Sales on social media — is systematic work in which a business showcases products on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube or Threads, enters buyers into its own database and brings them back for repeat purchases. In Ukraine, social media provides attention and traffic, while the order is placed on a website, marketplace or in direct messages. To turn this attention into money, a customer database and regular communication are needed.
This article is for owners and marketers of retail businesses who are tired of the situation «there are followers, but no sales». You run pages, sometimes catch a successful video, but the flow of orders is unstable, and buyers do not return. The reason is usually one: attention from social media is not collected and processed further.
Below — where to start, which social networks a retail business needs, how they are managed in 2026, and how Torgsoft helps maintain a customer database, communicate with customers through mailings and bring them back with discounts and bonuses.
Attention from social media must turn into repeat sales
A practical guide for retail business: which social networks to choose, how to manage them in 2026 and what to do with customers who come from them.
Social media has become a sales channel: what the numbers show
At the end of 2025, Ukraine had about 23 million social media users — 58.5% of the population (DataReportal data, October 2025). People come to social media not only for entertainment: they search for products, read reviews and choose where to buy. For retail business, this means that some of your future buyers are already scrolling the feed right now.
Each platform has its own role. Understanding these roles helps avoid spreading yourself too thin and choose what works specifically for your product.
TikTok
The largest reach and short videos. Here, a product «takes off» through lively content and recommendations.
YouTube
Long-form content and search. Reviews, unboxings and instructions that work for years.
A brand showcase and aesthetics. People come here to examine the product and write in direct messages.
An older paying audience, communities and local groups, business posts.
Threads
Conversation, humor and image. A new channel for communication and quick response.
Telegram
A news channel, chatbot and order collection. Convenient for promotions and fast communication.
Where to start: four steps instead of ten pages at once
A common mistake is to create accounts on all social networks and fail to manage any of them properly. It is better to start small and bring it to a system.
Choose one or two platforms. Go where your audience already is. TikTok is often suitable for broad reach, while Instagram is suitable for a product showcase.
Make the profile clear. Who you are, what you sell, how to order and where the link leads. A person should understand how to buy from you in five seconds.
Create a simple content plan. Show the product in use, not only a beautiful display. The format «showed the problem — showed the solution — showed the product» builds more trust.
Make the path to order short. Website, marketplace, electronic catalog or direct messages. The main thing is that the buyer should not have to search for where to click.
Enter contacts from the first order. Every buyer should get into your database with a phone number and purchase history so that you can bring them back again. This is done manually during order processing.
Important for Ukraine. The built-in TikTok Shop checkout and payment inside Instagram (Checkout) are not yet officially available in Ukraine. Therefore, social media works as a showcase and attention channel, while the order itself is placed on a website, marketplace or in direct messages. This does not prevent sales — it determines where to direct traffic.
Which social networks a retail business should have
There is no mandatory set for everyone. There is logic: choose platforms according to the product and where your buyer actually spends time.
For products people buy with their eyes: clothing, accessories, cosmetics, decor, food. Showcase, stories and reels.
TikTok
For reach and a younger audience. Short videos, trends, product in action, live footage without gloss.
YouTube
For complex products that need to be shown and explained: equipment, tools, services. Reviews live for years.
For an older paying audience and local communities. Works well for service and business news.
Threads
For image and live communication. Here, communities are built and responses to customers are fast.
Telegram
For retention: a news channel, chatbot, order collection and quick messages about promotions.
Who does not need all of them. A small local store usually needs one or two platforms that it manages well. It is better to have an active Instagram and Telegram channel than six abandoned pages.
TOP trends of 2026: how social media is managed now
At the panel discussion of the Ukrainian Retailers Association «Social media as a sales channel», marketers from KFC Ukraine, Epicentr, Ukrnafta and MasterZoo shared approaches that work this year. Here is the main point.
The main trap: there is attention, but no sales
The most common problem of retail business on social media looks like this. You create content, sometimes get reach, people write to you in direct messages and comments. But then orders get lost in correspondence, the buyer purchases once and disappears, and their contact is not saved anywhere. Next month, everything starts from scratch again.
At the RAU discussion, the Ukrnafta marketer put it directly: social media builds brand awareness and reach, but sales themselves are closed by CRM communications. In other words, social media brings the person in, while systematic work with the customer database brings them back and leads them to purchase.
