TikTok now leading UK social for shopping conversions

Research by the Retail Technology Show has made the astonishing discovery that TikTok has now overtaken Instagram and Facebook as the UK’s highest conversion shopping social media.

There are notably new and concerning headwinds on social media driving the change, all in relation to the idea that users may have to subscribe or in some way pay to use the platforms in the future. Both Facebook and the owned Instagram platform are following Twitter in introducing paid ‘blue tick’ fees, which in the case of the Meta owned properties will weigh in at $11.99 per month on web and up to $14.99 on iOS and Android.

This is causing an exodus of users startled at the thought of paying for what have historically been free to use platforms.

The findings show users that are active shoppers making 10 purchases via TikTok per year, which comes in ahead of Instagram and Facebook’s 9 annually.

Of course many of us will only be aware of TikTok on the periphery of our online activity; the generational usage pattern differences are noticeably titled toward younger users. 18 to 25 year olds are said to be 60% of the platform’s audience, thus it is Gen Z driving the trend, making up almost double the average UK shopper’s transactions, or an average of 19% of purchases each year in total. Again, this demographic makes 18 buys on Instagram and 15 on Facebook, showing the platform’s ascendancy in motion against longer established social media giants.

The result for the newer platform is UK and EU sales up 477% in 2022, which has been previously estimated by Insider Intelligence to be a greater value than Snapchat and Twitter combined.

Meanwhile, the aforementioned exodus from Meta’s social platforms is pronounced. Searches on online engines asking how to quickly deactivate are sharply up following the paid announcements at 2,400% up for Instagram and 1,566% for Facebook.

Metaverse shopping coming into play?

Possibly another technology to pass some of us by, the Metaverse’s place in the shopping picture is growing. The research has 42% of Gen Z users interacting with brand content in this digitally interactive way.

In the next issue of CyclingIndustry.News we carry a profile with Paul Vousden of Mapdec Cycle Works, one bike retailer taking advantage of the trend. You can subscribe to the magazine free of charge if you are in the bike business here.