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SOCIAL COMMERCE
TikTok’s Community Commerce a boon for social media marketers
By our News Team | 2021
Local experts say TikTok’s new Commerce feature is becoming a proven way to accelerate the entire buying cycle on social media.
In February, a UK-based frozen dessert brand – Little Moons – experienced a 700% increase in sales – during the cold Northern Hemisphere winter!
The reason? Social media platform TikTok. Users were filming themselves buying (and trying) these delectable little mochi balls … and soon the craze was on.
What is exceptional about the platform is that these crazes are not isolated incidents, says Greg Bailie, Head of Growth & Innovation at African-based marketing agency Nfinity Media. They are what define TikTok and its user base.
For example, during lockdown, a viral ‘whipped coffee’ craze gripped TikTok users, with thousands of people becoming home baristas and whipping up instant cappuccinos thanks to short, snappy TikTok tutorials. And in the ‘Wipe It Down’ challenge, people filmed themselves cleaning their houses.
Image by iXimus from Pixabay
“Who would have thought watching other people making cappuccinos or cleaning their homes could be so much fun?” Bailie observes.
Creativity is the name of the game
“TikTok’s user base thrives on creativity, and the app taps into all of our senses, combining sound, sight and our emotions, which is why, whenever a new trend takes over, people easily find themselves spending countless hours watching some of the most innovative videos ever produced.”
Bailie says TikTok’s reach is far greater than its one billion users, however. Many trends today begin on the platform, but soon spread to Facebook, Instagram and messaging apps like Whatsapp.
“That’s because what is happening in TikTok is not only shaping other platforms but giving ordinary people the opportunity to define new subcultures. The platform leans on its creatives, and closes the loop through a new, uniquely TikTok creation: Community Commerce.”
According to Bailie, Community Commerce is a space where users actively promote their favourite brands to each other, accelerating the entire buying cycle through trust, authenticity and content.
“Community Commerce has become so successful because TikTok recognises that creator-driven word-of-mouth marketing is incredibly powerful, largely because social media users are looking for full online experiences, and that includes discovering new brands – through to purchase in a frictionless, fun shopping experience.”
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