#1: Selling Smart. A Guide to Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, & TikTok Shops

Social commerce isn’t just a trend—it’s quickly becoming the new normal in how people shop online. Here’s why it matters more than ever:

1. People Spend Hours on Social Media Every Day:

Instead of visiting traditional online stores, shoppers are now making purchases right where they hang out most—on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp.It’s convenient: if someone scrolls past a product they love, they can buy it without ever leaving the app. That’s powerful.

2. It Makes Buying Fast and Frictionless:

No need to click on an ad, open a new browser tab, wait for a website to load, and then figure out checkout. With social commerce, it’s all built-in. One tap on a tagged product or “Shop Now” button, and they’re ready to buy in seconds. This smooth shopping experience means more impulse purchases and higher conversions.

3. It Feels More Real and Personal:

Social media isn’t about polished ads—it’s about real people. When customers see influencers, creators, or everyday users showing how a product works, reviewing it honestly, or sharing it in real life, it builds trust. This authenticity makes shoppers more confident and more likely to buy.

4. It Levels the Playing Field for Small Businesses:

You don’t need a big budget or a fancy website to start selling. With just a strong social media presence, great content, and a reliable way to fulfill orders, you can start making sales. In fact, many small businesses start on social platforms first before even building a website.

In short: Social commerce removes the barriers between “scrolling” and “shopping”—which means more visibility, more trust, and more sales for your business.

Let’s take a look at some eye-opening numbers that show how powerful social commerce has become—especially on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp:

📘 Facebook Selling:

• Over 250 million stores have been created on Facebook Shops.

• More than 1.6 billion people connect with small businesses on Facebook every month.

• Facebook ads can link directly to your Shop, which makes it easier for people to discover and buy your products.

👉 Facebook Shops are one of the most-used tools for local businesses to sell within their communities!

📷 Instagram Selling:

• Around 130 million users tap on shopping posts every month.

• Instagram users are 70% more likely to buy a product they see in a post, story, or reel.

• The platform is heavily used by brands in fashion, beauty, home decor, and art.

👉 Some influencers sell out entire product lines just by tagging items in their posts!

🎵 TikTok Selling:

• The hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt has over 85 billion views (yes, billion!).

• TikTok users are 1.5x more likely to buy a product they discover in the app compared to other platforms.

• Over 33% of users have bought something after seeing it on TikTok.

👉 TikTok's short, fun videos often make products go viral overnight—even for small or unknown brands!

💬 WhatsApp Selling:

• WhatsApp Business is used by over 200 million businesses worldwide.

• In countries like India, Brazil, and Mexico, WhatsApp is the #1 way to chat with customers and sell products.

• Businesses can send product catalogs, photos, prices, and even take orders all through chat.

👉 Meta is now adding more tools for shopping directly inside WhatsApp, like payments and order tracking!

These numbers show just how massive social commerce is becoming—and why it’s the perfect time to learn how to use these tools to grow your business.

When it comes to social commerce, four major platforms stand out, each offering unique tools and features that help businesses connect with customers and sell products directly within their apps. Understanding how each works can help you decide where to focus your efforts.

Facebook Shops:

 operate entirely within the Facebook app and link directly to your Facebook Business Page. This integration makes it easy to set up and manage your shop alongside your page’s content and community. Facebook Shops are particularly strong for reaching an older demographic and are great for businesses targeting local markets. Because of Facebook’s vast user base, it’s a reliable platform for building trust and increasing visibility among a wide range of customers.

Instagram Shopping:

 thrives on visual storytelling, making it ideal for brands in fashion, beauty, art, and lifestyle sectors. It allows you to tag products directly in your posts, Stories, and Reels, so followers can browse and buy without leaving the app. Instagram Shopping works hand-in-hand with Facebook Shops, meaning you can manage your inventory and orders across both platforms seamlessly. This makes Instagram a powerful tool for engaging audiences with beautiful imagery and instant purchasing options.

TikTok Shop:

 is centered on fun, creative, and viral video content, appealing primarily to younger shoppers. This platform offers interactive shopping experiences such as live shopping events where creators showcase products in real time, as well as affiliate marketing features to encourage influencers to promote your items. TikTok’s in-app checkout streamlines the buying process, making it quick and easy for users to purchase while staying engaged with entertaining content. If your target audience is Gen Z or millennials, TikTok Shop is an exciting place to grow.

