Social commerce means selling products directly through social media, so people can discover something in their feed, see the price and buy with as few taps as possible. For UK businesses in 2026, that mostly means Instagram and Facebook Shops (which send buyers to your website to pay), TikTok Shop (where people buy without leaving the app) and Pinterest (which drives shoppers to your product pages).

This guide explains how each option works right now, what you need to set them up, how product tagging and checkout work, and how to decide which ones suit your business. It’s written for UK product businesses of any size, from a maker selling on the side to an established online shop.

Social commerce has changed a lot recently

If you looked into selling on social media a few years ago, some of what you read is out of date.

• Meta has moved checkout off its apps. Native checkout inside Facebook and Instagram was mainly a US feature, and Meta phased it out during 2025. Shops still exist for browsing and product tagging, but buyers now complete their purchase on your website.
• Instagram Live Shopping has gone. Meta wound it down, so live selling on Instagram now relies on showing products and pointing people to links.
• TikTok Shop is established in the UK. It lets people buy inside TikTok from videos, LIVE streams and a shop tab, and it’s become a serious sales channel for some product categories.
• Pinterest focuses on shopping discovery. Product Pins from your catalogue link through to your website.

The practical result: for most UK businesses, your own website is still where the sale happens, with TikTok Shop as the main exception.

Instagram and Facebook Shops: the shop window

A Meta Shop is a storefront on your Facebook Page and Instagram profile, built from a product catalogue. People can browse collections and tap a product to see details, then go to your website to buy.

What you need

• A professional (business or creator) Instagram account and a Facebook Page.
• Physical products you ship. Services and digital products generally aren’t eligible.
• A website domain you own, where people can buy, and that you verify with Meta.
• Compliance with Meta’s commerce policies. Some categories, such as alcohol, weapons and some health products, are restricted.
• A product catalogue in Commerce Manager, either added manually, uploaded from a data feed, or synced from your ecommerce platform.

Approval can take a while, and Meta reviews your account and website before shopping features are switched on. Clear delivery, returns and contact information on your site helps.

Product tagging

Once approved, you can tag products in feed posts, carousels, Reels and Stories, much like tagging a person. Someone taps the tag, sees the product name and price, and can go to your website to buy. Tagging is the most useful part of a Meta Shop for most small businesses, because it turns everyday content into something shoppable.

Ads from your catalogue

Your catalogue also powers dynamic ads, which automatically show people products they viewed on your website. These are among the most reliable sales campaigns on Meta for ecommerce, provided your Meta pixel and catalogue are set up properly.

TikTok Shop: buying without leaving the app

TikTok Shop is different because the whole purchase happens inside TikTok. People watch a video or LIVE stream, tap the product, pay and track the order without visiting your website.

How it works

• Shoppable videos and LIVEs: you tag products in your own content.
• Affiliate creators: creators can add your products to their videos in return for a commission you set, paid only when they make a sale.
• Shop tab: TikTok users can browse and search products directly.
• Fulfilment: you ship orders yourself within TikTok’s dispatch timescales, or use Fulfilled by TikTok where available.

What to weigh up

• Fees: TikTok takes a commission on each sale, and creators take their affiliate share on top. Rates have changed several times, so check the current UK fees in your TikTok Shop seller account before you work out your margins.
• Customer data: because checkout happens in TikTok, you have less direct contact with customers than on your own site.
• Service standards: TikTok monitors dispatch times, cancellations and customer service, and poor performance can restrict your shop.
• Product fit: impulse-friendly, demonstrable products at accessible prices tend to suit it best. Beauty, fashion, gadgets and home products are common examples.

Creators promoting your products must label them clearly as advertising under UK rules. The ASA’s influencer guidance applies to affiliate content too, and both you and the creator can be held responsible.

Related reading: Social Media for Florists: Seasons, Weddings and Reels

Related reading: Social Media Sales: Why TikTok Shop For Small Businesses

Pinterest: shoppers who are planning

People use Pinterest to plan purchases: home makeovers, outfits, weddings, gifts. That makes it a strong channel for products people research before buying.

• Claim your website and set up a Pinterest business account.
• Install the Pinterest tag to track visits and sales.
• Upload a catalogue from your product feed, which turns your products into Product Pins showing price and availability.
• Write descriptive titles that match how people search, such as “sage green linen bedding” rather than a product code.

Pins can keep sending traffic for months after you post them, which makes Pinterest a good long-term channel for home, fashion, gifts and craft businesses.

Your website is still the checkout for most sales

With Meta and Pinterest sending buyers to your website, your site has to finish the job. A lovely Reel that leads to a slow, confusing product page loses the sale.

• Fast mobile pages. Most social traffic is on phones.
• Express payment options such as Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal, so people don’t have to type card details.
• Guest checkout, rather than forcing people to create an account.
• Clear delivery costs and times before checkout, not as a surprise at the end.
• Accurate product feeds that keep prices and stock in sync, so people don’t tap through to a sold-out item.

Shopify and WooCommerce both connect to Meta, TikTok and Pinterest through official integrations that sync your catalogue automatically. If you’re on WordPress, our WooCommerce agency team can set up those connections and product feeds, and our ecommerce web design team builds shops designed to convert social traffic.

Choose the right channels for your products

Channel	Where checkout happens	Best suited to
Instagram and Facebook Shops	Your website	Most product businesses, especially visual products and those running Meta ads
TikTok Shop	Inside TikTok	Demonstrable, impulse-friendly products, brands happy to work with creators
Pinterest	Your website	Home, interiors, fashion, weddings, gifts and craft

Content still does the selling

Setting up a shop doesn’t create sales on its own. The businesses that do well treat shoppable features as a layer on top of good content: product demos, behind the scenes, customer photos, styling ideas and honest reviews. A practical starting mix is mostly helpful or entertaining content, with product tags added where they fit naturally. Our social media management service plans content around your products and seasons.

Frequently asked questions

Can you still check out on Instagram in the UK?

No. Instagram and Facebook Shops send buyers to your website to pay. You can still tag products in posts and Reels.

Do I need a website to sell on social media?

For Instagram and Facebook Shops, yes, as checkout happens on your site. TikTok Shop doesn’t require one, but having your own site means you’re not reliant on a single platform.

Can I sell services through a Meta Shop?

Generally no. Shops are designed for physical products that are shipped. Service businesses are better served by lead ads, booking links and messaging.

Is TikTok Shop worth it for a small business?

It can be for the right products, but factor in TikTok’s commission, affiliate fees and the time needed for regular video or LIVE content before you commit.

Get help selling on social media

Delivered Social helps UK product businesses set up shops, product feeds and shoppable content through our social media management service, and builds the websites that close the sale through our ecommerce web design team. Contact us to talk about your products.