What is TikTok?
TikTok is a short-form mobile video platform that is usually edited on a smartphone. Although TikTok videos can be edited on a computer the ability to edit videos on a smartphone gives the user the ability to upload video content quickly.
Mission of TikTok
Tik Tok’s mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy to the viewer. It’s different from other social media networks in that this platform is focused on lifting the spirits of the users. Some call it “joy scrolling” versus “doom scrolling”.
TikTok and E-Commerce
This week TikTok officially morphed into an e-commerce company by announcing its new partnership with the e-commerce platform Shopify. To get up and running TikTok will perform a set of test pilot projects throughout the UK, Canada and the US. Doing so, will help this platform experiment with e-marketing campaigns and search engine optimization features in the AI space.
TikTok and Shopify
In October 2020 TikTok announced that it was working with Shopify to introduce new online tools that would allow Shopify vendors to integrate their TikTok marketing campaigns directly from the Shopify dashboard within the TikTok for Business Ads Manager. This week’s announcement expands on the e-commerce experience. Soon Shopify merchants with TikTok accounts will be able to add new shopping buttons to their TikTok profiles. This feature will allow sellers to sync online catalogs and create mini storefronts on their TikTok profiles.
Competition for Facebook?
Another aspect of the new partnership involves bringing product links directly to Shopify merchants that can be used to tag products embedded in their TikTok videos. These features will permit TikTok users to click on tagged products and be directed towards the merchant’s storefront for ordering and checkout. This new in-app shopping experience could potentially tip the e-commerce scales in the social media space. For more than a decade Facebook has the market cornered on social media-driven sales. But if the partnership with TikTok and Shopify proves successful, the introduction of embedded tagged products in influencer videos could be a game-changer.
Elaine Allan, BA, MBA
Technology and Business Blogger
Vancouver, BC, Canada