Last year Shopify announced their first-of-its-kind commerce partnership with TikTok that brings the world’s leading destination for short form video to Shopify’s more than one million merchants. With the TikTok channel for Shopify, merchants can take advantage of TikTok’s global scale to reach new and highly engaged audiences.

Building a successful brand means Shopify merchants need to be wherever their customers are spending time, and today that means growing their social commerce presence. The TikTok channel allows merchants to create and connect their TikTok For Business account and deploy In-Feed shoppable video ads directly within Shopify. Merchants select which product they would like to feature, and video ads are automatically generated that drive to their Shopify stores for checkout. Ready-made templates designed specifically for commerce mean merchants of any size can take advantage of the TikTok channel using their existing imagery or video.

Shopify and TikTok will also collaborate to test new commerce features over the coming months that will further empower merchants to expand their paid and organic reach in video and on profiles.

With TikTok Shopping, Shopify is the first commerce platform to bring organic product discovery and shopping tabs to TikTok, helping creators and merchants deepen their relationships with consumers

As Shopify Partners and experts, we must ensure that all South African Shopify merchants are in the loop when it comes to keeping up with the latest industry trends and updates.

Social commerce represents one of the fastest growing channels for Shopify merchants, especially as more creators rely on these platforms to build their businesses. Today, in partnership with TikTok, we’re announcing a new way for entrepreneurs to reach consumers with TikTok Shopping. For the first time, Shopify merchants with a TikTok For Business account will soon be able to add a shopping tab to their TikTok profiles and sync their product catalogues to create a mini-storefront that links directly to their online store for checkout.

“I built my business on social media; it’s where my fans go first to look for what’s new from Kylie Cosmetics,” said Kylie Jenner. “I have so much fun creating TikTok videos, and I love sharing posts of my fans using the products. That’s why I’m excited for Kylie Cosmetics to be one of the first to let customers shop directly on our TikTok!”

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"Creators are paving the way for a new kind of entrepreneurship where content, community, and commerce are key," said Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify. "By enabling new in-app shopping experiences and product discovery on TikTok for the first time, Shopify is powering the creator economy on one of the fastest-growing social and entertainment platforms in the world. We are excited to help this next generation of entrepreneurs connect with their audiences in more ways—and with TikTok as a visionary partner."

Shopify and TikTok have also partnered to bring product links to Shopify merchants, which can be used to tag products in organic TikTok posts. The TikTok community can choose to shop directly from the merchant’s storefront or click a tagged product in a merchant’s TikTok video, which will take them to the merchant's online store for checkout.

TikTok is one of the world’s fastest-growing entertainment platforms, with hundreds of millions of active users and, from February 2020 to February 2021, installs across Shopify’s social commerce channels increased by 76%. By more deeply integrating commerce with TikTok, we’re empowering merchants to reach consumers where they are.

"Our community has transformed shopping into an experience that's rooted in discovery, connection, and entertainment, creating unparalleled opportunities for brands to capture consumers' attention," said Blake Chandlee, President, Global Business Solutions at TikTok. "TikTok is uniquely placed at the center of content and commerce, and these new solutions make it even easier for businesses of all sizes to create engaging content that drives consumers directly to the digital point of purchase. We're thrilled to be expanding our partnership with Shopify and making TikTok more accessible than ever for their merchants."

The TikTok Shopping pilot is currently available to Shopify merchants in the US and UK. A select group of merchants in Canada will participate in the pilot in the coming weeks, and the feature will roll out to additional regions in the coming months. Shopify merchants can request early access to the TikTok Shopping pilot via Shopify’s TikTok channel. To learn more about the TikTok channel and to install the app, visit apps.shopify.com/tiktok.

About Shopify Channels: Shopify Channels is the set of sales and marketing channels that empower merchants to connect with their customers wherever they are. From integrations with social media, entertainment, and search platforms, like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and Google, to major marketplaces, like Amazon and Walmart, Shopify Channels enables merchants of all sizes to tap into the scale of some of the world’s largest companies to build brand, expand reach, and drive sales—all from within Shopify.

About Shopify: Shopify is a leading global commerce company, providing trusted tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business of any size. Shopify makes commerce better for everyone with a platform and services that are engineered for reliability, while delivering a better shopping experience for consumers everywhere. Headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, Shopify powers over one million businesses in more than 175 countries and is trusted by brands such as Allbirds, Gymshark, Heinz, Staples and many more.

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