TikTok is not satisfied with being the most used platform to share short videos and aims to fully immerse itself in the world of electronic commerce. A Bloomberg report indicates that the social network is working on the incorporation of an option to make purchases within the application .
According to the report, TikTok would partner with different brands to add a “shopping cart” in their profiles . In this way, users could interact with the content generated by these companies and buy their products without leaving the service. In principle, the function would only be available in Europe.
TikTok's plan would not be too revolutionary, although potentially very effective. The profiles of the brands in the social network would add a tab where the catalog of products for sale would be shown, with their respective prices. In itself, the system would resemble the one already implemented by Instagram, both in its main app and in Reels.
One point in favor of TikTok in its experiment with in-app purchases is that the “virality” of its content makes it ideal for advertising products . In addition, having a user base made up mostly of teenagers and young people makes it a magnet for many brands.
TikTok already has experience with sales within its ecosystem
Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash If the social network decides to move forward with the e-commerce feature, it will not enter uncharted territory. Bloomberg indicates that the company behind the platform, ByteDance, has already had a successful experience with transactions of this type in China through Doyun .
The version of TikTok exclusively for the Asian giant accumulated 26 billion dollars in purchases and sales of products , only in its first year of activity. It is clear that the desire is to replicate a similar impact in the rest of the world, and it has the tools to do so.
It is not yet known when TikTok would make the final leap into e-commerce. At the moment, the shopping cart test is limited , for which the release of official data is expected. Meanwhile, the social network of the moment continues with its expansion and integration with other services.
