Understanding the Influence of Social Media Algorithms

We’ve all become attuned to how social commerce functions as the cross-over between social media, marketing and making purchases, but TikTok has taken this a step further, creating Community Commerce, a space where users actively promote their favourite brands to each other, accelerating the entire buying cycle through trust, authenticity and awesome content.

Community Commerce has become so successful because TikTok recognises that creator-driven word-of-mouth marketing is incredibly powerful, largely because social media users are looking for full online experiences, and that includes discovering new brands through to purchase in a frictionless, fun shopping experience.

#TikTokMadeMeBuyIt is such a popular hashtag – and covers everything from cleaning products and homeware to juicers and milk frothers – that many international retailers have even created #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt sections so that shoppers can easily find products they’ve seen on the app.

The real secret behind Community Commerce is rooted in the creative. Google Lab’s research suggests that creative accounts for 70% of a campaign’s performance. With that in mind, it’s worth considering what type of creative content resonates with people.

Social media and the way influencers share their favourite products and hobbies has changed the way we discover new things. Eighty-three percent of users discover new products and services while they’re browsing their social media feeds, 81% research products or services on social media platforms and 80% decide whether to buy a product or service.

Nielsen’s research shows that 9 out of 10 people trust organic user-generated content over traditional or typical brand communications. That means they would rather hear from an influencer endorsing a brand than from the brand itself.

Great content grabs attention by building excitement, driving anticipation, and making cultural connections, which links back to authenticity. This is content that we trust, and as we know, people are more likely to trust recommendations from a friend, family member or influencer on social platforms.

Lighting, the quality of a camera, hair, makeup and trained actors and actresses used to be the gold standard. Today, content that trends often celebrates imperfections and has been created from a smartphone. There’s no pressure to be perfect and anyone can join in the fun. Even more surprising? People will engage more with a mom sharing her real experience with her toddler at a restaurant, than with a celebrity’s official Instagram account – and, as we’ve seen, they’re more likely to make a purchase based on our quirky mom’s recommendation over Angelina Jolie’s endorsement.

Not convinced? Research from Matter Communications shows that only 17% to 22% of consumers prefer celebrity influencers over personalities seen as either aspirational, relatable, expert or ‘just for fun’.

Brands today have almost unlimited access to target their consumers. All you need to do is segment your market, understand who you want to engage with and then identify the creators they resonate with. Top posts can then be promoted to reach an even broader audience across different platforms.

Leaning into influencer marketing helps build brand love, increases ad recall and ultimately drives sales, particularly leading up to the festive season and summer.

Building real connections with your audience starts with you and theSalt lets chat