It is acknowledged that the advancement of the Internet has brought numerous pros to our daily lives. One of the most significant merits that benefits us is e-commerce. And e-commerce can be derived from many branches, and social shopping is one of them.
What is social shopping?
Social shopping is one e-commerce that influences an individual’s buying process by using social media networks to share, recommend, suggest and review products. The idea behind social shopping is that individuals are influenced by the purchases and recommendations of those around them.
In general, social shopping comes in different forms, which vary by provider. For example, a product recommendation website might track and show a friend’s purchases. Another example is some shopping communities and C2C marketplaces that allow users to buy things directly from friends or other consumers. Social shopping also enables users to get advice from friends on what to buy, which can greatly influence purchasing decisions.
This kind of recommendation-based social shopping will give rise to the live stream e-commerce industry.
Live stream e-commerce boom in China
When it comes to live stream e-commerce, we have to mention the huge market of China.
Alibaba, China’s e-commerce giant, connects live streaming with e-commerce stores so viewers can watch and shop at the same time. Live-streaming shopping quickly became a promotion for Double Eleven, China’s biggest shopping event. In 2020, Taobao’s total transaction volume in the first 30 minutes on Alibaba’s Double Eleven Day was $7.5 billion.
Live stream e-commerce offers viewers instant purchase options for featured products and opportunities to engage via chat functionality and reaction buttons. Although live stream e-commerce has not yet prevailed in the West, data shows that by 2026, live stream e-commerce sales may account for up to 20% of all e-commerce sales.
Like social shopping, the anchor recommends different products suitable for different people, which will also bring huge popularity to the anchor. In addition to generating followers, the products they sell can also generate significant revenue. Li Jiaqi, the famous “lipstick king”, had sales of $1.9 billion on Double Eleven in 2021 – attracted nearly 250 million viewers during the event. Even the Super Bowl, the most-watched U.S. TV show last year, had a mere 112.3 million viewers.
Among all these online shop platforms, TikTok is one of the most potential platforms of live stream e-commerce.
What is TikTok live stream shopping & How does it work
TikTok live stream Shopping is a new e-commerce experience being developed by TikTok, which allows users to purchase products from participating online retailers during a live stream.
TikTok live stream shopping is similar to Facebook and Instagram shopping but is applied in a unique way to TikTok content delivery. When the TikTok video plays and the product is displayed on the screen, icons related to the item on the video pop up. Users can click on these icons to jump to other links to add items to their shopping cart and then follow the instructions to jump to mobile checkout.
How does live stream commerce on TikTok benefit small business?
TikTok offers a space for small businesses. It is an original creative expression platform. Small businesses are often more agile when adapting to new marketing methods, and TikTok is no exception. TikTok allows businesses to reach their audiences in a relevant, authentic way. As long as you can manage to combine a good product with good content creation, it will get a lot of attention on TikTok.
As an e-commerce businessman, how should you choose an e-commerce site builder to promote your products on TikTok? FunPinPin can help you with that.
FunPinPin, an excellent e-commerce site builder
1. Marketing assistance
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Store decoration, product management, and other operations in FunPinPin are simple and convenient, and you can start your e-commerce business in a second.
3. Free extensions
FunPinPin provides a free plug-in service without extra cost.
4. Excellent customer service
FunPinPin offers Chinese and English operation background, 24 hours real-time communication available.
