TikTok partners with Shopify on social commerce
In October 2020, Shopify businesses had some good news when the company announced a collaboration with TikTok to give merchants extra access to this popular social media network. The partnership gave Shopify's 1 million merchants the ability to interact with TikTok's younger audience to generate more sales.
Installing the new TikTok channel app from the Shopify App Store in 2020 enabled Shopify businesses to create, execute, and optimise TikTok marketing campaigns directly from the Shopify dashboard. However, in August 2021, for the first time, Shopify merchants with a TikTok For Business account got an option to add a shopping tab to their TikTok profiles and connect their product catalogs, providing a mini-storefront that links directly to their online shop for checkout.
#TikTokMadeMeBuyIt or don’t miss out on a vast opportunity
TikTok's embrace of social buying is a natural step because its users tend to shop. TikTok performed user research in 2020 and discovered that the app prompted two-thirds of them to purchase even when they had no intention. Before the collaboration with Shopify, TikTok buying occurred naturally, with artists and influencers discussing products in their videos. This resulted in a significant trend for the hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt. It's difficult to underestimate tremendous TikTok opportunities for merchants. In 2021, products on TikTok got 4.6 billion views, and this year, the number will double.
TikTok is a perfect marketplace where merchants can sell their goods to younger consumers. It happened because the app has quickly established an e-commerce capacity that capitalises on the rising popularity of retail social commerce, which will become an $80 billion market in the United States by 2025, according to eMarketer.
Juno & Co. (skincare) is one of the first brands to start TikTok integration. Despite the pilot being early going, they reported positive results: “Our sales on TikTok are 10 times what we've gained from Instagram and Facebook,” said Kyle Jiang, Juno & Co. founder.
Three easy steps on how to start selling with TikTok
1. Set up a TikTok for Business account following these steps:
2. Find the TikTok app on the Shopify App Store...
...and install it.
3. Link your TikTok For Business account to your Shopify store.
A TikTok Business Dashboard will display after successfully connecting your TikTok account. Here you can manage your TikTok for Business account and finish the integration to deploy the TikTok channel on your store.
Voila: Now, your TikTok audience can purchase your items through product links on the TikTok app.
Promote your store on TikTok
1. Understand your audience.
It’s a well-known fact that the platform is most popular among Gen Z, but who exactly is in the dimension? Gen Z is an extensive group of prospects, so you need to formulate who your audience is to perform successful marketing campaigns to attract those most likely to purchase your products.
Here is a list of top audience characteristics that you need to define:
- Age, gender, location
- Interests
- Professional industry
- Income
- Relationship status
- Purchasing motivation
- Buying concerns.
2. Understand your competitors.
First of all, find out who’s of your closest competitors is present on TikTok. Analyse their content and mark top engaging posts. With this information, you’ll know what your audience will probably like, and you’ll avoid producing low-performing content and manage to create something truly fascinating.
3. Keep an eye out for trends.
TikTok's Discover page should become your must-visit page if you want to jibe with the day’s TikTok trends or hashtag challenges to boost your performance. Following trending hashtags will allow you to stay up-to-date on a competitive landscape and speak the same language as your prospects.
4. Go live.
People like to interact with people, not brands. Going live on TikTok humanises your brand and makes it closer to the audience. When you start a live stream, the network will send a notification to all your followers and pin your stream to their For You page. This creates a tremendous opportunity for you to stand out on TikTok.
5. Incorporate product tags.
When featuring a product in your video, use a product tag to lead users to your Shopify store to complete the transaction. You turn your organic content into advertisements by adding product tags to your videos. It will allow you to avoid the frustration that traditional ads may cause in Gen Z.
Did you know that 53% and 30% of Gen Z shoppers - the core of the TikTok audience - spend more than before the pandemic on online purchases with home delivery and with curbside/at store pickup, respectively? This is according to a Capgemini Research Institute report, What Matters to Today’s Consumer, which reveals the far-reaching impact of the pandemic on consumer behaviour and preferences. Thus, it is essential now to enhance your Shopify store with convenient and diverse delivery options that, for sure, our Zapiet - Pickup + Delivery with a 30-day free trial can provide for you.
