TikTok is expanding its Marketing Partners Program by partnering with Smartly.io. The SaaS digital advertising agency will be offering video shopping ad features, in order to streamline the social media shopping experience.
For example, Smartly.io will allow sponsored windows to appear within content that will allow users to click off the app and shop for featured items. The integration with Smartly.io will also expand this feature to brands and allow them to integrate a product catalogue of offers.
As per TikTok: “After months of product optimizations and collaboration with TikTok, Smartly.io’s Video Shopping Ads offering is now available for all commerce and retail advertisers to use in their TikTok campaigns. Smartly.io’s Video Shopping Ads solution allows advertisers to have access to automated workflows that help them to scale, optimize, and test ads that drive results.”
In-stream shopping is a big seller in East Asian countries, and social media platforms have been trying to make it more of a thing in the West, to mixed results. But with TikTok being a Chinese app, you can see why the platform is integrating more shopping into its live streaming options.
How it will work out remains to be seen. TikTok has already had to scale back its commerce program in Europe due to user interest lacking, but this appears to be a smaller step with a more cautious approach.
