The new Latam Intersect PR report, titled "2025: The Future of Social Media Consumption in Latin America, points out that the line between experience and consumption is becoming increasingly blurred. Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok are mentioned by interviewees as popular alternative search mechanisms to Google.
The research found that 31% of respondents use Facebook to research products before buying them, 28.7% use YouTube, and 23.4% use Instagram. Additionally, nearly one-third (31.5%) of respondents say they discover new products through video platforms, such as YouTube (16.3%) and TikTok (15.2%).
When asked if they have used social networks as alternative search mechanisms to Google, 30.4% of respondents said they have used Facebook, 28.5% YouTube, 22% Instagram, and 11.3% TikTok.
1,800 consumers were interviewed in six of the region's main economies: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru.
"We are witnessing a revolution in e-commerce, where the boundaries between entertainment, socialization, and shopping are rapidly dissolving. Social networks have evolved from simple brand exposure channels to become complete shopping ecosystems, requiring companies aiming for sales success to be increasingly digitally integrated," says the co-founder. from Boomer, a company specialized in performance media, growth marketing, data intelligence, and sales to accelerate brands, and a digital marketing expert, Pedro Paulo Alves.
The report shows that social networks have reached new levels of penetration both in terms of the number of Latin Americans online and the time they spend connected.
Furthermore, many of the region's most popular apps and platforms — such as Mercado Livre, WhatsApp, Pinterest, and TikTok — are increasingly integrating social networking, e-commerce, and payments into a single interface, offering unparalleled convenience and new opportunities for brands to connect with users in a more integrated way.
The power of user-generated content
The study indicates that ads using UGC achieve a click-through rate (CTR) 4 times higher and a cost per click 50% lower than the average. In other words: as social media increasingly blend with other forms of consumption, traditional channels like SEO, Google, and institutional websites alone become less effective in reaching consumers.
"The contemporary consumer is not satisfied just to see a product; they want to understand how that item fits into their lifestyle. User-generated content and influencers provide an authentic perspective that traditional advertising simply cannot offer," explains the expert.
'Flywheel'replaces the traditional funnel
The report also highlights how TikTok's new "flywheel" (continuous cycle) model is redefining the consumer journey and brand engagement. The traditional funnel is evolving into a 'flywheel,' where discovery, engagement, and purchase seamlessly merge, showing that brands can no longer rely solely on traditional search — they need to be present in interactive spaces, turning curiosity into action, becoming an essential part of consumers' digital journeys.
"Social networks have ceased to be just promotional channels and have become true marketplaces," says Pedro Paulo. "The current consumer expects to discover, evaluate, and buy products without leaving the platform."
Instagram and YouTube lead in Brazil
The specific excerpt about Brazil within the study shows that, in our country, 47.8% of respondents choose Instagram as their preferred social media platform, the highest percentage among the countries surveyed. 36.2% of Brazilians say they use YouTube as an alternative search engine to Google.
Additionally, 65.1% of Brazilian consumers say they buy more online than in person, the highest percentage among the surveyed countries and well above the regional average of 40.5%.
"The Brazilian market has unique characteristics that make it highly receptive to social commerce. We have a young, highly connected population that spends an average of 4.8 hours daily on social networks and values the opinion of their online community before making purchasing decisions. Companies that manage to create shopping experiences integrated into this social context will have a significant competitive advantage," highlights the co-founder of Boomer.
Strategies for companies in the new digital landscape
To fully harness the potential of social commerce, companies need to go beyond mere presence on social networks. As social media platforms become alternative search engines, traditional routes such as Google search and corporate websites become less effective in reaching consumers. Brands need to establish a presence on multiple platforms and use specific content for each, engaging customers where they are most active.
"Social commerce is not just a new sales channel, it is a complete reimagining of the shopping experience. Companies need to invest in technologies that eliminate friction between discovery and purchase completion. Every additional second in the process represents an opportunity for the consumer to give up," concludes Pedro.
"The brands that manage to unify behavioral data across social networks with their CRM systems will have a more holistic view of the customer journey, enabling the creation of truly personalized experiences. This is the ideal moment for companies to rethink their entire digital infrastructure to support this new reality where social, entertainment, and commerce merge into a continuous and integrated experience," concludes the co-founder. of the Boomer.
