TechCrunch confirms that TikTok is currently trialling a feature allowing users in the US and Southeast Asia to take or upload photos to discover similar products on TikTok Shop. This new option appears as a camera icon located in the search bar within TikTok Shop. While users have traditionally searched for specific items on TikTok Shop, this marks the platform's first foray into image-based searches, a functionality long offered by Google Lens and currently available on platforms like Amazon, eBay, Pinterest, Poshmark, Depop, among others.
Digiday reports TikTok's increased focus on publishers, signifying a strategic shift towards enhancing monetization opportunities. The platform has established a dedicated team named "Publisher Monetization Operations," tasked with exploring sustainable revenue avenues encompassing user payments, e-commerce, and global business solutions including TikTok ads. This initiative, outlined in a memo obtained by The Information, underscores TikTok's commitment to fostering deeper relationships with publishers.
According to Digiday, interviews with 14 publishers revealed that two have noted recent leadership changes specifically aimed at overseeing publisher relations. Nat Poulter, VP of Digital Commercials at BBC Studios, remarked, "It does feel like things have shifted at TikTok, with a significant change being the dedicated management of media owners and publishers by a separate team."
TikTok views publisher traffic as a substantial growth opportunity, particularly as other platforms such as Meta, X, and Google have taken steps to distance themselves from news publishers in certain regions. To incentivise publishers to advertise on TikTok, the platform offers ad credits based on their spending levels.
Siobhan McDade from Jungle Creations noted, "Monetising as a publisher on TikTok has been challenging, but initiatives like the creator rewards program and Pulse [Premiere] program (albeit selective) demonstrate TikTok's efforts to refine monetisation strategies, positioning itself competitively against other platforms."
According to a report by Dash Hudson and NielsenIQ, TikTok Shop has swiftly become the ninth-largest online retailer for beauty and wellness products in the US and the second-largest in the UK. Since its launch less than a year ago, TikTok Shop has surpassed traditional competitors such as major department stores, specialty beauty retailers, and direct-to-consumer brands in both markets.
Beauty content remains highly popular on TikTok, with creators often generating income by sharing beauty tips and reviewing products. By directing traffic from these videos to TikTok Shop and offering creators a share of sales commissions, TikTok successfully taps into revenue streams from purchases, contributing to its rapid marketplace expansion.
This strategic approach underscores TikTok's proactive stance in leveraging visual search capabilities and strengthening partnerships with publishers, solidifying its position as a formidable player in the e-commerce landscape.
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