Remember when TikTok was just about dance challenges and lip-syncing? Well, those days are behind us. Let me share my exciting discovery of TikTok Shops and how it's shaping the future of online business.
What's a TikTok Shop?
When I first came across the term "TikTok Shop," I was a tad bit confused. Turns out, it's a virtual storefront, right there on your TikTok page. This feature lets anyone, be it businesses, influencers, or ordinary creators (like me), sell products straight to TikTok users. And here's the cool part: they don't even need to leave the app to buy something.
Why is it a Big Deal?
For starters, TikTok's massive! It's not just millions, but billions of users worldwide. And with the way it's growing, that number's only set to increase.
Another thing is the content. TikTok videos are short and sweet, keeping viewers engaged till the end. And guess what? Every video has the potential to go viral. That means you're always one catchy video away from a bunch of sales, even if you don't have tons of followers.
I also noticed that many brands and tiktok shops partner with TikTok influencers through their newly launched affiliate program. These influencers use their unique audiences to promote products in exchange for a commission (and portion of the revenue for each sale). This benefits both the creators and sellers. Because they get something relevant to promote and make money off of without needing to store, ship, or create any products of their own.....and the shop owner gets free sales and access to a larger audience base they didn't have to build themselves.
For me, as a seller, partnering with a few influencers has allowed me to reach a wider audience without breaking the bank. The only thing I really need to do is offer them free samples and a high commission.
But in this example lets say a product I sell on my shop nets $15 profit every time someone purchases. I'd rather make $5 a sale for example (giving them $10 of the sales profit for promoting it to their followers), rather than $0 a sale because I didn't have access to that audience. It's a no brainer.
And obviously, you get to choose your commission rates AND the influencers you'd be willing to work with. But it's a really promising way to start an ecommerce store and get tons of sales relatively fast.
The Secret Sauce Behind Its Success
1. Seamless User Experience: Traditional online shopping meant hopping between apps and websites....like watching a TikTok video, then jumping onto a different platform to buy the product if you're interested. We've all seen the links to jump to shopify stores from tiktok videos (but every added step in the buying process decreases conversion rates, increases friction, and reduces the chance the customer actually completes the purchase. With TikTok Shop, there's no more hopping around and there's much less friction. Everything's in one place!
2. Real-World Display: Products aren't just showcased in shiny commercials. They are presented in everyday scenarios, making them relatable. It's like seeing how a product fits into your daily life before you buy it. Not to mention the product videos don't look like product videos. They look like every other video you see on tiktok.
3. The Mighty Algorithm: TikTok has data on everyone. They know who you are, what you like, etc.... This means ones they find the audience for your products, you just need to make great content that converts those viewers into customers and speaks their language. You don't need to worry about finding those people on your own.
4. Impulse Buys: Many users make purchases on the go, and Tiktok's user behaivor suggests impulse buys happen even more frequently than other platforms because of it's fast paced nature. If you're pumping out high quality videos that speak well to your audience, before you know it....they've discovered your product and bought it without a second thought.
The rise of TikTok Shops shows just how much e-commerce and social media have become intertwined.
For someone like me, always on the lookout for the next big thing in e-commerce, TikTok Shop has got me REALLY excited.
It's reshaping our shopping habits and pushing big brands AND smaller 3rd party sellers to think differently.
So trust me when I say, TikTok Shop isn't just a fleeting trend; it's the future of eCom.
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