All articlesSocial Commerce [TikTok for e commerce] Pros and cons and how to incorporate it into your strategy Sam SmithEcommerce Consultant at Doofinder Letās start with this jaw dropping number:According to Hootsuite and WeAreSocial, TikTokās audience has reached over 800 million active users.That staggering number places it just behind Instagram (which has about 1 billion).No wonder this social network is the talk of the town.Ever since its creation in 2016, TikTokās popularity has experienced meteoric growth, particularly among young people.And this, along with other fairly interesting features ā such as the fact that the algorithm doesnāt take into account the number of followers a profile has ā has caught the eye of many businesses.And the same can be said for you, right?However, you may be asking yourself:How does the app work?Is TikTok worth it for eācommerce?What kind of strategy can I implement using TikTok?Weāll answer all these questions, so just sit back and read on.Ready to turn into a real TikTokker? šTable of Contentsš What you should know before creating a TikTok profile for your eācommerceā āBut isnāt TikTok just for teenagers?āš Is TikTok worth including in your strategy? Pros and consā 1. Prosā”ļø A. Itās not dependent on how many followers you haveā”ļø B. Functionality for eācommerceā”ļø C. There isnāt much competition (as of now)ā 2. Consā”ļø A. A very limited content formatā”ļø B. Plenty of advertising opportunities ā but not for every budgetš Keys to integrating TikTok into your shopās social media strategyā 1. Entertainment above all elseā 2. Get support from influencersā 3. Interact with usersā 4. Give your account a personal touchš Are you going to start using TikTok in your online store?š What you should know before creating a TikTok profile for your eācommerceTikTok began as the now-defunct social network Musical.ly.And the name is quite self-explanatory.All of TikTokās content is made up of short music clips, that is, short videos between 15-60 seconds long where the music is (usually) superimposed over the original audio.Just to help you get a grasp of it, think of these videos as the equivalent of Instagram stories.And just like with other social media apps, such as Snapchat, videos include a range of editing options (changing speed, adding effects, etc.).For example, hereās a post by My Glow 2 showing one of their products.āSo whatās the big deal with this whole TikTok thing?āIt might not seem like anything special but, as we told you earlier, this social media platform has grown exponentially in the last few years and now constitutes a market with enormous potential.But wait ā thereās more.On top of everything else, TikTok is starting to seduce online shops with some highly attractive advertising options (which we discuss below).ā āBut isnāt TikTok just for teenagers?āNot at all. šTikTokās rise and spread is similar to that of other social media sites, such as Instagram or Facebook.At the beginning, most of their users were young, with a mean age ranging from 10 to 16.But thatās starting to change.While this age group is still important, the app has also caught the eye of users between 20 and 30.So this app is definitely up your alley if your buyer persona fits into this age range.š Is TikTok worth including in your strategy? Pros and consThe truth is, TikTok is gaining ground over other social media.So, if youāre targeting young audiences or planning to use video marketing in your strategy ā something we wholeheartedly encourage you to do, considering all its advantages ā then youāll most likely have to use TikTok sooner or later.In any case, letās go over the positive and negative aspects of TikTok, and then you can decide for yourself if itās worth it. šā 1. ProsLetās start with the advantages.ā”ļø A. Itās not dependent on how many followers you haveThis might be one of the appās most interesting aspects.Unlike with Instagram or Facebook, TikTokās algorithm (which was recently revealed) doesnāt take into account the number of followers a profile has to determine who sees the content.As the founders put it: āYou donāt need many followers to go viralā.The app shows you content from profiles you donāt follow based on your interests and the kinds of publications youāve interacted with in order to show you similar ones.So what does that mean?For example, if you own an online photography store and you post video tutorials and reviews of your products, theyāll probably show up in the feeds of users following other photography accounts.ā”ļø B. Functionality for eācommerceRecently, TikTokās been testing out some different options related to social selling.The most interesting is the one that allows you to add a link to your online store in your posts (something Instagram doesnāt do).So if you post a video showing a product, users can check out the product card on your website right away.And if the card is properly written, chances are theyāre going to buy it. šSomething thatās yet to be enabled are in-app purchases, which Instagram does already allow. However, this functionality is sure to be implemented sooner or later.ā”ļø C. There isnāt much competition (as of now)Only recently has TikTok found success, which means there arenāt many online stores (or businesses, in general) that have decided to incorporate it into their strategy.But considering its rapid growth, this is also due to change soon.So if your online store is one of the first, youāll have an advantage.ā 2. ConsUnfortunately, we canāt forget about some of TikTokās weaknesses (yes, it also has some).ā”ļø A. A very limited content formatIts main feature is, at the same time, a hindrance for many online shops.As mentioned above, TikTok has a single format: video, so itās not really recommendable if:You donāt feel at ease in front of a camera (though this is something to address).Your product doesnāt spark a visual interest.You donāt have much time to create and edit videos.While Snapchat and Instagram allow you to combine videos and static images, TikTok doesnāt have the same flexibility.ā”ļø B. Plenty of advertising opportunities ā but not for every budgetThis might be the main drawback.While on Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat, advertising is completely open and broadly accessible, TikTok is quite the opposite.To begin with, advertising accounts donāt exist as such. If you want to create one, you have to contact them and let them manage everything.But the key factor is the price.The minimum investment is $500, something many businesses canāt afford. And this can quickly increase to thousands depending on the ad format you choose.Therefore, if you want to make an impact on TikTok, youāll most likely have to do so through the content you post.š Keys to integrating TikTok into your shopās social media strategyLetās suppose youāve liked what weāve told you about TikTok and want to give it a shot.Then the first step is to establish an action plan (if you donāt know how, check out this post on social media marketing).But, apart from that, there are some tricks thatāll help your content go viral.So get your camera ready ā weāre about to do some filming. šā 1. Entertainment above all elseTikTok is the social networking service that most favors visual content.Users log in to watch eye-catching, rapid-consumption content that keeps them entertained.Does that mean itās not useful for selling?No, but you need to learn the TikTok language.Following the previous example, letās say you want to publish a review of the new camera youāve added to the new catalog of your photography eācommerce.Instead of talking to the camera, you could post a video of yourself using it, like this.And this idea applies to virtually every sector.ā 2. Get support from influencersA good way to wiggle your way into this site is by collaborating with influencers (or ācreatorsā, as theyāre called here).This strategy helps you gain importance and visibility, and if you get started with micro-influencers, your initial investment will be much lower.In case you need it, hereās another post with some ideas on marketing with influencers.Note: TikTok has its own marketplace where you can hire one or more creators. However, as with advertising, it comes at a high price, so youāre better off cultivating those relationships yourself, as with any other social networking site.ā 3. Interact with usersThis is crucial.Engagement will be your basic strategy on TikTok.That is, getting users to know you and follow your posts to then direct them to your online shop.And this will be easier if you remain active.Here are some must-do tasks:Reply to all the comments users leave.Comment on the posts in other profiles of your sector.Join some of the ever-growing list of viral challenges that appear on TikTok.In a nutshell, you have to be, well⦠āsocialā. šā 4. Give your account a personal touchTikTokās the perfect stage to show your users whatās behind the curtain that is your online shop.This includes:Day-to-day life at the company.Videos showing the order-tagging process.Employeesā birthdays.Hereās another example by My Glow 2 that may give you some ideas.š Are you going to start using TikTok in your online store?Youāve already seen all the possibilities this video-sharing social network has to offer.So itās your turn now.Turn on your camera, press record, and put in the effort if you want your online shop to go TikTok viral. FREE EBOOKS Increase your eCommerce sales by 20%The 10 largest eCommerce sites in the worldHow to start an online shop from scratch