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TikTok is stepping up its social commerce game by testing a feature that automatically identifies products in videos, offering users a link to “Find similar items on TikTok Shop.” This move could transform every TikTok video into a potential shopping opportunity, marking a significant shift in how the platform integrates e-commerce and content.

What’s Going On Here?

This feature—spotted in tests since late last year—is part of TikTok's broader strategy to integrate shopping more deeply into the user experience. It builds on the TikTok Shop, launched in the US last year, which already allows creators to link products in their videos. However, the new feature could extend this capability to all videos, not just those from approved influencers or brands.

This means a vast expansion of TikTok’s e-commerce features, potentially turning the platform into a major player in online retail.

Source: @legit.wear.offici on TikTok

The concept isn't entirely new:

• Pinterest and Google have dabbled in similar technologies, using visual search to connect users with products.

• Facebook tested (and later discontinued) an in-stream shopping feature back in 2018.

• Many other social platforms have shopping capabilities as well, and have had varying degrees of success with them. Instagram Shop was briefly included in the main nav, for example, before removing it following user backlast.

That said, TikTok's approach could be more integrated with its content, leveraging the platform's massive user base and engagement levels.

The move isn’t without risks, of course. As Marketing Brew pointed out, the shift could turn off users who don’t want what amounts to an ad interrupting their viewing experience.

“As the company leans further into shopping, it has to compete not only with established giants Amazon, Temu, and Shein but also, perhaps, against its own users.”

— Marketing Brew

Why it Matters

For social media marketers, this update presents both opportunities and challenges:

1. Enhanced Product Visibility: Products featured in videos could gain significant exposure, making TikTok a more valuable platform for product launches, promotions, sales.

2. Content Strategy Shift: Marketers may need to rethink their content strategies to incorporate products more naturally into videos.

3. Awkward Collisions: Could an ad for another brand’s products show up on top of your content? Be sure to look for ways to block this occurrance as this feature rolls out more broadly.

4. Monitoring and Reporting: Keep an eye on the performance of your shoppable videos and any products you have tied into the shopping platform. Analyzing engagement and conversion rates will be key to understanding the ROI of this new feature.