It seems that TikTok is continuing to do everything it can to monetise the platform with its latest update. The social media platform has just announced the addition of new shopping ads to their eCommerce offerings in a bid to make promoting products in streams easier for brands and creators.
The shopping ads will be available in three different formats in order for brands to choose the best format for their content and customers. The Chinese version of TikTok ‘Douyin’ has already had these eCommerce options integrated for some time and the success is measurable as according to the platform, these in-stream adverts are their biggest source of revenue.
TikTok explained:
“Shopping Ads is a simpler, smarter, and more advanced ad solution that helps brands meet shoppers wherever they are in the purchase journey, sparking demand and boosting sales. It’s a three-in-one solution with new formats to adopt and combine: Video Shopping Ads, Catalog Listing Ads, and LIVE Shopping Ads.”
So, what do these changes mean for affiliates and affiliate marketing? The updates and changes will certainly make accessibility to brands more open for users and could make TikTok more open to influencers of the masses. We are likely to see many micro-influencers and smaller marketplaces take advantage. On the other hand, time will tell if this move towards eCommerce will affect the platform’s authenticity and popularity amongst users or if most will still simply see the app as a source of entertainment.
