Social Commerce on TikTok

In 2022, we have seen e-commerce struggle as the industry increasingly focused on social commerce. Social commerce allows potential buyers to not only find products easily but also buy them with just a few clicks. In doing so, they remain on the relevant platform throughout the entire process. Find out now how TikTok is optimizing the shopping experience for app users.

Key points

  • Unlike e-commerce, social commerce goes one step further and enables shopping not only online, but also on social networks.
  • By 2025, social commerce sales in U.S. retail are expected to grow to $79.25 billion.
  • Three new ad models are gaining particular traction for social commerce on TikTok, which is also called TikTok Shopping, and they are product links, product catalogs, and live shopping.

Popularized by dance videos, TikTok recorded more than 800 million active users by the end of 2022, according to Dataportal 2022. According to the report, the social network is one of the most highly trafficked applications, continuously adapting to the needs of users and creators, and offers many opportunities for businesses to connect with a potential target audience. As TikTok is consequently an important channel for influencer marketing, we have published several articles about TikTok on our blog, including, for example, how to start an influencer marketing campaign on TikTok.

Tips for using Tiktok Shopping

The product catalogs that companies can create through TikTok Shopping will allow users to display products directly on the platform. This simplification works in the brands’ favor, as potential customers are no longer discouraged by unnecessary product searches and are just one click away from making a purchase. The so-called store tab in your product catalog helps users, as they no longer have to search laboriously for your online store or your products.

Then, in 2022, the app, which is part of ByteDance, entered fully into the world of social commerce when TikTok launched a dynamic shopping feature with a set of tools that enhance the app experience.

Considering that, according to eMarketer, global social commerce sales in the U.S. retail sector are expected to reach $79.25 billion by 2025, TikTok’s innovation is not surprising. In China, the app’s home country, revenues had even been estimated at $351.65 billion in 2021. But how does social commerce work on TikTok?

What is social commerce on TikTok?

Social commerce can be defined as follows: it is the process of selling products directly through social networks. Social networks are constantly evolving this feature and improving the shopping experience from product discovery to purchase. The key is that users or buyers never have to leave the platform. Features such as the “Buy Now” button or automatic completion of payment forms also help. If you found this article useful, you may also visit their page to read more about how to buy tiktok likes.

Social commerce on TikTok works with an in-app purchase feature, which is simply called TikTok Shopping. This is an advertising feature that directly shows users products and also allows them to buy them right then and there with a simple click. So if you use TikTok for your business, you can advertise your products directly and put them up for sale in the app.

TikTok itself describes TikTok Shopping as “a set of solutions, features, and tools that enable businesses to harness the power of social commerce on Tiktok,” as quoted by Social Pilot.

Tips for using Tiktok Shopping

The product catalogs that companies can create through TikTok Shopping will allow users to display products directly on the platform. This simplification works in the brands’ favor, as potential customers are no longer discouraged by unnecessary product searches and are just one click away from making a purchase. The so-called store tab in your product catalog helps users, as they no longer have to search laboriously for your online store or your products.