Social media becomes new search engine for younger shoppers

The digital marketing landscape faces a fundamental shift as consumers increasingly turn to social media platforms for product discovery and brand research, according to new data from IAB Australia's Future of Search Working Group. Published on June 25, 2025, the comprehensive analysis reveals significant behavioral changes that challenge the long-held dominance of traditional search engines in consumer discovery patterns.

Nearly half of people online aged 16-34 now declare that searching for products represents one of the main reasons they use social media platforms. This behavioral transformation represents a departure from the assumption that consumers primarily rely on traditional search engines when seeking answers or making purchasing decisions.

Summary

Who: IAB Australia Future of Search Working Group, including representatives from iProspect, Half Dome, Hearts & Science, analyzing consumer search behaviors across social platforms.

What: Comprehensive analysis of social search trends showing consumers increasingly use social media platforms for product discovery, with 46% of Australian social media users making purchases based on creator promotions and platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Reddit becoming primary search destinations.

When: Research published June 25, 2025, analyzing data from 2024-2025 period including Forbes Advisor studies and platform usage statistics.

Where: Analysis focuses on Australian market with global context, examining behavior across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, YouTube, and other major social platforms.

Why: Traditional search assumptions no longer reflect consumer behavior as mobile usage, visual content preferences, creator economy growth, and platform commerce integration drive fundamental shifts in how people discover and purchase products.

The research indicates that 24% of American participants used social media apps in ways traditionally reserved for search engines during 2024, according to a Forbes Advisor study cited in the report. Additionally, 13% purchased directly within these platforms, demonstrating the complete integration of discovery and transaction processes within social environments.

Social media usage in Australia has reached substantial scale, with over 21 million Australians using social networking monthly. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Reddit each maintain Australian audiences exceeding 13 million monthly users, positioning these platforms as significant discovery destinations rather than casual browsing environments.

TikTok emerges as a particularly favored discovery method for Generation Z users. The platform has launched Search Ads offerings in Australia, enabling advertisers to target keywords using familiar methodologies comparable to traditional search advertising approaches.

Reddit demonstrates exceptional growth momentum, with Australian audiences increasing over 40% year-on-year to reach over 17 million users monthly. The platform's forum-based structure provides access to authentic, crowd-generated knowledge that consumers increasingly value for decision-making processes.

YouTube's position as the world's third-largest social platform continues strengthening, particularly as a search-first destination. The platform's dual identity as both social media and search engine reflects the blurring boundaries between traditional content categories.

Meta's strategic positioning includes the popularity of Instagram Reels and the recent launch of Meta AI integrated directly into core applications. These developments signal the company's significant investment in capturing social search behaviors rather than merely observing market trends.

Social commerce significantly influences retail decision-making as platforms integrate shopping functionality with discovery experiences. Ecommerce brands currently demonstrate the strongest positioning to capitalize on social search opportunities, moving faster and testing more aggressively while achieving clearer returns from early adoption strategies.

Retail and beauty categories demonstrate particularly strong performance as high engagement sectors within social search environments. These industries leverage visual content formats and influencer partnerships to drive discovery and purchase behaviors.

The search landscape no longer confines itself to single engines or singular behaviors. Where previously a single query box dominated information discovery online, contemporary consumers utilize growing combinations of platforms based on search intent and journey stage.

Mobile behaviors significantly influence discovery patterns. One in three people now access the internet exclusively through mobile devices, naturally gravitating toward applications and social-first environments that emphasize visual and conversational interactions.

Traditional brand search patterns show splintering behaviors across generational lines. While 84% of Australians continue using search engines for brand name searches, this percentage drops to 64% for Generation Z, compared to 94% for Baby Boomers, according to the Forbes Advisor research.

Platform measurement capabilities continue evolving as social environments develop sophisticated targeting and optimization tools. Search behaviors increasingly span multiple channels including social feeds, video platforms, ecommerce marketplaces, and traditional search engines as components of broader discovery combinations.

Authentication concerns drive consumer preference for peer-driven validation, reviews, and transparent recommendations over traditional advertising approaches. The creator economy plays a pivotal role in shaping consumer engagement and decision-making processes.

Australian social media users report making purchases based on creator promotions at rates of 46%, while 59% express greater trust in creator-sponsored posts compared to celebrity endorsements. Australia's creator economy projects reaching AUD $929 million in 2025, with expectations to surpass AUD $1.25 billion by 2028 while growing at 11% year-over-year.

Consumer trust preferences extend beyond creator content, with 85% of consumers indicating increased likelihood to engage with brands providing honest, unfiltered feedback rather than polished marketing messaging. Additionally, 96% of Australians consider data protection and transparency essential when engaging with brands online, with 52% ranking these factors as extremely important.

Social search optimization increasingly focuses on shoppable experiences that enable direct conversions. The development represents a significant evolution beyond discovery and deeper brand consideration toward complete purchase journeys.

Social platform advertising automation advances rapidly as companies develop catalog and feed capabilities integrated into platform search experiences. TikTok's Search Ads offering, now rolling out in Australia, enables advertisers to target keywords using methodologies familiar to traditional search advertising practitioners.

The challenge for social platforms involves retaining users within platform environments. Traditional search engines respond to social search trends by including social content within search results, exemplified by YouTube Shorts integration in search outcomes.

Artificial intelligence developments pose questions about future discovery patterns as both social search and AI-powered shopping assistants compete for consumer attention. Social platforms' natural alignment with discoverability provides advantages, though feed capabilities require rapid evolution to maintain positioning ahead of AI shopping assistant adoption.

Instagram increasingly functions as a search engine for location-based queries and product discovery. Users search for restaurants, businesses, and products directly within the platform, bypassing traditional search engines for immediate visual results.

Pinterest maintains strong positioning for inspiration-driven searches, particularly in categories including fashion, home decoration, and lifestyle planning. The platform's visual search capabilities enable users to discover products through image recognition rather than text-based queries.

Reddit's forum structure provides authentic user discussions that inform purchasing decisions across multiple categories. Communities within the platform offer product comparisons, reviews, and recommendations that consumers value for their perceived authenticity and detailed analysis.

The transformation extends beyond younger demographics, reshaping behaviors across age groups. Marketers cannot afford to treat social search as a niche generational trend, as the expansion of search battlegrounds requires brand presence across previously unconsidered platforms.

Brand safety considerations remain paramount as social platforms develop comprehensive content controls. Advertiser concerns about placement quality drive platform investments in verification technologies and content classification systems.

The integration of commerce features directly within social platforms eliminates friction between discovery and purchase. Users can complete transactions without leaving social environments, creating seamless experiences that traditional search-to-website journeys cannot match.

Video content dominates social search interactions, with platforms prioritizing visual formats over text-based results. This preference aligns with mobile usage patterns and consumer expectations for immediate, engaging content rather than traditional link-based search results.

Timeline

• 2025: IAB Australia publishes comprehensive social search analysis on June 25
• 2025: TikTok launches Search Ads in Australia
• 2025: Reddit experiences 40% year-over-year audience growth in Australia
• 2025: Meta integrates AI search capabilities into core applications
• 2024: Forbes Advisor study reveals 24% of Americans use social apps for search
• 2024: European social media advertising surges 16% year-over-year