What is TikTok Shop, And Should Digital Marketers Be Using It?
Ahhhh that pesky app that has us scrolling for days, watching cats playing the piano and people dressing up in cosplay. Sweet old TikTok. Love it or hate it, everyone’s using it. But did you know its not just for wasting your time on, it can actually be pretty useful to businesses. A recently new feature has been launched that is pretty hard to avoid if you use the app regularly, and that’s TikTok shop. But what is TikTok shop, how does it help businesses, and should you be using it?
An introduction to TikTok shop
TikTok shop does what it says on the tin, it’s an online store for you to showcase and sell products through videos, live streams, and account storefronts. It can be used by influencers and brands alike. It’s an innovative way to utilise TikTok marketing to make sales for your business or if you’re an influencer, commission!
TikTok shop can be accessed through your profile on the shopping tab or on your product showcase. The shopping tab takes you straight to the shop where you can browse for your favourite brands or recommended items for you. The product showcase is where influencers can add their favourite products to a list for followers to purchase for their selves.
However, it doesn’t stop there. Thousands of influencers are creating content with products in daily, that link to the shop so people can buy. And people are certainly influenced. Over 10.1 billion people have used the hashtag #tiktokmademebuyit. You don’t necessarily need to even send out free products to promote, anyone who buys the product can link it to their store, meaning free marketing for the brand.
Live streams are yet another way products can be showcased. Influencers and brands can start a live stream to promote their favourite products or new collections. Viewers have access to exclusive live offers from TikTok to encourage them to buy, with the influencers earning rewards and commission and brands selling more products.
Who uses TikTok shop?
At the very start It seemed that TikTok shop was a mystery with incredibly cheap products that can from unknown sellers. It seemed too good to be true. However, with viral videos of people testing these products and proving their legitimacy people soon cottoned on to how great (and legit) TikTok shop is!
Now you can find almost anything on TikTok shop, from Filter by Molly Mae, to Look Fantastic. There are oodles of brands finding their way into the shop. It doesn’t just stop at these brands, using this platform can be a great way to start up your business.
Smaller business start-ups are going viral from a larger creators using their products or even their own products going viral. Take The Last Bunch for example, they are a start-up that sell teeny tiny bouquets of flowers called “Beequet”, for every purchase £2 goes for Bees for Development. In September they went viral after months of no sales. They sold out in minutes! That is the beauty of TikTok shop, you have access to millions of people to sell and market your products to for free!
TikTok Shop campaigns
Another super helpful feature of TikTok shop are campaigns. TikTok marketing can help your business gain followers, sales, and brand awareness. Taking part in these campaigns that introduce product showcasing and offers can really boost your business. With the incoming of Black Friday TikTok has launched the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale. An event that hosts live shows promoting all the crazy deals for the black Friday sales. Your favourite influencers come together to create entertaining shopping experiences for you to watch and interact with. With live Q&As where you can ask any questions about the product you want to buy.
These campaigns happen all throughout the year, promoting different products and getting people to talk about brands and what they are selling. Hashtags are introduced to add to the hype of the campaign. It’s a fantastic opportunity to get your brand out there or even bag some major deals.
Should you be using TikTok Shop?
TikTok shop is a fantastic way to showcase products and discover new brands. If you are looking to boost your sales and get creative with content, then you really must give it a try. 79% of UK users discovered new brands through TikTok, and 54% have purchased that brand after seeing a video about it.
By joining the shop, you essentially have influencer marketing at your fingertips. Allowing anyone who is anyone to make videos bout your products and sell them through their store. Some free marketing? Yes, please! However, don’t jump for joy yet. Don’t expect to post your first video and make thousands of sales straight away (although there is still a chance for that to happen). It takes time to grow a following and build awareness of your brand. But we all must start somewhere!
Overall TikTok Shop is most definitely a yes for e-commerce businesses. It’s a fun and creative way to show off your products and grow your store for free. You are exposed to a huge pool of influencers and users who want to test, buy and love your products. Why wouldn’t you want to give it a go?
If you would like to know more about TikTok marketing and if it’s worth it, be sure to check out our blog, or if you have any questions please contact us!
Happy TikTok shopping!
