This Week In Marketing: TikTok’s Impact On Purchase Behavior

TikTok has published a new report that provides fresh insights into the platform's role to purchase. According to TikTok For Business, the platforms conducted a global research study to understand TikTok’s role in and perceptions across the retail consumer journey. The study highlights TikTok’s impact outside of the platform, and how it is reshaping the current path to purchase and driving sales in the real world.

What do businesses need to know?

According to TikTok For Business, The old ways of the traditional marketing funnel are growing outdated and irrelevant in today's constantly-evolving world where community, shopping, and entertainment sync. The brand notes the following update to the traditional marketing funnel:

Today's consumers rarely go from the top to the bottom of the traditional funnel to make a purchase. They often enter, exit, and re-enter at different stages of the purchase journey based on their needs and wants. Additionally, the funnel often leads consumers to make one-time purchases, failing to help brands nourish long-lasting and meaningful relationships with consumers.

TikTok videos have essentially changed how businesses and consumers interact. Almost 50% of TikTok users say that the app is a good place to discover something new and 44% discover products from videos posted by brands. So, instead of trying to force consumers into the linear purchase path as exemplified in the traditional marketing funnel, TikTok’s path TikTok's path to success has relied on putting the power into our users' hands, building around their behaviors, and following their lead.

TikTok’s retail path to purchase is what they call, an infinite loop. Read the full overview here.

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