Is the future of beauty social selling, especially when targeting Gen Z, now live shopping on TikTok?
The in-app Live Shopping feature – which offers a QVC-like interface directly within livestreams – is the social media giant’s biggest play in the ecommerce space yet, and seems to be changing the way younger consumers shop for beauty.
Brands who now integrate products from their TikTok Shop into live shopping streams are seeing their sales and awareness blow up as a result, but why?
“TikTok Live Shopping is the social version of QVC for Gen Z – it is really raw and authentic,” says Ben Waterhouse, Head of Digital Marketing at consultancy business The Pull Agency.
“From our research, we know Gen Z are more likely to be swayed by reviews than any other generation, and live shopping taps into this so well because it plants that seed of urgency – driving sales because time might run out.
“Plus, it is super convenient. They can look, discover, research and buy a product all in one place.”
It is not a space for border play activity. You have got to go with the audience because it is a community-centric space
– Lou Bennett, Marketing Director at Benefit Cosmetics UK & Ireland
With 22% of all TikTok users in the US sitting within the Gen Z category (aged up to 26), reports software company Sprout Social, this could be the most important selling tool for reaching the younger market going forward – and some are already tapping into it.
Make-up brand Charlotte Tilbury partnered with creator @itsnisrin on a two-hour live shopping event for Black Friday last year, where the duo promoted five bundles only exclusively available to buy on TikTok Shop. It was watched by more than 65,000 viewers.
Beauty creator Cariad Ryan, meanwhile, sold £90,000 worth of beauty products in just four hours while live demoing make-up looks on TikTok on Black Friday 2022.
TikTok Live Shopping is a simple yet powerful tool – taking an old school selling method and making it ‘cool’ – but it has to be done in the right way to be effective.
This is what you need to consider before jumping on the bandwagon.
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