The TikTok platform has powerful power to drive consumers to spend money on products recommended by content creators. What is the magic in this?
TikTok may not be the first place to find cleaning supplies, but hashtags like #cleantok, #dogtok, #beautytok, etc. are very active. More and more consumers are turning to social media to discover products and spend money on recommendations from high-profile influencers and informal creators.
For example, on the hashtag #booktok, creators share their book reviews and recommendations. Data shows that users who use this tag to promote certain books drive sales of those books. The popularity of the #booktok hashtag has also inspired dedicated displays by some major multinational book retailers; it has changed the way cover designers and marketers approach new books; and this summer, it even led TikTok parent company ByteDance to launch a new publishing brand.
However, there are factors other than user reviews that stimulate the desire to buy. Users have a delicate psychological relationship with the faces on the screen and the underlying mechanics of TikTok, which plays a significant role in driving users to purchase the content they see.
Credibility of the source
“Video platforms like TikTok and Instagram have dramatically changed the way we consumers make purchasing decisions,” said Valeria Penttinen, assistant professor of marketing at Northen Illinois University. Crucially, these platforms provide users with unprecedented exposure to products and services as they consume large amounts of content in a short period of time.
Several factors drive users to adopt creators’ recommendations. At the heart of this, they say, is “the credibility of the source.”
If users perceive the creator as skilled and reliable, they may decide to purchase the product on the screen. Angeline Scheinbaum, associate professor of marketing at Wilbur O and Ann Powers College of Business and Clemson University in South Carolina, USA, said that users want creators to “match the product or service,” which represents authenticity.
Kate Lindsay, a journalist who covers internet culture, gave an example of housewives using cleaning products. “They gain a following of like-minded fans. When someone who looks like you says they’re a mom and they’re tired and this cleansing method helped her on that day… it creates a certain kind of Connection and trust, you say, ‘You look like me, and it helps you, so it helps me.’”
When creators self-recommend rather than pay for endorsements, their source credibility is greatly enhanced. “Autonomous influencers are much more authentic…their motivation is to sincerely share a product or service that brings them joy or convenience in their lives,” Sheinbaum said. “They truly want to share it with others.”
This kind of authenticity is especially effective at driving purchases in niche categories because creators are often very passionate and they often have specific expertise in areas that few others have explored. “With these micro-influencers, consumers have more confidence that they’re buying a product that someone actually uses… there’s a little more of an emotional connection,” Sheinbaum said.
Video posts also tend to be more credible than static images and text. Petinen said videos create a specific “self-revelation” environment that draws users in: Even things like seeing the creator’s face, hands, or hearing the way they speak can make them feel more like they are. trustworthy. Indeed, research shows that YouTube celebrities embed personal information in product reviews to make themselves appear more like close friends or family members—the more viewers feel they “know” the creator, the more they trust them.
Sheinbaum also said that posts that are accompanied by both motion and verbal cues — especially demonstrations and transitions in TikTok videos, almost like 30- to 60-second micro-ads — can be “particularly effective in persuasion.” .
“Parasocial” effect
One of the biggest triggers for consumers to buy is the emotional connection with these creators.
This phenomenon, known as a parasocial relationship, leads viewers to believe they have a close connection, or even friendship, with a celebrity, when in fact the relationship is one-way—many times, the content creator even The audience may not be aware of its existence. This type of non-reciprocal relationship is common on social media, especially among influencers and celebrities, and especially when more users are exposed to their content.
This phenomenon also affects consumer behavior. “Parasocial relationships are strong enough that people will be moved to buy things,” Sheinbaum said, whether it’s an influencer promoting a sponsored product or an independent creator sharing their favorite personal items.
Pettinen explained that as consumers begin to understand a creator’s preferences and values and see them disclose personal information, they begin to treat their recommendations like their own real-life friends. She added that such parasocial relationships often drive users to make repeat purchases, especially on TikTok; the platform’s algorithm often pushes content from the same account to users, and repeated exposure can strengthen this one-way relationship.
She adds that parasocial relationships on TikTok can also trigger a fear of missing out, which in turn spurs purchasing behavior: “As you become more and more obsessed with these people, it triggers a fear of not taking advantage of the relationship, or acting out. Dedication to the relationship.”
Perfect packaging
Lindsay said TikTok’s product-centric content also has a quality that users find particularly attractive.
“TikTok has a way of making shopping feel like a game to a certain extent, because everything is ultimately packaged as part of the aesthetic,” she said. “You’re not just buying a product, you’re pursuing a higher level. lifestyle.” This can make users want to be part of these trends or engage in interactions that may include trying a product.
She added that certain types of content on TikTok can also be extremely powerful: she cited examples like “things you didn’t know you needed,” “holy grail products,” or “these things saved my…” “As you browse, you’ll be pleasantly surprised when you see something you didn’t know you needed or didn’t know existed.”
Crucially, she said, the ephemeral intimacy of TikTok videos makes these recommendations feel more natural and opens up a path for users to trust creators. She believes that compared with the brighter influencers on Instagram, the simpler and rougher the content, the more consumers feel that they are making purchasing decisions based on recommendations – “disassembling it in their own brains.”
Buyer beware
However, Sheinbaum, author of “The Dark Side of Social Media: A Consumer Psychology Perspective,” said consumers can often get caught up in these impulsive purchases. .
In some cases, she said, the parasocial effects evoked by social media and the feelings of intimacy that come with it can be so strong that users don’t stop to “detect” whether the recommendations are sponsored.
Especially young users or less knowledgeable consumers may not know the difference between advertising and independent recommendations. Users who are too eager to place orders may also be easily fooled, she said. Lindsay believes that the short and fast nature of TikTok videos may also make advertising placement more difficult to detect.
Additionally, the emotional attachment that drives purchasing behavior can lead people to overspend, Pettinen said. On TikTok, many users talk about products that are not expensive, which may make the purchase seem less risky. She points out that this can be a problem because a product that a creator thinks is good for them might not be right for users — after all, that novel that was being touted everywhere on #booktok, You may not like it.
Consumers shouldn’t feel the need to scrutinize every purchase they make on TikTok, but experts say it’s important to understand how the platform motivates users to spend money — especially before you hit “checkout.”
Post time: Sep-11-2023