The Power of Social Search
Social search is a fairly new term, thanks to the many innovations brought to us by popular social media platforms. “Can we count social media as a search engine?” is a question many marketers have been asking for the past few years, which we now feel confident answering with a resounding yes.
As a leading social commerce agency, we put our clients at the forefront of consumers’ minds and scrolling habits by capitalising on the sheer volume of shopping and research that happens on social platforms. By curating TikTok and Meta strategies, we get brands seen, respected and bought from, all within the social ecosystems.
Why do people use social media instead of search engines?
Social media platforms are popular because they’re convenient, personalised and relevant to every user. They’rre designed to appease our ever-decreasing attention spans, cleverly placing short yet interesting content in front of our faces. In contrast, traditional search engines require a deeper level of sifting through content demanding extra time, intent, and patience.
People are turning to their favourite social media platforms for discovery, research and recommendations more than ever before – which is why more and more brands are using social as a touchpoint to broaden their reach, influence new customers, and sell products directly where their audiences already are.
The rise of social search:
78% rely on platforms for research
A 2025 survey concluded that 41% of Gen Z turn to social for information before Google, while 76% of respondents say their purchase behaviour is driven by influencer content (source). The younger generation is now using the likes of TikTok and Instagram to find solutions, seek out new products, and hear from real-life people, trusting their opinions and the comments section that follows, more than traditional websites. It’s clear that a sense of community, authentic voices, and relevant influencers are now trusted more than ever. Visual content like product reviews, hacks and tips is engaging, quick to find, and often seen as the most authentic source of truth.
Of course, it would be foolish to discount Google as the primary search engines – these platforms are still very much alive and kicking, particularly with older users seeking depth and accuracy. While TikTok will present a trending hack in 30 seconds, Google will give you the source, the science, and the step-by-step. Social media is for short bursts of information, Google is for the heavy researchers.
Why should brands care about Social Search?
Evidently, there are numerous avenues that brands can go down, aside from simply operating a standard social media page. Today,social search for business pages is about providing users with a diverse range of content from entertainment and influencer collaborations to product demos and live shopping events, so users get everything they need from you throughout their entire buying journey.
Brand Awareness:
Social platforms give brands a low-cost method of showing up in trending conversations, vital content and algorithm-driven explore pages With the right strategy, high-performing posts can reach millions in a matter of hours.
Seamless shopping:
Setting up shop on TikTok or Instagram is a fantastic revenue generator, one that many brands completely forget about (or set up incorrectly). Understanding user intent and showcasing your product catalogue on social media makes online shopping seamless.
Social proof:
Ultimately, consumers care about trust more than anything else. They want to know that the brand they’re buying from is authentic and loved by others. Short form video content and affiliate marketing partnerships showcase real experiences. When others are seen using and enjoying your product, likes, reposts and conversions follow!
For brands, it’s important to realise that social content needs to do more than entertain – it needs to be search-optimised and commerce-appropriate
Think:
TikToks
videos that solve problems or answer questions
Reels
with clear, keyword-rich captions that show products in action
Livestream
events hosted by engaging creators to encourage audiences to ask questions and buy on the spot
In short, social search is where brand discovery and buyer intent collide.
Social search & commerce features by platform
There’s no denying that we’re living in an era where almost everyone in the UK consumes short-form content on social media every single day. While there are hundreds of platforms with different capabilities, we’re focusing on a few of the most popular ones used for product discovery and research.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the main features of each growing platform,
and how they’re beneficial from a social commerce perspective:
| Platform | Search Functionality | Social Commerce Features | Main Content Types | User Research Behaviors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keyword search, hashtags, Explore tab, location, audio search | Instagram Shops, Product tags, In-app Checkout, Live Shopping | Reels, Stories, Posts, Livestreams, Carousels | Automated explore page, following influencers, hashtag/product searches | |
| TikTok | Keyword search, trending queries, suggested searches, comment-based discovery, voice & visual search | TikTok Shop, Live Shopping, Affiliate links, Creator storefronts | Short-form video, Livestreams | Searching reviews, hauls, tutorials, user experiences & ‘TikTok made me buy it’ content |
| Text-based search, group & page discovery, Marketplace search | Facebook Shops, Product catalogs, Live Shopping, Marketplace integration | Group posts, Live videos, Community forums | Researching through niche groups, peer reviews, Marketplace browsing |
As of early 2025, Instagram is consumed by over 2 billion monthly active users worldwide, while TikTok has approximately 1.6 billion, showing no signs of slowing down. From a brand perspective, that’s a lot of active potential customers that you’d be missing out on if you didn’t create content, engage with audiences and sell on the right platforms.
Get your brand in the centre of the search
If you’re worried about falling behind the new social revolution or need a good helping hand to get your content and social shops in the best position for success, we’re here for you. At Novaro, we come in with fresh, creative ideas based on your KPIs, your target audience, and each of the platforms.
We’ll assist with content planning and creation, get you set up with Sprii (the leading live shopping solution), and help you exceed targets in as little as six months.