eCommerce brands are facing a tough challenge: spending more on paid social but getting less in return. The latest 2025 Digital Experience Benchmarks Report from Contentsquare reveals a concerning trend – paid social traffic is increasing, but its performance is deteriorating. So, why is paid social underperforming, and what can brands do to fix it? Let’s dive in.
The Problem: Paid Social Traffic Isn’t Converting
Despite increased investment, paid social traffic isn’t yielding the returns eCommerce brands need: in 2024, despite growing by +12%, conversion rates fell by -7.4%. The stats speak for themselves:
- Visitors from paid social have a higher bounce rate (+9.2%) and lower engagement (-8.7% fewer page views) than those from paid search.
- With digital ad spend up +13.2% globally, the cost per visit has jumped +9%, making paid traffic increasingly expensive.
On the other hand, social platforms like TikTok and Instagram have mastered engagement with endless, short-form, community-driven content. The disconnect lies when users click through to eCommerce sites, only to find static product pages that fail to capture attention. This abrupt transition causes 37.5% of socially influenced traffic to bounce.
So, how can brands turn paid social from a cost centre into a profit driver? By bridging the gap between discovery and purchase with engaging, social-style experiences that keep visitors on-site longer. Below are three actionable steps towards turning scrollers into buyers:
- Bring social shopping experiences to your website
- Personalise On-Site Experiences for Social Visitors
- Retarget and Re-engage Social Visitors
1. Bring Social Shopping Experiences to Your Website
Instead of treating social traffic like traditional traffic, meet visitors where they are.
Enhance your website with social-inspired features to create a continuous journey from discovery to purchase:
✅ Shoppable Video: Embed TikTok-style or Instagram Reels video carousels on key pages to maintain engagement.
✅ Social Galleries & UGC: Showcase real customer photos and videos to provide authentic social proof.
✅ Live Shopping & Interactive Content: Host live shopping events or interactive product demos to replicate the social experience.
Brands that integrate these experiences report 20% lower bounce rates, double the dwell time, and a 7% increase in conversion rates.
2. Personalise On-Site Experiences for Social Visitors
Unlike paid search visitors, social traffic users don’t always have a clear purchase intent. Create a seamless, tailored experience that reflects the ad content and encourages exploration:
✅ Personalised Landing Pages that match the creative and tone of your social ads to maintain a consistent journey.
✅ AI-Powered Product Recommendations based on user behaviour on both social and your site.
✅ Smart Exit-Intent Offers: Use AI to offer exclusive discounts or content (instead of just asking for an email).
This approach helps move visitors from passive curiosity to active consideration, nurturing them toward a purchase.
3. Retarget and Re-engage Social Visitors
71% of social shoppers who eventually buy on a brand site do so without clicking directly through from the social platform (SimplicityDX). Implement retargeting strategies that provide personalised reminders and incentives to re-engage social visitors:
✅ Dynamic Retargeting Ads: Use data from on-site engagement to serve ads featuring products users viewed, combined with UGC or shoppable videos.
✅ On-Site Retargeting Banners: When users return, dynamically surface products they engaged with previously.
✅ Email & SMS Follow-Ups: Send social visitors personalised product suggestions based on their session behaviour.
By staying top-of-mind and offering tailored incentives, brands can increase repeat visits and conversions.
Winning in the Era of Social Shopping
Paid social traffic is essential for awareness but needs optimisation to convert.
The key? Stop thinking of social traffic as just “paid clicks” and start treating it like an extension of the social experience itself. By bringing shoppable UGC, video, and AI-powered personalisation onto eCommerce sites, brands can turn high-cost, low-intent social traffic into high-converting shoppers.
The brands that master this will win in the era of social commerce.
Want to see how social-inspired eCommerce experiences can improve your paid social performance?
🚀 Discover how StoryStream helps brands turn social traffic into sales. Learn more here.
