforms offer a more interactive and authentic way of finding out product information.
We’re living in a culture of instant gratification. Search engines like Google are reliant on the user knowing what they want to generate appropriate results. Social media on the other hand can optimise promotions and product content that’s pushed to your feed based on your past post interactions and engagements on the platform – therefore social media becomes an optimum platform for consumer discovery. Users may find products or solutions they didn’t even know they wanted with the instant gratification of a direct touchpoint to buying or enquiring further. It can really aid impulse purchasing and effectively eliminates the need to have prior knowledge of a product to conduct a search, unlike search engines.
Social media platforms seamlessly integrate these adverts amongst the photo and video content that you actually want to view. These ads can be blended so seamlessly that often you may not even realise you’re actually viewing promotional materials, whereas search engines can often be greeted more cynically, with ad listings and sponsored links being fairly prevalent.
Brands riding the social shopping trend
A lot of major brands have shifted to social media shopping platforms over the last couple of years such as leading fitness apparel and supplement brand, MyProtein, who have evolved their TikTok profile by mastering user generated content (UGC) and influencer marketing, working with creators to make content that promotes their products. These posts link directly to their TikTok shop, with exclusive discounts and bundles only available on the platform.
Another great example of utilising social shopping is Lidl. A traditional bricks and mortar retailer, they became the first UK supermarket to launch on TikTok shop. In January 2025 they used the platform to sell fitness product bundles in January (the peak time for consumers to adopt healthy habits) in limited quantities and at a price too good to miss, exclusively on TikTok. This was never about Lidl needing an extra space to sell their products, but was more about how clever product placement and timing can be applied to social media to create brand awareness, increase sales and, of course – go viral!
What does this mean for your brands online presence?
Your social media marketing is no longer just a supporting act, it’s often the first impression of your brand as well as a key instrument in streamlining conversion of your products or services. With the changes in how users interact with social media, it also means that it’s no longer just about aesthetics, more than ever it’s about content strategy. Your content needs to answer a question or query, be strategic, engaging and most importantly – be created and posted in a way that connects with consumer search behaviour. If you can weave your product in to a piece of content tackling contemporary trends, you could be rewarded with massive exposure and sales volume.
How Kensa can help
At Kensa, our digital marketing experts understand the evolving world of social media and how to conquer it in a way that makes your brand stand out. We work with clients to execute killer social media strategies whilst keeping our eyes on trends and industry updates. From the latest craze, changes in algorithms and user preferences, we keep up to date on how social media’s being used so we can help our clients’ social profiles grow.
Whether you’re B2B, B2C, ecommerce or somewhere between; we can help elevate your social presence. From creating a strategic social media plan, completing the necessary industry research and forecasting and (of course) creating content that’s on brand. If you want to boost your social even further, we can also create engaging, highly targeted paid ads that can support your organic social and overall website success.
Ready to elevate your brand’s social presence? Get in touch and start your project with us here.
