Many of the world’s best-known brands are using TikTok for ecommerce, making the well-known platform one of the ultimate additions to any retail marketing strategy. With more than 689 million monthly active users, it can be used to grow a loyal customer base and boost retail sales.
This article will show you why you should consider TikTok for ecommerce, listing key stats and giving demonstrations of effective Tiktok content for retailers.
What is TikTok?
TikTok is a social media platform that skyrocketed in popularity throughout 2020 and onwards. It became the first non-Facebook-owned app to reach 3 billion global installs and is projected to grow at a stunning 22% YoY until at least 2024. As one of the fastest growing social media platforms on the planet, TikTok is a fantastic addition to any retail marketing strategy.
The enormous growth of the platform means it is a fantastic opportunity for retailers to capitalise on TikTok for ecommerce.
TikTok for ecommerce
Countless online brands and ecommerce retailers are now capitalising on TikTok, placing significant importance on it within their marketing strategy.
The reason for this is that it creates a channel to directly interact with consumers, build trust and even provide a direct link to purchase.
When it comes to TikTok for ecommerce, there are many ways for retailers to utilise the platform to grow their audience, boost engagement and encourage sales.
What can retailers post on TikTok for ecommerce?
TikTok is the home of short-form content. It allows individuals, businesses and brands to post creative content, making it the perfect platform to engage a new audience. Because of TikTok’s interest-based algorithm, it makes it easier to discover new products than many other platforms, meaning when marketed right, even new retailers can benefit from TikTok. This interesting approach to account discovery also means it is easier than ever before to go viral if you post the right kinds of content, as it does not rely on having a large following to initially reach people.
There are very few limitations to the kinds of content that retailers can post on TikTok, allowing brands to get creative in their marketing efforts.
TikTok audience demographics
The audience breakdown of TikTok demographics is as follows:
TikTok statistics for retailers
- The average TikTok user spends an average of 52 minutes per day on the app
- 90% of TikTok users access the app more than once per day
- TikTok is available in 155 markets and 75 languages
- As of January 2021, TikTok had 689 million monthly active users globally
The best TikTok marketing strategies for ecommerce
1. Tap into trends on TikTok for ecommerce
Retailers that are able to utilise trending sounds, challenges and videos will be able to make the most of TikTok for ecommerce. Creating on-trend content that aligns with retail brands works to grow the audience significantly while building rapport with the target market.
The home page on TikTok is a fantastic place to discover new trends, with plenty of inspiration highlighting the most popular types of content on the platform.
2. Create engaging content
TikTok’s algorithms favour content that people engage with. Make sure your content is high quality, interesting and where possible, unique. The more likes and comments you get, the greater your chances of having that video go viral.
Aside from algorithms, you need to give people a reason to follow you. Whether you provide interesting information, share visually appealing product videos, or promote limited time offers on items, work out what you can offer on TikTok that provides value for your viewers.
3. Interact with consumers
TikTok allows retailers to reply to comments and even reach out directly to other users. This creates the ultimate opportunity to open conversation, answer questions and engage your target market further. Keep an eye on notifications and respond as quickly as possible to keep engagement levels high and beneficial for all parties.
4. Use the best hashtags
TikTok simplifies the process of finding the right hashtags. For example, simply visit the ‘discover’ page, search for #retail and then tap on the ‘hashtags’ tab near the top of the page. Straight away, you will be given a list of relevant hashtags that you could use to accompany your content, as well as the number of video views for each hashtag.
To maximise your chances of being discovered, try using hashtags that reach a medium sized audience. Those with the highest numbers of views may be over-crowded with video content, making it more challenging to get discovered.
5. Social listening
Another fantastic use of TikTok for ecommerce is to carry out research and social listening. Take a look at the types of content that other retailers make, as well as taking time to read consumers’ reviews, complaints and ideas.
Carrying out social listening is a great way to learn from others’ mistakes and successes, eliminating the amount of trial and error that you need to go through in the process of deciding the perfect content.
6. Encourage user-generated content
User-generated content is typically trusted more than branded content. In fact, 93% of businesses believe that consumers trust content that is created by other consumers more than that designed by brands.
The popular “TikTok made me buy it” trend is a fantastic example of user-generated video content. Retailers that are able to interact with these types of trends can grow their audience enormously.
7. Run competitions
Consumers love a social media giveaway and this can be a cost-effective way to grow your audience without having to pay significant marketing costs.
As an example, the NBA2K game ran a #GiftofGame competition, encouraging users to share videos of their basketball skills alongside the branded hashtag to win a prize. This prize was the opportunity to be created as a playable character in the game.
With the right strategy, clear terms and conditions and enough creativity, anybody can create a potentially viral TikTok campaign that boosts brand awareness.
Examples of great content on TikTok for ecommerce
Scrub Daddy
Scrub Daddy creates cleaning products, but the brand has done a great job of engaging its target audience on TikTok. Creating fun, memorable content in line with trending hashtags, Scrub Daddy is a great example of a forward-thinking brand.
ASOS
British online fashion and cosmetic retailer, ASOS, has grown its TikTok presence significantly through engaging social media campaigns. Whether they’re showing stylish outfit combinations, supporting popular causes or providing sneak peeks of upcoming ranges, their content engagement levels are impressive.
Gymshark
British fitness apparel brand, Gymshark, has captured the hearts of aspiring fitness fanatics and experts around the world. Sharing relatable memes, hilarious videos, influencer content and showcasing their products, their wide range of content on TikTok has resulted in a following of more than 3.5 million.
Why is TikTok so beneficial for retailers?
Elsewhen’s Leon Gauhman explains why TikTok can be so beneficial for retailers and enable them to overtake competitors:
“On the surface, TikTok is just another video sharing/entertainment platform. It entered an already crowded video space but because it’s primarily an AI/machine learning business, it was able to make its inventory intelligent. TikTok’s success is down to its AI powered algorithmic intelligent inventory which drives the platform’s ability to serve viewers exactly the right content at the right time. Like TikTok, retailers need to prioritise making their inventory intelligent. This includes interpreting metadata around inventory, such as what products are made of, how they are described, what customers say about them, and what kind of people buy them. Chinese retailer Shein is an example of a company that has put data ahead of branding as a commercial priority and achieved rapid growth as a result. Established retailers need to emulate this next gen approach to data.
“No-one forecast the rise of TikTok or Instagram: what’s more new communities are being created on platforms like Telegram, Signal or Discord. Retailers should be able to make their inventory available to consumers on these new platforms instead of constantly being three steps behind. To do this, retailers should adopt a highly distributed approach, allowing consumers to shop their inventory wherever they are. This includes integrating third party data via APIs and being integrated into third party channels – such as TikTok.”
Utilise TikTok for ecommerce now
There has never been a better time for retailers to get started on TikTok. The process of creating an account is quick and straightforward, meaning all you need to do is create a bio, add a logo and start optimising your TikTok for ecommerce.
Holly brings a wealth of experience in both print and digital publishing. As Modern Retail’s Content Editor, Holly is passionate about helping independent retailers to thrive in today’s ever-changing market.
