Why We’re Watching TikTok E-Commerce This Holiday Season

Tis the season of holiday shopping. (Cue images of you strutting down the street with cute shopping bags in hand.) Or, more accurately, cozied up at home scrolling through your favorite social apps. Social commerce is set to be an influential platform for holiday shopping this year. And TikTok is emerging as the new social commerce platform to watch.

As social commerce continues to shift the consumer shopping journey, brands can tap into platforms like TikTok to influence purchase intent. In fact, TikTok found that shoppers are twice as likely to make a day-of purchase online than through traditional retail.

The app is still in the early phases of rolling out shopping tools in the US and Europe. But its social commerce offerings have seen success in China, and could deliver high impact for brands across the board.

Here’s why we’ve got our eye on TikTok e-commerce strategies this holiday shopping season.

Tapping into in-app behavior.

According to TikTok, 61% of its users have engaged in e-commerce behaviors on the platform. Already, the popular hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt reflects the significant impact that TikTok creators can have on purchasing decisions.

It’s a short hop between seeing a trusted influencer recommend a product, and buying it yourself. Especially when you can make the purchase in-app. Because they fit into established consumer behavior, TikTok’s shopping tools are primed to influence buying habits this holiday season.

It’s a short hop between seeing a trusted influencer recommend a product, and buying it yourself.

The benefit of simplicity.

We’ve all had the experience of filling a cart with holiday gifts—and never clicking buy. Perhaps we're divas. But really, the digital onslaught is sometmes just too much. An easy-to-use shopping platform can make all the difference.

21% of US shoppers abandon carts due to a complicated checkout process. Meanwhile, TikTok for Business reports that one third of consumers use social media to learn more about brands and companies within the natural flow of the in-app experience.

TikTok’s in-app shopping has already achieved significant success with users in China. As consumers scroll and swipe—intentionally or unintentionally finding the season’s hottest products—brands should include product links for users to click and buy.

Exploring the opportunities for livestream shopping.

TikTok’s livestream shopping tool is an interesting new development for brands to experiment with for holiday e-commerce. Akin to traditional television shopping, consumers can purchase products promoted within livestreams—without leaving the app.

However, this kind of shopping behavior is more entrenched in China than in US, and some doubt the potential for success stateside. Brands will also need to build the proper teams to support the livestream feature. To pull it off, you’ll need a moderator, community manager, and a host.

Interested in exploring TikTok for upcoming holiday campaigns? If you’re ready to dive in, here are some tips for getting started:

• Develop a comprehensive social commerce digital marketing strategy. This should include both organic and paid campaigns and budgets.
• Get to grips with the tools available for publishing shoppable content.
• Utilize reporting solutions to measure and adjust marketing strategies.

Looking for guidance for the holiday season or beyond? Reach out to us at hello@praytellagency.com.