How to Integrate Shopify with Social Media

Social media has become a powerful platform for businesses to reach and engage with their target audience. Statista's report on social network usage states that in 2024, 62.3% of people worldwide use social media, spending an average of 2 hours and 23 minutes on it. So businesses are simply heading to where their customers already are, enhancing their reach almost effortlessly and saving valuable time. And it is especially true for ecommerce businesses. Social media platforms offer a goldmine of opportunities for brands to connect with their audience, build brand awareness, and, most importantly, boost sales. Even more on that, in today's world, it is hard to imagine any e-commerce business surviving without being actively involved in social selling. 

If you are selling on Shopify, the platform allows you to integrate your Shopify store with your social media, manage all your sales, synchronize inventory, share content and launch ads seamlessly throughout all your selling platforms via the Shopify admin dashboard.  

In this blog post, we will discuss why integrating your Shopify store with social media is indispensable for any Shopify store's growth and how you can get started.   

Why Integrate Shopify with Social Media?

For any eCommerce brand, the real question is not whether you should sell on social media (as you certainly should), but where, which social media platforms and how, what strategies or methods should you use to achieve the best results.

Still, if you need some reasons, integrating Shopify with social platforms will help you to:

• Reach more customers: Social media connects you to millions of potential customers where they spend most of their time, but who may not discover your store through traditional search engines. You can sell products directly on social platforms like Facebook and Instagram, or drive traffic to your website.

• Increase product visibility and sales: Social media platforms can improve product visibility by showcasing it directly in users’ feeds. Features like product tags and Instagram shopping posts make it easier for users to buy products, improving the shopping experience and reducing the gap between product discovery and purchase.

• Enhance engagement and loyalty: Social media helps create two-way interactions between brands and customers. Companies can interact with users through comments, messages, and user-generated content. This type of communication builds loyalty and trust over time, helping to create a community around the brand.

• Get targeted advertising and acquisition: Paid social media advertising allows you to target specific audiences based on demographics, interests, and behavior. When your ads resonate with the right audience, acquiring new customers and increasing sales becomes much easier.

How to Choose the Right Social Media Platforms?

The more platforms you target - the better. At the same time, each platform has its typical audience and focus that can suit your business needs more or less. When choosing a platform, consider the platform’s user base and focus. For example, if you target a young audience, you should focus more on TikTok rather than Facebook. 

The most popular platforms are:

• Instagram – Ideal for visually-driven businesses, product showcases, and influencer marketing.

• Facebook – Great for broadening reach with targeted ads and building communities through groups and pages.

• TikTok – Best for trend-driven, creative content and reaching a younger audience.

• Pinterest –Perfect for lifestyle, DIY, and inspiration-based products, driving traffic to product pages.

• X (formerly Twitter) – Ideal for real-time engagement and quick communication.

All these platforms can be integrated with Shopify, making it easier to sync your social media presence with your online store. You can also explore custom integrations for niche social networks to reach specific audiences.

How to Integrate Shopify with Social Media?

Here are some of the main steps to help you integrate social media into your Shopify store:

1. Add social media buttons or icons to your store 

Adding social media buttons offers links to your social media profiles, encouraging visitors to follow you on their social network. Typically, these are placed in the header, footer, or product pages. 

To add social media links to your Shopify store, log in to your admin dashboard and navigate to the "Themes" section under "Online Store." Customize your theme by going to the "Theme Settings" and scrolling to the Social Media section, where you can enter your social media profile URLs. Save the changes to ensure the links appear in your store's header, footer, or designated area. You can add custom icons by editing the code in the theme's asset section if needed. Once done, preview your store to check if the icons are displaying correctly.

2. Add social Media channels to your Shopify store

One of Shopify's greatest strengths is how easily it integrates with third-party apps and social media platforms. You can link your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok accounts, and more to your Shopify. 

For example, by linking your Shopify store with Facebook, you can manage both Facebook and Instagram Shops through the Facebook Sales Channel. Since Meta owns both platforms, Shopify leverages this connection to sync your store with Facebook and Instagram simultaneously. Once connected, the Facebook Sales Channel appears as a separate option in your Shopify Admin panel, from where you can configure, monitor, and optimize your store's presence on both Facebook and Instagram. Shopify will automatically synchronize your product data across both platforms, like prices, stock availability, and new listings. Any updates you make in Shopify, such as a price change or new product, will instantly reflect on Facebook and Instagram. You'll also be able to tag products directly in your Facebook and Instagram posts, allowing customers to click on the tags, view product details, and make purchases. Best of all, everything is managed seamlessly through Shopify's admin panel, making it easy to handle your business in one place.

To connect your Shopify store with both Facebook and Instagram Shops, ensure you have a Facebook Business Page (not a personal profile), Instagram Business or Creator account, and a Facebook Business Manager account. In your Shopify admin, go to Sales Channels, add the Facebook Sales Channel, and connect it to your Facebook account. After adding the Facebook Sales Channel, you'll be prompted to log in to your Facebook account and connect it to Shopify. After connecting your Facebook account, go to the Facebook Sales Channel in your Shopify admin. In the Facebook Shop section, click Start Setup. Follow the prompts to agree to Facebook's terms and conditions for shopping. Once the connection is made, Shopify will automatically start syncing your product catalog with Facebook Shop and automatically set up for Instagram Shopping via Facebook's Commerce Manager. After Meta's review, your products will appear on both platforms. You can enable Instagram Shopping through the Instagram app and optionally enable Facebook Checkout for direct purchases.

