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Shopify entered into a commerce partnership with TikTok on October 27, 2020, where they launched the TikTok channel for Shopify. This product will help Shopify merchants reach TikTok’s international audience and drive sales.
Why would an established commerce giant like Shopify consider a deal with a relatively new social media platform like TikTok?
Currently, Shopify has more than one million merchants. For these entrepreneurs to thrive and grow their businesses, they must engage with their customers. The best way to target prospects is by finding them where they are spending time.
Nowadays, tech-forward companies are driving awareness campaigns and generating qualified leads through social commerce. TikTok channel for Shopify opens a way through which Shopify merchants can expand their reach to millions of new consumers across the world.
The Potential of TikTok Channel for Shopify
If you have a business and haven’t included TikTok in your social marketing strategy, you should give it a thought. TikTok, a platform that enables users to share short videos, has become one of the most popular social networks amongst Millennials and Generation Z. This doesn’t mean that other age groups are not using TikTok.
While most users joined TikTok purely for entertainment, the platform has gradually evolved into a low CPM marketing tool. Its power lies in its high engagement, considering that video is the main content shared across the platform. Further, TikTok’s mammoth following is a great asset for entrepreneurs who can target the right audiences.
Numbers at a Glance
Why did Shopify find TikTok an important business enabler for its merchants? Below are some statistics that may have inspired the October 2020 partnership.
- Over two billion TikTok app downloads
- Around 800 million active monthly users
- 26.5 million active monthly users in the USA
- A whopping 1 million video views every day
- 90 percent of users open TikTok every day
- Users split evenly between both genders
- Users spend about 52 minutes daily on TikTok
- TikTok user spend was $115.3 million in 2019
But TikTok is unattractive for business since it’s mostly popular with the younger populations, right? Wrong. Facebook started as a college platform, but it prides itself on being the biggest social network worldwide, with over 2.7 billion active users. Snapchat too targeted the younger generation before entering the corporate world.
That aside, Shopify merchants don’t have to be active TikTok users to take advantage of the TikTok channel. Sellers only need to create content that connects with their target demographics and launch awareness campaigns via the TikTok channel for Shopify.
How TikTok Channel for Shopify Works
TikTok channel for Shopify lets merchants create their TikTok For Business account and launch in-feed shoppable videos within Shopify. Once a retailer selects the videos they want to feature, video ads auto-generate.
The videos drive viewers directly to the merchant’s Shopify store for checkout. With ready-made templates engineered for commerce, any Shopify merchant can easily exploit TikTok’s worldwide reach with their existing images and video.
More in Store for Shopify Merchants
Shopify and TikTok plan to test new commerce features in the coming months to allow merchants to heighten brand awareness. The duo will enhance organic and paid reach on user-profiles and through video.
During the TikTok channel for Shopify launch, the Vice President of Product at Shopify officially welcomed TikTok to the commerce world. Satish Kanwar encouraged Shopify merchants to get ready for a busy online shopping season.
Blake Chandlee of TikTok appreciated their collaboration with Shopify, describing it as a channel for merchants to reach new prospects and drive sales on TikTok. The Vice President, Global Business Solutions at TikTok, said that the user creativity and high engagement set their platform apart.
He added that TikTok is continually finding innovative ways to connect merchants with shoppers, and Shopify was the right platform. According to Blake, the partnership with Shopify would allow TikTok to nurture and expand its commerce capabilities across the world.
Today, the TikTok channel for Shopify is available in the United States. It will be accessible in other select regions across North America, Southeast Asia, and North America in early 2021.
Awareness Campaigns at Low CPM
Developing brand awareness using TikTok is easier than you think. Being a relatively new mobile marketing tool, it doesn’t have too many rules. Here are some ways to achieve brand awareness at low CPM.
Join the Hashtag Challenge
Are you familiar with hashtags? TikTok has a unique way of making them go viral. If you’re wondering, a hashtag challenge is a contest on social media revolving around a given topic or subject. TikTok users are excellent in responding to hashtag challenges.
Let your team participate in the trending hashtag challenges. Their online presence will increase your brand awareness. Take your brand to the next level by creating interesting hashtags and watch millions of TikTok users rejoin.
Invite an Influencer
Collaborating with an influencer can go a long way in promoting your business on Social media. Find a well-known influencer on TikTok and let them endorse your brand in a video. If your target audiences like the individual, you will witness a spike in your top of the funnel conversions.
Behind the Scenes Brand Tour
TikTok thrives on video, the most engaging type of content. The platform provides a golden opportunity to showcase your brand in detail. This is especially important to the modern consumer who researches brands before engaging with them.
Through video, you can appeal to the audience by showing the inner workings of your products. Provide a sneak peek of your services or what you do behind the curtains to win the audience’s confidence.
Another method to connect with your viewers is by showcasing your business culture. Provide a backstage view of a typical day at your company to let customers feel part of your brand.
Paid Ads
Since TikTok is not as widespread as popular platforms like Facebook and Instagram, paid ads can create brand awareness cost-effectively. Big brands like Nike are already doing it.
The cost of paid ads can be prohibitive for small businesses. However, you can recoup it and gain tremendous ROI if your target customers are in the younger age groups.
Learn from a Digital Marketing Agency
Contact ATTN Agency for more information on how you can use TikTok in your digital marketing strategy.