Earlier this year, TikTok and Shopify announced a partnership in the UK that would help Shopify merchants create and run ad campaigns directly geared towards the 100 million TikTok users in Europe.
Building on this momentum, Bloomberg recently reported that TikTok’s next move is to add an in-app shopping feature. The publication writes that TikTok is testing in-app sales in Europe by partnering with several brands, including UK-based streetwear company Hype. A move that highlights another tactic TikTok is using to compete in the online retail space — this news should perk up the ears of any merchant.
In-App shopping on TikTok
Looked at more broadly, this is a logical step for TikTok, who, late last year, announced a partnership in which Shopify merchants could integrate shopping on TikTok directly into their dashboard. The tool allows merchants to easily upload campaigns from Shopify straight to TikTok in order to seamlessly and effectively reach their audiences.
Further, the TikTok Pixel allows merchants to track their progress and gives them more visibility regarding who they are reaching and how people are converting (are users signing up for newsletters, actually buying, etc.).
It’s very similar to how advertising works on other social media platforms and allows brands to target quite specifically — by age, gender, and interest. Plus, if you already have a Shopify setup, you have seamless access to advertising on TikTok.
A different approach to ad content
TikTok is applying its scrappier aesthetic to the world of advertising and is giving users the ability to shop while also enjoying what they already love about the platform. As Shopify puts it concerning their new partnership,
“In the world of TikTok, genuine content reigns supreme….users favor raw and engaging videos over highly edited, curated posts. This stylistic difference makes TikTok an incredibly noisy platform, but a potential goldmine for creators who can strike the perfect balance between authenticity and marketing.”
A space for smaller players
This continued expansion of the partnership between Shopify and TikTok has the potential to really open up the market. A lot of smaller shops use Spotify, and this access to a broader advertising platform helps level the playing field. It makes it possible for smaller businesses to show their product and gives them a chance to compete with bigger brands.
The benefit of in-app shopping why brands should use it
If you, as a brand, are already creating an ad for a specific product, having in-app purchases activated means that the user never has to go to a different page to order. You reach your audience in the moment and make the purchase very convenient, giving them less time to change their mind. Ultimately, in-app shopping will probably increase your conversion rate.
TikTok for merchants
Precisely how TikTok will land with the implementation of in-ap shopping remains to be seen. Yet, the ongoing rollout of partnerships and features seems to indicate that the viral video app is ready to take advantage of its status and is determined to continue growing.
Shopping on TikTok does indeed seem to make a natural combination, with the bite-sized length of TikTok videos already in step with advertising best practices. Not to mention, the passive watching that TikTok makes it easy to consume a lot of content. Is the next step going to be a shopping tab featured throughout a brand or creator’s videos? We’ll see, but for the time being, TikTok should be considered a viable component of any comprehensive retail marketing strategy.
