KEY TAKEAWAYS
🔁 The Shopper Journey Has Changed – Discovery now happens on social, but most purchases still take place on e-commerce sites.
🧠 The Attention Span Crisis – Social media has rewired shopper behaviour; attention spans are shorter than ever.
📉 E-Commerce is Failing to Convert – 86% of Gen Z abandon purchases after being redirected from social to e-commerce.
📲 UGC & Video Drive Results – Social-style content is the key to bridging the gap and converting inspiration into action.
🚀 Winning Brands Are Social First – From Sweaty Betty to Peacocks, brands optimising for socially influenced shoppers are seeing major uplifts in conversion, engagement, and sales.
In the age of social media, the path to purchase has been completely rewritten. Static category pages and filter-heavy shopping journeys are no longer enough. In our recent webinar Hooked on Social, Lost on E-Commerce, we explored how brands can bridge the widening gap between social discovery and e-commerce conversion — and shared strategies from some of the best in the business.
Co-hosted by Charlotte Arnold, Head of Marketing at StoryStream, and Josh Wood from Territory Influence, the session broke down findings from over 23,000 consumers and offered practical ways for brands to optimise for today’s attention economy.
SOCIAL HAS CRACKED THE ATTENTION CODE
We’ve entered a new era — one where attention is the currency and social platforms are the marketplace. Consumers now spend an average of 2.5 hours a day scrolling, tapping, and engaging on social media, with TikTok alone accounting for nearly an hour of daily activity.
But here’s the issue: the dopamine-driven discovery experience on social doesn’t continue when shoppers land on brand websites. In fact, our global survey showed that 86% of Gen Z abandon their purchase after clicking from social to an e-commerce site. The seamless journey they expect is missing, and brands are losing sales as a result.
THE NEW SHOPPING JOURNEY ISN’T LINEAR
As Charlotte shared, “The buying journey isn’t search-led anymore. It’s passive, immersive and community-driven.” Consumers now discover products through reels, stories, TikToks, friends, influencers and communities. In many ways, social has replaced the high street — the shop window is now a screen, and scrolling has become the new window shopping.
66% of all respondents (and a staggering 83% of Gen Z) say they now use social media to discover products. But while TikTok Shop is booming — growing from $4.4B to $33.4B in just two years — 58% of consumers still prefer to complete their purchase on brand websites. The problem? The handoff from social to site is broken.
WHY E-COMMERCE IS LOSING THE BATTLE FOR ATTENTION
Nearly half of all respondents said they were unhappy with the e-commerce experience after discovering a product on social. Why?
- 25% said the content didn’t match what they loved on social
- 20% said the site experience was poor
- 80% of people reported abandoning a purchase after clicking through from social
It’s clear that e-commerce is still optimised for transactions, not discovery. It’s easy to buy, but uninspiring to shop. And that’s a missed opportunity.
UGC & VIDEO: THE SECRET WEAPON FOR CONVERSION
As Josh from Territory Influence put it, “UGC is what people want. And video is the most powerful format to deliver it.”
- 90% of respondents seek out user-generated content before making a purchase
- 84% of Gen Z say they’d trust a fashion brand more if it featured UGC
- Video content resonates more than static imagery — and platforms actively promote it.
Brands like L’Oréal and Maybelline are tapping into this by working with hundreds of nano and micro influencers to generate authentic video content that performs on social — and then using platforms like StoryStream to bring that content to their websites. Maybelline saw a 32% reduction in cost-per-click and a 74% increase in link clicks when using UGC in ads.
WINNING BRANDS BRIDGE SOCIAL & E-COMMERCE
So what does success look like?
Sweaty Betty:
By integrating immersive UGC galleries and shoppable video into their website, Sweaty Betty reduced bounce rates by 37%, increased dwell time by 73%, and boosted average order value by 21%.
Peacocks:
Traditionally high-street focused, Peacocks embraced digital by curating community content through a hashtag campaign. Customers could upload outfits via a QR code in-store changing rooms, instantly populating online inspiration galleries. A seamless link between store, social and site.
Mixa (France):
Territory Influence helped launch Mixa’s new cream by selecting 1,200 consumers based on skin type, generating reviews on Amazon, and creating social content. This dual strategy of trust-building reviews and visual storytelling helped guide consumers from discovery to purchase.
HOW TO OPTIMISE FOR THE SOCIALLY-INFLUENCED SHOPPER
Charlotte wrapped the session with a clear call to action for brands:
“Think social-first, content-rich and commerce-ready.”
So, what should you do?
✅ Think Social Media Optimisation (SMO) – Don’t just optimise for SEO. Optimise content for TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Shorts and Reels.
✅ Source the Right Content – Use tools like StoryStream to crowdsource and curate high-impact UGC. AI helps filter the best content, auto-tag products, and request rights.
✅ Create Immersive Experiences – Embed stories, video carousels and UGC into your site. Align the experience from social to site.
✅ Leverage Trust Triggers – Ratings and reviews, influencer testimonials and UGC all build credibility and boost conversion.
✅ Make Every Moment Shoppable – Consumers want to buy when inspired. Make it seamless.
FINAL THOUGHT
The message is clear: the brands winning today are those who make their e-commerce experience feel like social. Social is where the attention is — and attention drives action.
StoryStream helps brands close the gap between discovery and conversion by turning authentic content into immersive, shoppable experiences across web and social.
It’s time to win attention and inspire sales — from scroll to sale.
