Commentary

Ecommerce Comes To TikTok For Budget-Friendly Conversions

Growing in popularity, and recently ecommerce-enabled, TikTok can give marketers a budget-friendly, low-risk way to try out new (and fun) content.

A few stats show the rise in TikTok usage. TikTok users on Android phones now spend more time each month watching content than YouTube users, according to a report from app analytics firm App Annie. The difference is most pronounced in the U.K., where TikTok users watch 26 hours of content a month, compared to fewer than 16 hours by YouTube users. (Of course, that’s only on Android phones, but still a worthwhile stat.)

And now marketers can sell products directly on TikTok Shopping, which is currently being pilot-tested among a select group of Shopify merchants in the U.S., U.K., and Canada, and set to expand to other regions in the coming months.

Ecommerce makes TikTok more convenient for shoppers, according to marketing consultant Jeff Pedowitz, president/CEO of The Pedowitz Group. “You don’t have to send someone off-platform to convert. That in of itself is revolutionary way to think about marketing.”

While it’s still early in the day for more sophisticated reporting of performance and attribution from the platform, marketers can still get enough basic info, he notes.

Pedowitz says marketers considering TikTok should “spend some time getting to know the platform,” learning who major influencers are, and looking at different age groups and demos.

He suggests surveying customers on social media use to get a better sense of who’s using what.

And while some folks may think it’s just kids watching TikTok, he believes users can skew older.

Another plus: Compared to search, Instagram and Youtube, TikTok’s “conversion costs are lower,” Pedowitz adds.

For one, marketers don’t have to make a huge production. In keeping with the platform’s tone, short-form TikTok videos are more offhand and low-key than with other media.

He suggests doing small tests, grabbing footage that could even in “your backyard or kitchen.”

Bottom line? Have fun, and consider doing something “tongue-in-cheek.”

And finally, “cross promote your TikTok content on other channels,” like Snapchat and Instagram.

Next story loading loading..