TikTok, Brand Building and the Power of Social Commerce

Shopping is easy.

As consumers we have the world (figuratively and literally) at our fingertips. We can find, research, buy and review nearly everything online from food, clothes and pet supplies, to beauty products, cars and holidays.

Just a few years ago retailers were on a drive to save the high street, to make visits to bricks and mortar stores more engaging (think experiential retail and the likes of Nike’s flagship NYC store or the Van’s concept store in London ) and to counteract the ease and convenience of ecommerce. While many have been successful, ecommerce has evolved beyond simply ordering off a website.

The Age of Social Commerce

We’re now in the age of social commerce; which, according to research, represents a £16bn opportunity to UK retail brands. And it’s not just about selling products. It’s about building a brand, engaging with customers and delivering the best possible experience from start (research) to finish (review & repurchase) to build a solid, loyal customer base.

According to the same research, 69% of consumers have bought something after seeing it in their social feeds, with 73% of under 45s buying directly from the platform (56% overall).

But why is social commerce so popular? The simplest answer is because it puts brands in direct contact with the target audience in an authentic way. The content is carefully curated, the reach is perfectly targeted and the brand is meeting the consumer on their terms. And why not? Especially considering that 90% of UK adults are active social media users, spending an average of 2 hours every day on one or more of these channels. From a consumer point of view, TikTok and channels like it are the ideal way to actually interact with a brand, research products – whether that is through brand or influencer content – read reviews and be kept in the loop on promotions, discounts and new products.

The Rise of TikTok

While social commerce doesn’t just apply to TikTok and TikTok Shop…the platform is largely responsible for the revolution. There are 23 million TikTok users in the UK, a number set only to rise. To put that into perspective, the research report also shows that 93% of TikTok users shop while using social media. The process is streamlined, all the information that you need is easily available in a medium that suits your customer, and two clicks later, the product is on its way.

That’s the good news. Now, as a brand, how to take advantage of the opportunity?

The mission for brands

Creating and maintaining a presence on TikTok and other social media channels is just the first step for brands. You now have to take the seamlessness of the sale and apply that across the rest of the customer journey, from delivery through to returns.

A large part of this lies with your fulfilment partner; not just getting the product to your customer on time, but making sure all the other boxes are ticked along the way.

In essence this means:

• Supporting technology – making sure that your operational systems and ecommerce platform is integrated with your fulfilment partner’s warehousing management system is a top priority. Not only will this ensure a frictionless ordering process but it will also provide you with valuable data that will inform future decision making and marketing campaigns. It can also be used to track orders, deliver real-time updates to customers, as well as track returns.
• Expertise with social commerce brands – your fulfilment partner shouldn’t just focus on picking, packing and delivery. They should also have experience of working with brands similar to yours so they can proactively problem solve any issues, help you plan for peaks and troughs, and advise on a strategic level when it comes to growing your brand or launching new products.
• Comprehensive stock control and inventory management – having the right products in stock at the right time, paying careful attention to best before dates if applicable. This is especially important during promotions and big sales events. Unhappy customers will tell other customers your brand reputation will suffer.

What’s next

While social commerce is the evolution of ecommerce, it does require a slightly different touch and specific expertise – especially from your fulfilment partner. Taking advantage of the opportunity presented by social commerce while delivering a consistently great customer experience does require a bit more than the right content and targeted ads.

Here at Fullers Fulfilment, we’ve got a wealth of experience across both social and ecommerce, and we’ve been working with brands like yours, supporting growth, plans to enter new markets and launch new products for decades.

If you’re ready to give TikTok Shop a go, or you’re looking to take your social commerce strategy to a new level, talk to one of our experts today.*Unless otherwise indicated, all figures in this blog are taken from this report: https://issuu.com/tiktokforbusinesseu/docs/thepowerofsocialcommerce-retiktok-fullreport

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