It's no secret that TikTok poses a massive opportunity for many businesses.
But, why should your brand be taking advantage of this opportunity and promoting your products on this platform? Let's discuss!
- You can’t Drive and TikTok
A common analogy marketers will use is “you can’t drive a car and watch TikTok”, and fundamentally what this means is that with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and all the other platforms out there, you can scroll aimlessly…But not TikTok! ❌
The content keeps you hooked on the app with the algorithm giving you more and more of what you want to see based on your preferences. TikTok users have been reported to spend on average 58 minutes and 24 seconds on the platform in 2024. This high engagement level makes them more likely to interact with ads and are often in a buying mindset just opening the app!
Put effort into making your content engaging and eye-catching to capture the audience and take advantage of the high engagement of the platform.
- Visibility & reach to your Shop and content
The biggest advantage to your business having a presence on TikTok is the visibility, reach and viral opportunity the platform presents. The barrier to entry is so low - you can create an account in minutes and start producing content that can reach thousands, even millions of people. There isn’t another platform, other than possibly Amazon, that allows you to launch your brand with a shopfront on a platform that already has over 1 billion monthly active users.
It could take you years to establish the level of traffic to your website that your TikTok account and shopfront can gain within just a few weeks or months.
I remember 2 years ago we’d just started working with a beauty client who was generating a good number of sales 1 year into launching their TikTok Shop. We collaborated on a few content ideas and one of them ended up achieving 5Million views in a short period of time, and that month, their revenue increased by 8 times compared to 2 months prior. I honestly put this success largely down to their viral video, which just wouldn’t be possible without TikTok!
- TikTok Shop is growing hugely
TikTok Shop is without a doubt the best feature for e-commerce brands. TikTok have put a huge effort into gaining consumer trust and improving customer experience in order to grow their sales and encourage brands to launch on the platform. TikTok Shop launched in the US in 2023 and within a short space of time, TikTok buyers in the US increased by 72.3%, reaching a total of 23.7 million.
You no longer have to worry about gaining the trust of customers through your website as TikTok have done the job for you. You’re simply launching your products on a platform that already has a huge customer base. The checkout process is simple and easy for consumers, as they don’t have to leave the platform to purchase from multiple businesses, removing the barrier to purchase.
Furthermore, the TikTok Ad platform allows you to invest budget into increasing conversions by promoting your videos with a direct link to buy the featured products.
TikTok actively loves you using the Shop ad type because you are encouraging the TikTok user to stay on-platform so they will usually give a range of incentives to encourage you to run these ads, such as vouchers & flash sales that they will subsidise for you. Meaning you don’t have to pay for your customer to receive a promotion or discount!
We’ve seen incredible success for the clients we’re working with on TikTok, with one client generating £1Million in sales from their TikTok Shop Ads alone, in the first 7 months of 2024.
- TikTok LIVE has a huge conversion rate!
Whilst you can go LIVE on Instagram, TikTok LIVE is a whole different kettle of fish. Think modern day QVC, but on your phone, with instant access to checkout. Not only does TikTok LIVE promote your profile and boost engagement, but you can also generate a significant amount of sales in just a few hours using a proven, high-converting platform. Research shows 71.2% of TikTok shoppers said they made a purchase when they found something of interest in their feed or Stories, etc. 58% claimed they used TikTok as a source of shopping inspiration.
To add to the success, you can launch paid advertising campaigns that send more traffic and potential customers to your LIVES. Because LIVES are already proven to be high-converting, this increases the potential to generate a higher amount of sales.
Some of the major advantages to going live are:
✅ TikTok LIVES are a touchpoint with customers that opens up to live questioning and feedback so an engaged community can be built to create excitement and engagement.
✅ They can build a sense of urgency around purchasing the products being showcased which can be utilised to push sale peaks.
- Your customers are already on the platform!
A common misconception of TikTok is that it’s just for Gen Z. Don’t be fooled into thinking your target audience on TikTok. In 2024, statistics show the following percentage of age groups are actively using the app.
- 32.6% aged 25-34
- 16% aged 35-44
- 8.3% aged 45-54
- 6.3% aged 55+
Not only this, but the users are using TikTok as their search engine instead of Google, to search for things they need or are interested in. If you’re not on the platform, you could be missing out on a huge amount of traffic and searches for your product.
Not on TikTok already? This is our advice for businesses not already on TikTok:
If you’re not already using TikTok to promote and grow your business, it can feel daunting to get started. Here’s our advice to help get started:
TikTok users prefer genuine, unpolished content over highly produced ads. They are looking for value, honesty and transparency from brands. And trust us when we say… this audience will find authenticity whether the brand produces it or not through comments on the brand’s content, reviews, or seeing out other content creators that have used the product. 🔎
When creating content, make sure to not make any over-exaggerated claims and keep it realistic and authentic. Gone are the days of disingenuous partnerships with influencers, brands need to partner with content creators who can demonstrate real results from the products that they are using.
To ensure you’re making the most of the platform and generating a return on your time investment, set up TikTok Shop to start generating sales. Shopify has a direct integration with TikTok so it’s never been easier to sync your products, fulfil sales and grow your TikTok Shop.
Once you’ve solidified your content strategy and gained an organic presence - we recommend presenting your first few TikTok LIVES. Not only will you connect further with your audience, you have a direct opportunity to answer questions, provide extra information and create a real community.
If you’re going to launch on TikTok, make sure to give it your ALL! If you half heartedly launch and don’t make the effort to post content that connects with your audience, engage with your community on LIVES and update your Shop, you won’t get the most out of the platform. You must be prepared to dedicate the time, energy and budget to the platform, and in turn it will reward you right back!
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