How eCommerce Grows on TikTok
TikTok users are proving that they trust creator product recommendations and reviews as we see not only creators go viral but products going viral as well and in some cases selling out. It is clear that TikTok is driving online purchases from pet products to home improvement items and becoming an important sales tool for brands.
In the wake of the pandemic we saw a new trend emerge among users, the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt has garnered over 20 billion views (as of date this blog is published) and has even inspired brands and retailers, including Amazon, to create “Internet Famous” shopping sections.
TikTok’s potential to boost eCommerce sales for brands is massive for large, medium and small businesses alike. With countless niche interests and communities active on TikTok, there is no doubt you will be able to find customers who share your brand’s value and interest in your products. TikTok users are not just young Gen-Z demographic: 47.4% of TikTok users in the US are aged 10-29, and 31.3% of their user base is aged 40 and over and their global user base consists of 60% females and 40% males.
How TikTok fuels eCommerce businesses who want to grow their customer base:
Find your best influencer partner - even smaller creators have influence TikTok influencers are those creators that have a dedicated following and audiences and videos that people love, and even go viral at times. Collaborating with influencers on TikTok can boost your brand awareness, reach new audiences, generate product sales and build credibility. Connecting with a famous TikTok influencer is not the goal, but rather collaborating with those creators that speak directly to your target niche audience. To find the influencers that best align with your brand, you can search by hashtag, username, sound and other keywords to discover creators. Of course, you can also discover key influencers on the BILI platform, influencers that already love your brand or have a following that is key to your industry. TikTok influencers are valuable for their ability to engage their audiences, trust their creative process and ideas.
Take advantage of the “TikTok Made me Buy it” Trend More than just funny videos and dance trends, there is strong consumer audience looking for recommended products and watching reviews. In fact, according to a 2021 Adweek survey on consumer behavior, 49% of TikTok users have said they purchased a product after seeing it reviewed, promoted or advertised on TikTok. That is tremendous spending power, one that has sparked a “TikTok Made Me Buy it” trend. Similar to Pinterest, TikTok users are in a discovery mindset when scrolling through their “For You” feed and therefore receptive to new content from creators and brands alike. Since each “For You” feed is populated with videos based on each users’ specific interests, rather than content solely from people they follow. Make sure your company’s account is up to date, including your bio, your videos, hashtags, etc. TikTok users research their purchases you can count on them to check your brand out after being inspired by the latest #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt video. Proactively collect positive reviews and have them easy to find on your page and your site.
Give TikTok Ads a try Kantar’s research finds that ads on TikTok are more inspiring, trendsetting and enjoyable than on other platforms. Paid advertising has been a tried and true measurable option to expanding your brand reach and finding new customers. TikTok ads will do the same and promote your content to the ideal users. There are a number of different TikTok e-commerce ad options, and while brand takeovers may be out of reach for some at $50,000 per day, in-feed ads are much more budget-friendly option under $10 / 1,000 impressions. Top View Ads appear when a user opens the app and can last for a minute. According to the research by Kantar, users are less likely to perceive ads negatively on TikTok compared to other social media platforms, and find ads on the app to be more trendsetting than those featured on other sites. Significantly, 72 percent of those surveyed said that they felt that ads on TikTok were inspiring, while a further seven in 10 research participants said that they found adverts on the platform to be enjoyable to watch.
Take advantage of TikTok Analytics to learn about key metrics and adjust your strategies based on your findings.