Having over a billion downloads worldwide, there is no denying that Tik Tok (TT) is a powerhouse in the social media industry. While TT may have started out as a trendy social media app, TT has since launched an e-commerce counterpart called Tik Tok Shop (TTS) that disrupted the traditional e-commerce industry with its \u2018social e-commerce\u2019 approach.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TTS is integrated seamlessly within the TT app so users can access it without getting redirected or installing another app. TTS is offered in several parts of the world: Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, United States, and United Kingdom. It quickly gained traction after its launch \u2013 with small business owners and major brands embracing the more natural, soft-sell approach. So, what makes TTS so appealing?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SEAMLESS ONLINE SHOPPING<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead of how traditional e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, eBay, Temu, or AliExpress work, TTS targets consumers through a seamless social media experience.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n TT\u2019s algorithm works by showing targeted content based on past user behaviours on the app. For example, if a consumer watches a cat video and interacts with it, the algorithm will assume it as a preference and show more cat related content that may contain featured products.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n With Tik Tok Shop\u2019s approach of \u2018social e-commerce\u2019, consumers do not need to search the web for products seen on their feed as sellers can link videos directly to a shop page for an easy checkout experience.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n This means two things: consumers are going to spend more time on the app watching videos they enjoy which increases the chances of your product getting noticed organically; and consumers are more likely to purchase items on their feed as it is curated to their likes.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n 'SHOPPERTAINMENT' INFLUENCE ON E- COMMERCE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Tik Tok\u2019s success in combining shopping and social media entertainment seamlessly changed more than just consumer behaviours who enjoyed the ease of a seamless shopping experience and social media all being under one roof.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other platforms such as Lazada noticed TTS\u2019s winning approach and adapted their apps to include interactive \u2018shoppertainment\u2019-like content and features into their traditional platforms, however it was poorly moderated and has since been discontinued.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n INTERACTIVE 'SHOPPERTAINMENT' APPROACH<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Tik Tok Shop sellers can use the multitude of tools in the app to reach and interact with consumers. Challenges, shoppable tags, augmented reality\u202feffects, hashtags, or live shopping are some of the many tools available. Brands that sell makeup or clothes for example may want to leverage on augmented reality for a personalised experience that could lead to higher conversion rates. As \u2018shoppertainment\u2019 content can be time consuming to create, planning is vital as the nature of TTS is fast paced and ever evolving.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n