Is shopping on TikTok the future of social commerce?
Social commerce shortens the buying journey.
Meet TikTok Shopping, the next thing in online shopping.
How does it work and why is the future so bright?
Liav Chen, guest column
07/09/2022
Wednesday, 07 September 2022, 12:51
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Social commerce is the buying and selling of products exclusively through social media.
Popular social commerce platforms include Facebook, Instagram (and of course) TikTok.
What makes social commerce unique is its continuous buying journey.
This means users don't leave the social media app to complete a purchase.
It's an immersive experience that takes place entirely within TikTok (or Facebook or Instagram and so on).
The reason social commerce is so powerful is that it shortens the buying journey.
There are fewer steps between the initial discovery and the final purchase.
TikTok Shopping is a trend that is exploding and shaping the future of social commerce, which is indeed a bright future.
It is estimated that social commerce will triple to a $1.2 billion industry by 2025. Research also shows that social commerce sales are expected to reach over $492 billion.
But what does this mean for brands?
Shopping on TikTok?
Absolutely (Photo: ShutterStock)
Brands can use social commerce to reach younger audiences.
Tik Tok is filled to the brim with Generation Z and Millennials.
And they don't consume media like Generation X and the Baby Boomers.
Therefore, using social commerce, especially on TikTok, is a great way to connect with young consumers.
Tiktok (and Instagram reels) are all about short videos.
So if brands want to engage with audiences, they will need to master the art of short posts.
This means in-feed video ads and organic posts.
A short video should attract attention and send a message within seconds.
This is an opportunity for brands to streamline their messaging.
Social commerce is already shaping the way brands look and feel on social media apps.
And we think it will continue in the same way.
Brands need to match the "vibe" of each social media app.
For Tiktok, this means giving up the tattered aesthetic in favor of a more authentic aesthetic.
It also means embracing content that tells a story.
After a lot of testing, TikTok launched TikTok Shopping.
This is a great social commerce solution that allows you to promote and sell products in the app.
Creators and brands get to add a shopping tab to their TikTok profiles.
Fans can then tap to scroll through their product catalogs.
If a fan wants to make a purchase, they can do so without leaving the app and that's the power of social commerce.
No need to enter the site anymore, no more messy links, no more tracking between channels.
Everything happens on TikTok from initial discovery to checkout.
In addition, creators and brands that take advantage of TikTok Shopping can tag their products in organic content with special product links within the app.
You can push products with organic content and even market products through shoppable video ads in the feed, as well.
Most of the time, people don't just come to a particular store by chance.
Through TikTok, you can take advantage of the different types of ads within the app and understand what works best with the audience, that is, use in-app advertising.
As a brand, collaborating with TikTok creators is one of the most effective and profitable things you can do.
Influencer marketing puts the brand directly in front of the target audience.
Plus, when a content creator promotes you, it feels more authentic.
And if we know anything about Generation Z and Millennials, they crave authenticity.
In addition, "Hashtag Challenge Plus" is a type of advertising campaign specific to Tiktok.
Brands come up with a dance, or any kind of challenge, that is attached to a paid hashtag.
These campaigns come with special TikTok landing pages and can be integrated with in-app purchases.
TikTok Shopping is changing the way brands do business online.
Not to mention that social commerce is a fast growing industry.
It's time to take a place in the world of social commerce (and Tiktok in particular).
The writer is CEO and co-founder of Biomanz
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