WhatsApp Business:

takes a more personal approach by enabling you to create a product catalog directly inside the chat interface. This setup allows you to showcase items during conversations with customers, making it especially useful for personalized service and encouraging repeat business. WhatsApp is the preferred messaging app in many countries, so it’s a natural choice for businesses operating in those regions. Plus, it integrates with Facebook and Instagram to help manage orders, making it a handy tool for direct communication and sales.

Each of these platforms offers different strengths depending on your business goals and audience. Choosing the right one—or combining a few—can help you reach more customers and boost your social commerce success.

To pick the right social commerce channel, let’s match each platform’s strengths to your business—selling custom art, wall prints, puzzles, clocks, and offering e-commerce development services—and your audience of art lovers, gift-shoppers, and small-business owners:

1. Instagram Shopping

Why it fits:

• Highly visual: Your wall art, acrylic clocks, and puzzles will shine in Instagram’s image-and-video-first feed.

• Engaged art community: Art collectors, gift buyers, and décor enthusiasts actively browse hashtags like #homedecor, #wallart, and #giftideas.

• Seamless tagging: You can tag products in posts, Stories, and Reels—perfect for showing process videos (e.g., how you design a steampunk canvas) and letting viewers shop in one tap.

• Integration with Facebook: Leverage the same catalog in both places without extra setup.

Best for: Driving discovery among design-focused shoppers and building brand aesthetic.

2. Facebook Shops:

Why it fits:

• Broader demographics: Reaches an older or more local audience (think parents shopping for Mother’s Day gifts).

• Community groups: You can join local art, gift, and small-business groups to share your products and free e-commerce tips—boosting credibility for your development services.

• Built-in trust: Buyers feel safe checking out inside Facebook rather than an unknown site.

Best for: Selling to established Facebook users, tapping into local markets, and promoting your free courses/resources alongside your products.

3. TikTok Shop:

Why it fits:

• Viral potential: Quick “before & after” videos of your art pieces or timelapse reels of a clock design can catch fire—dramatically boosting brand awareness.

• Younger audience: Gen Z and millennials love unique, trendy gifts like customized puzzles or art pieces.

• Live shopping & affiliate: Host live design demos or Q&A sessions, then sell in real time; partner with micro-influencers to expand reach.

Best for: Capturing fast trends, building hype around new product launches, and reaching a younger, trend-focused crowd.

4. WhatsApp Business:

Why it fits:

• Personal touch: Offer one-on-one support for custom orders (e.g., selecting photo layouts, discussing shipping).

• Catalog in chat: Prospective clients can browse your art pieces and services without leaving the conversation—great for closing custom-order deals.

• High open rates: Direct messages get attention, so you can easily share promotional offers or course updates.

Best for: Nurturing leads, closing custom art or development-service projects, and building loyal repeat customers.

🎯 My Recommendation:

• Primary: Instagram Shopping to showcase your artwork, products, and process videos in a highly visual, shoppable environment.

• Secondary: Facebook Shops to capture local and slightly older demographics, plus integrate your free e-commerce resources and courses.

• Tertiary: Use TikTok Shop for special campaigns and viral content around new launches, and WhatsApp Business for personalized support and custom-order conversions.

By combining Instagram as your main storefront with Facebook for community and credibility, plus TikTok for buzz and WhatsApp for one-on-one service, you’ll cover all bases—maximizing both reach and personalized engagement.

Understanding Social Media Account Types – Business Page vs Personal Profile vs Creator Account.

Before we jump into creating your Facebook Business Page, it’s essential to know the differences between the types of accounts you’ll encounter on social media platforms. In an upcoming detailed blog post, we’ll break down:

• Personal Profiles: Designed for individuals, focusing on personal connections and sharing everyday moments. Limited tools for business growth.

• Business Pages: Tailored for brands and companies, offering marketing tools, insights, ads, and seamless integration with shops.

• Creator Accounts: Built for influencers, content creators, and public figures, providing advanced engagement tools, monetization options, and collaboration features.

We’ll cover these across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and more, helping you choose the right account for your goals.

Stay tuned for that deep dive — it will make setting up your online presence easier and more effective!