Before
The video took off, orders came in direct messages, but contacts were not collected anywhere. The buyer purchased once and left. A month later, you need to catch reach from zero again.
After
You enter every buyer into the database with a phone number and purchase history and bring them back with a mailing, discount or bonus. The flow of orders becomes predictable.
How Torgsoft turns attention from social media into repeat sales
Torgsoft is software for retail business accounting. In the context of social media, it works as a back office: it stores buyers in a single database, provides tools for communication with them and helps bring them back to purchases. Below are the tasks Torgsoft covers and the options responsible for them.
No direct integration with social media. Torgsoft does not connect to Instagram, TikTok, Threads or Telegram and does not automatically load contacts, orders or messages from them. You enter data into the database after contact with the customer — from an order, call or direct message. Then the software helps work with these buyers: store, segment, issue invoices or commercial offers, reserve products, send mailings, accrue discounts, ship products and so on.
Comprehensive automation. All these options work in one Torgsoft database. You can start with the customer database and mailings, and then add a discount club, bonuses, gift certificates and a referral program. You can manage sales and view reports from a smartphone through the Torgsoft mobile app.
Start working with social media systematically
Try Torgsoft free for 30 days. Collect your first buyers in the database, send them your first mailing and see how customers return. The data remains on your computer.
Practical scenario
Illustrative example. A small clothing store runs Instagram and TikTok. The saleswoman films a short video showing how a new dress looks in motion, the video gains reach, and dozens of questions about price and availability come in direct messages.
Instead of answering everyone manually and forgetting about them, the store manually enters each order into Torgsoft with a customer card: phone, city, what was purchased. The website is connected to the software through synchronization, so stock balances and prices are the same everywhere.
When the product is restocked, the store sends the database a short Viber message about replenishment. The discount club works for regular buyers, so they return for the discount. The next successful video no longer falls into emptiness, but onto a collected database, and sales become predictable.
Frequently asked questions
Does TikTok Shop work in Ukraine
Officially, no. As of mid-2026, the built-in TikTok Shop store is available in more than 16 countries, and Ukraine is not among them. Therefore, on TikTok the product is shown, and orders are directed to a website, marketplace or direct messages.
Can payment be accepted inside Instagram
In Ukraine, the Checkout payment function is not yet available. Instagram Shop works as a showcase: the buyer examines the product and goes to the website or writes in direct messages, and payment takes place there.
Does Torgsoft have integration with social media
No. Torgsoft does not connect to Instagram, TikTok, Threads or Telegram and does not automatically load contacts, orders or messages from them. You enter buyers into the database yourself — from an order, call or direct message, and the software then helps manage them, send mailings and accrue discounts.
Which social network to start with
With one or two where your audience already is. TikTok is often chosen for broad reach, Instagram for a product showcase. It is better to manage one platform well than five superficially.
How many social networks does a small store need
Usually one or two are enough. For example, an active Instagram for the showcase and a Telegram channel for retention and promotions.
How to collect buyers from social media into a database
Manually, from the order. Torgsoft does not pull contacts from social media automatically — you process each order with a customer card. The option «Customer profile and Binotel calls» helps with this: the card accumulates the customer’s phone number, purchase history and interests.
Can Viber and SMS be sent from Torgsoft
Yes. The option «Bulk mailings to customers» sends SMS, Viber and email directly from the software. It is used for promotions, reminders and customer returns.
What is a discount club and why is it needed
It is an accumulative club discount. The customer makes purchases, accumulates an amount and receives a status with a discount. This makes them return more often. The option «Discount club» is responsible for this.
How to connect a website with Torgsoft
With the option «Synchronization with online store» — products, stock balances and orders are maintained in one system. There are separate integrations with Prom.ua and Rozetka.ua for marketplaces.
I do not have a website, where to start online
You can launch a ready-made store through the option «Torgsoft Online Market». It starts quickly and synchronizes with Torgsoft, so social media immediately has somewhere to direct traffic.
How to ship orders quickly
The option «Integration with Nova Poshta» makes it possible to create, print and track consignment notes without switching to a separate account.
How to bring back a buyer who purchased once
By combining mailings, bonuses with a limited validity period and a birthday discount. All these tools work from the same customer card in Torgsoft.
How much do these options cost
The price is indicated on the page of each option. Torgsoft has a free 30-day demo version so you can test work with the database and mailings in your own business.
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