Shopify and TikTok expand partnership, launch TikTok Shopping
Shopify and TikTok today have an expansion to their partnership, launching a new way for entrepreneurs to reach consumers with TikTok Shopping.
Shopify merchants will soon be able to add a shopping tab to their TikTok profiles by syncing their product catalogues to create a mini-storefront. The move will make it easier for creators to find customers and sell to them directly through the platform and for shoppers to access the brands and products sold by the creators they love. Influencer marketers will also be able to find creators that are monetizing their audience just by looking at a Tiktok profile.
Social commerce continues to be one of the fastest-growing channels for Shopify merchants as more and more creators rely on platforms to build their businesses and brands, claims TikTok. From February 2020 to February 2021, installs of Shopify’s social commerce channels increased by 76%.
Says Shimona Mehta, Managing Director EMEA at Shopify:
“We are excited to bring new shopping experiences to one of the world’s most popular social and entertainment platforms. Social commerce has fundamentally changed the way we shop as people now expect to be able to browse and purchase through the platforms where they spend most of their time. The expansion of our partnership with TikTok will mean that our merchants can reach the platform’s hundreds of millions of highly engaged users across the UK.
“By more deeply integrating commerce with TikTok, we will help merchants to reach consumers where they like to shop and help creators and merchants deepen their relationships. We look forward to continuing to push the boundaries together with TikTok as social commerce and the creator economy continue to grow.”
Adds Lisa Friedrich, Head of SMB at TikTok EMEA:
“The businesses thriving today innovate to find the best ways to engage with customers, and TikTok has provided brands with a creative outlet to authentically do this. As the home of joyful creativity, and with a hugely diverse audience, we are thrilled to expand our partnership with Shopify as it means we can go even further to help support brands on this journey. We hope that this partnership will continue to be a game-changer for Shopify merchants in Europe, helping them to quickly, effectively and accurately connect with our community in the UK.”
Discoverability has become a growing priority for Shopify merchants with social commerce providing an opportunity for independent businesses to increase awareness of their brand. Shopify’s 2021 Future of Commerce report found that 54% of younger consumers globally discover brands via social media.