You can also connect your Shopify with other popular social media. However, the process may vary slightly. For instance, to connect your Shopify store with Pinterest, first, ensure you have a Pinterest Business account. From your Shopify admin dashboard, install the Pinterest app either from the Shopify App Store directly or add Pinterest as a Sales Channel. Once the app is installed, log in to your Pinterest Business account and connect it to Shopify. Shopify will automatically sync your product catalog with Pinterest, creating Product Pins that display product details like pricing and availability. Users will be able to discover your products organically through Pinterest searches or promoted using Pinterest Ads.

TikTok is similar to Pinterest in this regard. You need to download the TikTok app from the Shopify App Store to integrate your Shopify store with TikTok. Once the app is installed, it syncs your product catalog and allows you to run TikTok ads and track performance through Shopify.

For X (formerly Twitter), the process is a bit different from Pinterest and TikTok. Currently, Shopify doesn't have a dedicated app or sales channel for X (Twitter) like it does for Pinterest or TikTok. However, you can use third-party social media management apps or plugins to integrate X for social sharing or embed X feeds manually using code snippets. Some apps that support X (Twitter) integration are Outfy (for sharing products on social media) and Post Studio (for automated social media posts). Once installed, the app will prompt you to authorize access to your X (Twitter) account. Click Authorize App and log in with your X (Twitter) credentials. Grant the necessary permissions to manage and post content.

3. Add social media feeds widgets

Adding Twitter and Facebook Feeds to your Shopify store can help keep your website dynamic and encourage visitors to engage with your social media profiles. Several apps allow you to integrate social media feeds. Some popular ones include:

• Tagembed 

• Socialwidget

• InstaFeed

To integrate live social media feeds into your Shopify store, log into your Shopify admin dashboard and visit the Shopify App Store to find and install a social media feed app. After installation, connect your social media accounts by following the app's instructions and granting necessary permissions. Customize the feed's appearance, including layout and post features, according to your preferences. Some apps offer direct integration, where you can simply select where you want the feed to appear (e.g., homepage, product page) within the app's settings, without needing to handle code. However, for apps that don't have this built-in option, manually adding a code snippet through a Custom HTML block in the theme editor is also a common method. Save your changes and check your website to ensure the feed displays correctly and updates in real time on both desktop and mobile devices.

4. Integrate social proof apps

Integrating social proof apps on your Shopify store helps build trust and credibility by showcasing real-time customer activities like reviews, purchases, and product ratings. Social proof can significantly impact conversion rates by encouraging visitors to take action when they see others engaging with your brand. There are various social proof apps available in the Shopify App Store. Explore the Shopify App Store, and choose a social proof app that best suits your store's needs. Some popular ones include:

• Fera Product Reviews

• Loox

• Judge.me 

To integrate social proof apps into your Shopify store, log in to your Shopify admin dashboard and visit the Shopify App Store to find a suitable social proof app. After installing the app and granting the necessary permissions, customize how social proof elements will appear, such as pop-ups showing recent purchases, customer reviews on product pages, or testimonial widgets on the homepage. Adjust these elements' frequency, style, and placement to fit your store's design. Finally, check your store to ensure the social proof features are working properly and enhance the shopping experience without causing interruptions.

5. Implement social login options 

Social login options on your Shopify store allow customers to register and log in using their social media credentials, such as Facebook, Google, or Twitter. Implementing it can streamline the signup process, improve user experience, and potentially increase conversion rates. Shopify does not have built-in social login features, but you can easily integrate them using third-party apps from the Shopify App Store. Popular social login apps include:

• Oxi Social Login

• EasyAuth Social Login & OTP

Bitlogin Social Login

To integrate a social login app into your Shopify store, log in to your Shopify admin dashboard and search for a social login app in the Shopify App Store. After installing the app and granting the necessary permissions, access the app settings to choose the social networks (e.g., Facebook, Google, Twitter) you want to enable for login. Set up API keys for each platform following the app's documentation. Here's how you typically do it:

• Facebook: Go to the Facebook for Developers page, create an app, and generate an API key.

• Google: Visit Google Cloud Console, create a project, and generate an API key for OAuth 2.0.

• Twitter: Use the Twitter Developer Platform to create an app and get API keys.

After you've generated the API keys, you'll enter them in the social login app's settings in Shopify, as outlined in the app's documentation. Once configured, enable social login on your store's login and account creation pages, then test the feature to ensure it works smoothly.

Bottom Line: 

As the digital world evolves, blending social media with e-commerce is inevitable for Shopify stores that want to grow. But it's not just about having a presence—it's about creating a strategy that fits your brand, connects with your audience, and drives your business forward. Start by identifying your target audience and selecting the most suitable platforms for your products. Focus on creating engaging content to capture your audience's interest and use paid advertising to expand your reach and increase sales. Regularly monitor and adjust your campaigns based on performance, and actively engage with your customers to build strong relationships and foster loyalty. With Shopify's social media integrations, you can easily manage and scale all these efforts to achieve your business goals.