Far beyond dance videos: the impact of TikTok on e-commerce

What started as short videos choreographing Gen Z’s greatest hits, has become a marketing phenomenon. So don’t underestimate the power of TikTok for e-commerce!

Daily we are bombarded with thousands of pieces of information! I don’t know about you, but my day starts by turning off the alarm on my cell phone and connecting to all the social networks available on my smartphone to catch up on the news, which I missed during a few hours of sleep — the only moment of total disconnection!

Social networks are an extension of our lives, it is no wonder that after the pandemic there has been a growing movement to share more realistic content there, escaping a little from the stereotype of perfection disseminated by Instagram and its “flawless” influencers.

In this context, more spontaneous and less productive social networks are gaining strength in the market and becoming an opportunity for businesses, especially those of medium and small size that do not have millionaire budgets to invest in advertisements, partnerships, or fancy content creation.

In my opinion, this is the main impact of TikTok on e-commerce: the possibility of going viral as a virtual store, with light, young, funny, relaxed, and often woke content. The old saying “less is more” is back in the game within the Chinese app, but the next one on the list is already growing… and the name is quite suggestive (Be Real)!

In this article, we’re going to bring you some tips on how to use TikTok to increase sales in your virtual store, offering simple but quality content for this platform that is booming all over the world.

Read too: E-commerce in the Metaverse: how to adapt your virtual store

About TikTok

TikTok was created in 2018 under the name Musical.ly, by the Chinese company ByteDance, aiming to encourage users to create choreographies for songs, using filters and other features of the application. But the tool went far beyond dancing and is conquering the world with everyday content, in the best style for people like us.

You can find everything there, from makeup tutorials to step-by-step instructions on how to use all the features of a washing machine. Recently, content about an air purifier went viral. Everyone was using the equipment with plastic over the filter, preventing the correct functioning of the device.

But how to use this type of content for e-commerce?

It’s simpler than it looks, since selling products is to show how to use them. After all, nobody reads the instruction manuals. So, just translate this into short and fun videos that fit your target audience’s routine.

But let’s start with some numbers so you can understand why it’s important for your e-commerce to be on TikTok.

TikTok Numbers

According to platform data, TikTok reached 1 billion active users in 2022. Brazil is the second country that most uses this social network in the world, with 4.72 million users, right after China, according to data from Statista. TikTok has 59% female users and 66% of them are under 30 years old (hellooo genZ’s).

In addition, social network is already being used by companies to increase product sales. A case study that proves the sales power of TikTok is from Clinique Black Honey, a lip-gloss launched some time ago and that went viral on the platform through a video showing that, even though it looks super dark, the product offers a much clearer color than it appears to have.

This advertising was completely organic and ended up with stocks of the product in stores like Sephora and on the Clinique website itself, which had to accept pre-orders.

TikTok is investing heavily in digital retail, enabling integration with e-commerce platforms, including Kyte, Loja Integrada, PrestaShop, Shopify, Tray, and VTEX, as well as a direct connection to WhatsApp Business to facilitate sales.

Recently, the social network reported that 25% of users look for or buy a product immediately after seeing it on the platform. Furthermore, a survey of opinion box found that 38% of Brazilians have already bought something from an ad seen on TikTok.

Finally, as we mentioned at the beginning of the text, TikTok is still a blue ocean for small and medium-sized businesses. To prove it is that according to social network data videos with the hashtag #smallbusinesses had 194 million views in 2022.

To surf this wave, just create a business profile, the TikTok for Business.

How does TikTok for Business work?

TikTok for Business offers plans for agencies, small and medium-sized businesses, large companies, and content creators.

For small and medium-sized online stores, it is best to create a business profile to access performance metrics, audience insights, and marketing tools. But the platform itself says it is better to always act as a content creator, leaving sales in the background.

With Spark Ads, you can boost videos made by you or creators to maximize brand impact. In addition, it is also possible to promote organic content in the users’ feeds.

The newest features of the platform, with a total focus on electronic commerce, are the shopping ads, which aim to turn users into customers with features such as Video Shopping Ads, Catalog Listing Ads, and LIVE Shopping Ads. The functionality simplifies the purchase process, which can now be done in the app with the availability of an online catalog.

But is it worth advertising this feature?

Is it worth advertising on TikTok?

In a talk for Brighton SEO 2022, digital marketing expert, Rachel Fellows, summarized this answer.

Advertising on TikTok in 2022 is worth it if:

1. Your audience is there.
2. You are willing to create content with sound.
3. The tool meets the objectives of your business.

For Rachel, there aren’t enough data to guarantee that ads on TikTok sell yet, but it is a tool for brand awareness and lead generation.

Now, check out the tips from the sales experts at edrone on how to use TikTok for e-commerce.

How to use TikTok for e-commerce?

For Olga Grushetska, edrone sales manager in Poland, small and medium-sized e-commerces have great chances to reap goods from TikTok, but for that, they need to share direct content, such as a conversation with a friend.

“A year ago, it was easy to go viral on TikTok, now it’s more complicated, and it’s important to have some young people, from generation Z, on the marketing team responsible for the TikTok strategy. It is necessary to create content that generates value for the platform user.”

Regarding ads on TikTok, Olga says that the value for money is still a win-win situation. “The values ​​are similar to Instagram, but it has a better distribution, in which the store reaches more people with the same investment”.

How to use TikTok to sell products?

For Daniela dos Santos Cruz Neves, leader of the sales team at edrone Brasil, selling products on TikTok is easier than it seems.

“Clothing and shoe stores should show different combinations of looks with the music of the moment, something very light and fun that encourages the user to like the whole set and make them want something similar”.

For food stores, the tip comes with an example from Swift, a brand that bets on influencer marketing to sell the products in the store.

“They form a partnership with a grill, for example, and show them how to make the meat, something that everyone can do at home. I even bought the sausage influenced by the TikTok videos”, she says.

Videos that engage on TikTok are not sales content; they have to be something useful for the user. How to learn to cook something yummy! This also applies to wine stores, which can give tips on how to combine the drink with different dishes or ingredients.

This is the best way to engage your TikTok audience and sell products from an online store through the platform.

How to go viral with a virtual store on TikTok?

If you want to go viral on TikTok, less is more!

1. Make video tips.
2. Record in a simple way.
3. Invest in content that can be replicated in people’s homes.
4. Use hashtags.
5. Use loud music.
6. Make subtitles or narrate the video step by step.
7. Bet on spontaneous videos.
8. Use humor to answer questions from customers.
9. Use mobile apps to help make cuts and transitions, as well as light adjustments to make videos attractive and simple!
10. Surf the platform’s trends and take advantage of commemorative dates. During Halloween, for example, a trend emerged in the United States on how to make Vampire Skin (yes, that’s exactly what you Twilight readers are thinking — a skin that glows). This is a perfect opportunity for online cosmetics stores to showcase their products by doing this tutorial.

Now that you know how to use TikTok for e-commerce, don’t forget that keeping customers conquered through the platform is fundamental. To do that, a CRM for e-commerce tool is the best solution!