How to Leverage TikTok for Engaging Video Commerce

Love it or hate it, TikTok is the place for brands to connect with their buyers.

Why?

Because 71.2% of TikTok users have bought items after discovering them on their feeds or stories, and 58% use the platform for shopping inspiration.

These huge numbers indicate a significant opportunity for eCommerce businesses to capitalize on TikTok’s massive reach and ramp up their sales.

Besides, this influence isn’t limited to the app itself. Businesses can also leverage TikTok content across their website, emails, and other marketing channels to diversify their social commerce strategy.

How? That’s exactly what we’ll discuss in this blog.

Understanding TikTok’s influence on video commerce

TikTok is the most engaging social platform. Purchases from the app are projected to increase by 67% by 2026—impressive for an app once known for dance challenges and lip-syncing videos.

Here’s what makes TikTok even more promising for eCommerce brands:

1. User-generated content

Users are more likely to buy products endorsed by people like themselves, and TikTok UGC delivers this. Real-life product experiences from customers resonate with viewers and boost engagement, trust, and visibility. This drives purchase decisions and improves conversions.

For example, Dr.Squatch, an all-natural men’s personal care product brand, used TikTok UGC to educate customers about natural, chemical-free products.

The result? Increased site engagement and a clearer understanding of Dr. Squatch’s value proposition for shoppers. Plus, it drove an impressive 9.9% average conversion rate, resulting in 13,500 orders worth over $750k.

Read the full case study

2. Entertaining shopping experience

TikTok blends shopping with entertainment, letting users buy products directly from videos. This seamless integration offers users a unique and engaging buying experience. Plus, they feel a stronger connection to their favorite brands, ultimately boosting conversions and sales.

For example, the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt trend makes shopping fun by featuring products in engaging, entertaining videos.

3. Thriving influencer community

TikTok influencers create engaging videos that showcase your products in a relatable way. Plus, their endorsements provide social proof and make your products more trustworthy to potential buyers.

Partnering with them allows your brand to reach a highly engaged audience through authentic, compelling content.

4. Interactive shopping features

These turn casual browsing into a dynamic shopping experience. Live shopping events offer real-time product showcases, and in-feed ads seamlessly integrate shoppable content into users’ feeds—driving instant purchases.

Not only that, the Shop tab centralizes all shoppable content and product information in one place to simplify product discovery and purchase.

5 ways to leverage TikTok for social shopping

With social commerce expected to grow by 32% annually from 2023 to 2030, implementing social media shopping is more of a need than a want for your brand.

However, TikTok isn’t just another social shopping platform—brands need a strategic approach to fully harness its potential.

Let’s explore five exciting ways you can leverage TikTok for social shopping—not just on the app, but also across other channels.

1. Embed TikTok videos on your website

Want to bridge your social media presence with your digital storefront? Adding TikTok videos to your eCommerce website is the perfect move.

You can embed videos like product demos, behind-the-scenes looks, or trending challenges that showcase your offerings.

It makes your website lively with fun content, keeps visitors hooked, and might even get them to follow your TikTok profile. Plus, it’s a great way to boost conversions and give your SEO a boost with fresh, dynamic updates.

Here’s how you can get it right:

• Position TikTok videos in high-visibility areas like your homepage or product pages for maximum engagement.
• Ensure they’re mobile-friendly and adjust seamlessly to different screen sizes.
• Track your TikTok videos’ performance with analytics tools to measure engagement, click-through rates, and conversions.
• Add actionable elements, like buttons or links, to encourage visitors to follow your TikTok profile or explore related products.

Check out how Fenty Beauty places TikTok videos on its homepage to showcase makeup tutorials and product demos.

2. Add TikTok content in personalized emails

Imagine shoppers opening your emails and seeing a TikTok clip that compels them to act rather than slogging through long text.

That’s exactly how including TikTok marketing content makes your emails more engaging and effective. It also boosts opens and clicks and drives higher conversion rates.

For example, if a customer has left a product in their cart, adding a TikTok video in your email featuring an influencer showcasing the item can quickly:

• Capture attention
• Highlight its benefits
• Drive purchases

However, simply adding a link can make your video blend in with text—missing out on the attention it deserves.

Additionally, major email providers like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo don’t support embedded video, which can cause your video to be flagged as spam or not playing correctly.

To solve this, you can use an eye-catching video thumbnail with a play button overlay. Clicking it redirects recipients to your TikTok content. And add a GIF of a brief snippet to give a preview of the TikTok video. Here’s how L’AMARUE does it.

For better results, add a clear CTA next to the thumbnail and GIF, like “Watch Now” or “Shop the Look,” to guide recipients on what to do next. Also, use relevant videos that deliver on your promise.

3. Use QR Codes to bridge online and offline

A TikTok QR code is your ticket to seamlessly blending the physical and digital worlds. By simply scanning it, users can instantly access your profile, a specific video, or an influencer’s endorsement.

