The aim of the collaboration is to make it easier for merchants using Shopify to reach TikTok's younger audiences. Ultimately, the partnership will expand to include other features.
The collaboration will enable more than a million merchants to create, launch and optimise marketing campaigns on TikTok directly from the Shopify dashboard. All it takes is installing the new TikTok app available in the Shopify App Store. From there, users will have access to key features of TikTok's Ads Manager for Business.
Features of the TikTok app for Shopify
Thanks to special advertising tools, products will be turned into in-feed video ads. Merchants will be able to tailor ads to their audiences by gender, age, user behaviour and video category, and then track campaign performance. Campaign costs will vary depending on the merchant's business goals and the planned budget.
Merchants using Shopify will also be able to install or connect their TikTok Pixel – a tool that helps track conversions. Currently, e-commerce owners can track user actions such as viewing a page, signing up on websites, adding products to the cart, placing an order or making payments.
Expert commentary from Tpay
Paweł Działak, CEO of payment operator Tpay, notes that TikTok is one of the fastest-growing social platforms in the world with highly engaged users. According to some estimates, the platform now has more than 1.5 billion users worldwide. Adding product sales features is a natural stage in the development of this type of platform, and it will give merchants the ability to reach new audiences and scale sales. "Everything is possible today thanks to convenient payment methods, especially in the popular mobile channel. For some time now we have been seeing strong customer interest in integration via the mobile SDK," adds Paweł Działak.
This is only the beginning
However, the TikTok and Shopify collaboration will not be limited to the new app. The agreement will soon be extended to include other shopping features. The company reports that it plans to begin testing features that will make it easier for users to discover Shopify merchants and their products, expanding their reach through video and their account profiles. As a result, users will browse products and shop directly in the app.
Development plans and competition
TikTok is constantly developing its tools for merchants. So far it has experimented with allowing users to add e-commerce links to their bios, and introduced "Buy Now" buttons to brands' video ads and hashtags.
The TikTok-Shopify partnership could help the video platform better compete with other sources of social commerce, including the growing number of live shopping apps, as well as Facebook's efforts. The social giant recently introduced a series of shopping updates across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp to steer users towards shopping in its apps and then pay seamlessly with Facebook Pay.
The new TikTok channel for Shopify merchants is already available in the US. Next year it will appear in other markets, including North America, Europe and Southeast Asia.
Summary
The Shopify and TikTok partnership will enable more than a million merchants to run marketing campaigns on TikTok from the Shopify dashboard. The new app provides access to advertising tools, including in-feed video ads, and makes it possible to connect a conversion-tracking pixel. According to Paweł Działak of Tpay, the platform has more than 1.5 billion users, and the growth of social commerce is a natural stage in its evolution.
The collaboration is to be extended with features that make shopping easier directly in the TikTok app. The channel is already available in the US, and next year it will reach, among others, Europe. This is a response to growing competition from Facebook, which is developing shopping on Instagram and WhatsApp.
