With the launch of TikTok Shop, TikTok has shifted the landscape of social commerce, offering a new and innovative way for influencers and brands to engage audiences and drive sales. As TikTok Shop continues to expand, influencers are playing a pivotal role in its meteoric rise, creating a fresh stream of revenue while connecting with their followers on a deeper level.
A recent study by influencer marketing platform SocialPubli sheds light on how influencers view TikTok Shop and its potential for reshaping the e-commerce world. The findings show that the platform is not only a hit with consumers but is also providing influencers with new ways to monetise their content, all while giving brands access to a highly motivated audience.
The Monetisation Opportunity
One of the most striking takeaways from the study is the huge potential TikTok Shop offers influencers for monetisation. According to the data, 76.2% of influencers consider TikTok Shop a new avenue to generate revenue.
Given that influencer marketing has become a core pillar for brands looking to reach younger, trend-conscious audiences, this finding underscores the growing importance of social commerce in the digital landscape.
But it doesn’t stop there. 83% of influencers believe that earning commissions on sales made through TikTok Shop would significantly enhance the value of their brand collaborations. This shift represents a move toward a more performance-based approach, where influencers are rewarded not just for engagement or impressions but for driving actual purchases, a win-win for both parties.
Driving Brand Collaborations and Product Promotion
For brands, TikTok Shop provides a unique opportunity to tap into a highly engaged influencer network. Influencers are integral to the growth of TikTok Shop, with 82.8% of influencers expressing a desire for more brands to sell their products through the platform. This highlights an eagerness within the influencer community to partner with brands, thus expanding the range of products and services available to their audiences.
When it comes to the types of products that are most successful in influencer-driven collaborations, fashion and beauty dominate. These categories account for 52.3% of influencer collaborations on TikTok Shop, followed by home and lifestyle (15.2%), technology (13.9%), and food and beverages (7.3%). The results underscore the platform’s strength in categories that are both visually engaging and conducive to social sharing.
Positive Results and Future Growth Potential
The success of these collaborations isn’t just theoretical. Among the influencers who have already promoted products on TikTok Shop, 65.4% report positive results, highlighting the platform’s growing effectiveness as a sales driver.
Even more encouraging, 61% of influencers who have yet to promote products on TikTok Shop express a strong interest in doing so, indicating a significant untapped potential for future brand partnerships and sales.
As influencers continue to play an essential role in TikTok Shop’s growth, the platform itself is showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, TikTok Shop saw an impressive $33.2 billion in global revenue in 2024, with the U.S. market contributing $9 billion.
This surge represents a 650% increase since its U.S. debut in 2023, further cementing TikTok Shop as a force to be reckoned with in the world of e-commerce.
Challenges and Areas for Improvement
However, like any emerging platform, TikTok Shop isn’t without its challenges. The SocialPubli study identified several areas where TikTok could improve to solidify its position in the e-commerce space:
- Seller Reliability: A key concern for influencers is the reliability of products on TikTok Shop. 54.3% of influencers say that their trust in the platform depends heavily on the credibility of the sellers. This highlights the need for more stringent quality controls to ensure that influencers and their audiences can rely on the products they’re promoting.
- Growth Potential: Despite TikTok Shop’s rapid success, 36.4% of influencers have yet to make purchases on the platform, revealing an opportunity for TikTok to expand its user base and attract new shoppers.
- Platform Development: While TikTok Shop has been a game-changer for many influencers, 21.2% of influencers believe that the platform could improve by incorporating more feedback from users, brands, and influencers to enhance the overall experience.
A Bright Future for Influencer Marketing
In conclusion, TikTok Shop is rapidly becoming a cornerstone of social commerce, and its potential for reshaping the influencer marketing industry is immense. As influencers continue to leverage TikTok’s shopping capabilities, both they and brands stand to benefit from deeper engagement, new monetisation avenues, and more authentic connections with consumers.
"TikTok Shop is becoming an important channel where influencers can monetise their content in new ways, while providing their followers with a seamless and trusted shopping experience,” said Ismael El-Qudsi, CEO of SocialPubli. “This is great news for influencer marketing, which has already shown strong results on other platforms and is now steadily growing within TikTok Shop’s social commerce ecosystem."
