Whenever there’s a new trend, it’s tempting to jump on the bandwagon.
And right now, you might say TikTok Shop is a trend.
It’s a new, exciting platform, shoppers are using TikTok for inspiration, and many marketers are hyping it as the next big e-commerce platform.
But… is it the right move for your brand?
Should you open a TikTok shop?
Here’s why joining TikTok Shop may not be the best move for your e-commerce business:
- Data Ownership. On TikTok Shop, you don’t get to keep customer data—including e-mails and SMS. This means less control over your marketing strategies and customer relationships, and fewer retention opportunities outside the app.
- Influencer marketing. Sales success on TikTok Shop often relies heavily on influencer partnerships. While powerful, this approach may not work for many brands, especially if a brand is new to influencer marketing.
- User demographics. TikTok’s user base skews younger. Brands targeting older demographics might find TikTok Shop less effective for reaching their core audience.
- It caters to lower-cost items. If your products are higher-ticket, it’s going to be harder to harness the impulse buy environment that TikTok Shop lives off of.
Bottom line
Take this with a grain of salt, though: There are many people ready to buy on the app, and it has a notoriously easy checkout process.
So you might not want to write TikTok off before you try it.
