In September, the Visualsoft Reload Summit brought together leading speakers and experts from across the eCommerce spectrum for a day to discover what the future of the industry has to offer. Rebecca Scollen, Beauty Leaderships Partner at TikTok Shop, delighted us with a deep dive into the future of social commerce, and how to transform it into an online growth superpower. Here are some of the highlights from the talk…

TikTok isn’t just teenagers dancing anymore, it’s the number one globally downloaded app with the highest annual rate of monthly active users, spread across 150+ countries, with TikTok videos uploaded in 75 different languages. The plucky upstart of social media is certainly here to stay. With people spending four times the amount of time they would on other social platforms, TikTok presents eCommerce businesses with ample opportunities to reach new customers, and increase purchases.

A new era of online shopping

One of the most promising opportunities TikTok brings is TikTok Shop, an embedded marketplace on the platform that provides challenger brands with an excellent chance to get their products in front of captivated audiences. Some 48% of shoppers discover new products on TikTok Shop, 88% discover completely new brands (the highest of any social media platform) and 71% of users take action offline in response to something they’ve seen. This creates a wider halo effect which is particularly potent for smaller brands looking to go up against big names. 

The community hustle

It’s never been more important for brands to become part of something bigger than themselves, and TikTok’s approach to building communities gives the ideal front door to businesses looking to tap into the community in which their products live and find meaning. TikTok’s communities are driven by creators and audiences who have a real passion for what they’re into, stretching from, but not limited to books, beauty, food and home. Of the 300,000 or so creators on the platform, 5,000 are managed directly by TikTok, leveraging their respective communities to drive growth for online brands. You may know your customer like the back of your hand, but thinking about how your products could fit into a niche, or a certain community can beckon in an unexpected boost to your sales. 

Extending the customer experience 

Traditionally, the checkout has always marked the finish line of a customer’s journey, but with user-generated content flooding the online world, products are living second lives in the hands of those who have purchased it, with TikTok providing the ultimate platform to show off, review, or discuss their new purchases. It’s free advertising, but only if your products live up to shoppers’ expectations. Also, tapping into trends, or trying to form your own is a fast-track to exposure from creators on the platform. 

TikTok, the new shopper search engine?

Right now, there are a growing number of TikTok users that are using the platform as a search engine, meaning there are more people visiting the platform when they’re looking to purchase. The TikTok Shop tab is engineered to accommodate eCommerce infrastructure, sitting at the bottom of content inviting shoppers to explore a brand further from a video on their feed. Users don’t even have to leave the platform to fill their basket and buy up. 

Shopping goes LIVE! 

Could you make 2 million dollars in 12 hours? Well TikTok Shop proved to be one way online sellers are taking their sales volume to new, unfathomable heights. It’s like teleshopping, but to a global audience that grows by the day, and you don’t need a TV studio to do it either. If a shopper wants to see the product from a different angle, they can see it live, if they want a demo, it’s done right in front of them. Live shopping on TikTok presents one of the most exciting developments in eCommerce for online brands, especially brands trying to solidify some resonance amongst their potential, and existing customer base. 

If you want to get in on the action over at TikTok, we have a dedicated team of social media experts well versed in the art of shopper engagement, ready and waiting to get you started. 

Stay up the date and register your interest for the 2025 Reload Summit here.