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Ecommerce quickly proved its value despite fears that lack of social presence and interaction would discourage shoppers from choosing online over brick-and-mortar. Thanks in part to social media, we can, in fact, have both (sort of).

The importance of being present on social media platforms is already a firmly established part of every brand’ marketing strategy; however, today’s advancements have added a commerce component to facilitate shopping on-platform.

In-app purchases on Facebook and Instagram.

As Millennials and Gen Z continue to increase their purchasing power, social commerce will grow in importance. 47% of respondents in those age groups have some trust for social media influencers.

Facebook and Instagram have both made strides toward enabling the purchase process without leaving the platform. Checkout on Instagram was introduced last year in beta, and Facebook Shops recently launched to make selling on the platform even easier.

More to come from Pinterest.

Pinterest, too, is jumping on the bandwagon. They announced last year a visual search feature that recommends fashion and home decor products based on an image’s context. The Rich Pins — including Product Pins — make it easier for platform users to see things like pricing and availability. And Buyable Pins enable customers to buy products without ever leaving Pinterest.

Advancements from the platform are sure to continue, evidenced by the hire of a former CTO for Walmart and VP of engineering at eBay.