It makes your TikTok content more accessible to users and guides them from physical marketing materials like posters or packaging to your channel.

Additionally, you get valuable data on user interactions to track engagement, analyze the campaign’s effectiveness, and refine strategies accordingly.

To use TikTok QR codes effectively:

• Stick them in your store to allow shoppers to watch your TikTok videos, such as demos and reviews—right from the aisle.
• Add QR codes to product packaging or receipts to offer customers styling tips, how-tos, or behind-the-scenes content straight from TikTok.
• Drop QR codes in flyers, posters, or magazine ads for quick access to TikTok content, promotions, or purchase links.

The best part? You can customize your QR code to match your brand identity. Add your logo at the center and make it pop with a customizable frame, CTA, and unique edges.

For example, Sephora places QR codes near mascara displays. It allows shoppers to scan and use TikTok filters to virtually try on different mascara looks.

Image source

4. Collaborate with niche influencers

TikTok is a haven for businesses looking for influencers—ranging from ones with millions of followers to ones with a few thousand fans. By partnering with them, brands:

• Gain visibility from the influencer’s large following
• Attract new and trusted audiences eager to try products promoted by familiar faces

If you’re lucky, your brand might receive organic promotion from celebrities For example, Lyma’s skincare products gained a 30,000-person waitlist after unpaid endorsements from Kim Kardashian and Kate Hudson.

You can also collaborate directly with niche influencers and pay them to produce content featuring your products. It appears either on your TikTok account or on the creator’s profile along with your brand’s description.

However, find influencers that align with your target audience and brand voice. Also, consider whether to look for big or small creators. While big influencers are expensive but offer a high reach, smaller ones are cost-effective and have a highly engaged audience.

TikTok’s Creator Marketplace is also a great place for companies to discover and partner with the best influencers in their niche.

But don’t reach out without clear goals—whether it’s boosting brand awareness, increasing followers, or driving sales.

Here’s an example of how the e.l.f Cosmetics partners with beauty influencer Laila Paul:

5. Set up and optimize your TikTok shop

TikTok Shop is one of the best social shopping platforms for businesses and creators to sell products directly within the TikTok app. It’s a powerful driver of traffic and sales for eCommerce brands.

Brands tag products in their videos and add a shopping tab to their profiles, syncing it with their product catalogs.

Once the user likes a product, they can purchase it in just a few taps—staying within the app. They can also leave reviews so potential customers can check the item’s quality before buying.

Go through TikTok’s Seller University to set up a TikTok Shop. Once your account is approved, start selling on this social shopping site, using:

• In-feed video: Add shoppable product tags to your TikTok videos so users can purchase directly from them.
• Live shopping: Promote, sell, and engage your audience in real time by including shoppable product tags during LIVE videos.
• Shop tab: Add products in a marketplace where customers can search and discover promotions, view recommendations, and manage orders.
• Shop ads: Boost your shop’s visibility with paid ads that drive customers to discover and purchase within the platform.

Laura Mallows, founder of Mallows Beauty, said she made the same amount in two hours via TikTok Live (a TikTok Shop feature), which took her nearly a week to earn at her Cardiff’s physical store.

How to integrate TikTok videos using Videowise

While TikTok content works wonders on the app, it’s also smart to add it to your Shopify store for increased engagement and conversions.

Here’s how you can do it with Videowise:

1. Sync your TikTok content

Videowise supports direct integrations with YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. To sync your content, log into Videowise, go to Library, and select Import in the right corner of the screen. Then, select Import from TikTok and write the video URL in the pop-up.

2. Make your videos shoppable

Videowise allows you to convert any video into shoppable content so they can make purchases while watching videos on your store pages. It also boosts conversion rates, reduces return rates, and enhances reviews.

Enter the video if you want to add products. Then, from the right side, select Add products. Now, you can add as many products as you wish. Then, on the left side, click the Call to Action button and edit the CTA style and message.

3. Get ready to publish

Then you can go and create a widget with the TikTok video on the desired pages. Then, you’ll install it in Shopify and hit the Mark as an Installed button to publish your video. 

Boost your social commerce strategy with TikTok

Instead of relying on search engines, many people now turn to social media marketing platforms for researching, buying, and reviewing products. TikTok stands out as one of the top choices that seamlessly blend social media and shopping.

By leveraging its features—like in-feed videos, LIVE shopping, and shoppable tags—brands can amplify their digital marketing and eCommerce strategies.

So, if you’re thinking about leveraging TikTok content for your business—now’s the time.

But, don’t stick to the app—experiment with integrating TikTok content across various marketing channels. Get creative, mix things up, and watch your engagement and sales take off.

Eager to boost your TikTok strategy? Dive into Videowise’s case studies to learn how industry-leading brands are leveraging TikTok to move the needle for their business.

* This article was originally published here