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Despite the loss that the global pandemic plunged us into, India has slowly been lifting itself. With the introduction of homegrown brands in the market, coupled with the advancements in technology, the nation’s economy and growth has been steadily growing.

Exploring a new idea, social commerce, an amalgamation of social media and ecommerce, the market is seeing the light of the day by looping in the majority of the population — the millennials and Gen Z, adapting to their new buying patterns.

Social commerce: the journey ahead

With various businesses making a paradigm shift in the social commerce sector, the industry is seeing an upward spiral of growth. A recent survey by PayPal reflected that India is the leading Asian market for social commerce, projecting to become a $100 billion vertical of ecommerce by 2025. These numbers are a reflection of the current status of the market, accounting for its growth in the coming years.

Two contributing factors to the significant growth of social commerce platforms are:

• The regional connection with the customers
• Personal referrals by influencers and digital content creators

Since the global pandemic, the need to establish an online presence via social commerce platforms has aggravated aggressively, especially in Tier II and III cities.

Keeping in sight the $100 billion industry it is touted to be, social commerce platforms are making the most of the power of social media by investing in the right influencers and digital content creators with a large base of followership.

Connecting with the target audience

Studies have shown that Indians spend an average of 2.4 hours daily across different social media portals. With an available audience, it is only organic for the sector to spread its wings to capture more customers.

Big sharks in the industry, including Flipkart and Myntra, are waltzing into the domain to make a mark with their newly introduced video commerce platforms that aim to target the millennials and Gen Z shoppers using the power of influencer promotions.

Upon close observation, there is an evident increase in the number of social commerce platforms embracing upcoming niche D2C brands. The advantage lies in allowing these brands to set up digital storefronts with minimal investment.

Growth and evolution of social commerce

What makes these D2C brands favour the social commerce industry, apart from the investment factor? The lasting relationship they build with their customers.

Social commerce platforms provide these brands with real-time feedback and data on the behavioural pattern of their customers, which allows brands to better improve the brand experience and services to their customers.

A notable upcoming addition to the technology aspect of social commerce platforms is Artificial Intelligence, which has contributed to improving the shopping experience of customers.

Amalgamating AI and social commerce

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been taking the lead to notch up the game for social commerce by improving the shopping experience of customers by transforming the online experience into an intriguing, full-fledged virtual expedition with simplified product searches and personalised recommendations.

Some platforms also provide an option for chat boxes and employing personal shopping assistants to navigate through the portal to find their right fit.

A continually improving technology in the social commerce sector, AI is allowing it to expand its footprints across the country and globally as well. New heights of success are being achieved, fulfilling both the customers’ expectations and the brands’ requirements.

A promising future lies ahead for social commerce in India, with its growing popularity, lowered expenses, increasing interest from investors, and breakthrough advancements in technology.