11 Pragmatic TikTok Trends For Retailers To Gain More Traction In 2023

Whilst many of us thought that Tiktok would only remain popular during the duration of the pandemic, it’s proven otherwise. The popular social media platform rose to power during COVID-19 when many of the world’s workforce were working from home or on furlough. With more time to spend at home and commuting none existent, many found themselves with more time.

As a result, Tiktok grew, but it’s not stopped growing. In fact, it shows no signs of stopping; according to an article by Search Engine Journal that found Tiktok recently the took the top domain over Google! The app has 1.53 billion users, with the average user spending a huge 95 minutes on the app every day.

So what does that mean? Well, as a retailer, it’s an opportunity to make more sales and to take advantage of what this platform can offer for your business in 2023. With that being said, let’s delve deeper into the top TikTok trends 2023.

Tiktok usage statistics 2023

TikTok’s growth has certainly been an incredible one to watch in the space of just a couple of years, which is why so many businesses have made room in their budget for their TikTok marketing spend.

TikTok can be accessed in more than 150 countries, with over one billion users. In terms of revenue, that’s also something that’s grown significantly over the past few years. So far, in 2023, TikTok has generated $205 more than Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook combined. Yes, you did read that right!

There are many users around the world that are either on this platform as a creator or simply as a viewer. Whether you’re one or the other, you’re amongst over a billion other users.

Is it too late for brands to start marketing on Tiktok?

The answer - not at all. Tiktok is still a growing social media platform, and even if it were at its peak, this is a platform that’s here to stay. Tiktok has been developing its platform to provide more advertising and promotional services for brands.

As a retailer, it’s the perfect platform to sell and advertise your clothing. Not only through influencers but on your own brand profile too. Video content continues to be an extremely popular media that many prefer to see when browsing online. For example, 92% of marketers place video as the main part of their marketing strategy.

Benefits of TikTok influencer marketing for retailers

TikTok influencer marketing has become a popular strategy for retailers to promote their products and reach new audiences.

Here are some of the benefits of TikTok influencer marketing for retailers:

Reach

TikTok has a large and growing user base, with millions of active users worldwide. By working with influencers on TikTok, retailers can tap into this vast audience and reach new customers that they may not have been able to reach through other channels.

Engagement

TikTok is a platform that’s highly engaging, which is shown by users spending an average of 95 minutes per day on the app. Influencers on TikTok have built large and engaged followings, which can help retailers to generate buzz and excitement around their products.

Authenticity

Influencers on TikTok have built their followings based on their personalities, interests, and creative content. This can make their recommendations and endorsements more authentic and trustworthy, leading to increased brand loyalty and customer engagement.

Creativity

TikTok is a platform that encourages creativity and experimentation, with users and influencers coming up with new and innovative ways to showcase products. Retailers can leverage this creativity to create unique and engaging content that stands out and captures the attention of users.

Cost-effective

TikTok influencer marketing can be a cost-effective way for retailers to reach new audiences and promote their products. Compared to other forms of advertising, such as TV ads or print ads, influencer marketing on TikTok can be more affordable and offer a higher return on investment.

Ultimately, TikTok influencer marketing can be an effective way for retailers to build brand awareness, engage with customers, and drive sales. By working with influencers on TikTok, retailers can tap into the platform's large and engaged user base, and create authentic and engaging content that resonates with their target audience.

11 practical Tiktok trends for retailers

There are lots of practical Tiktok trends that are worth doing for any retail brand that is looking to leverage this platform for their benefit. Below, we’ll take a look at them so you can discover how to gain traction on TikTok.

1. Keep an eye on trending dances.

One of the main reasons why TikTok did so well was because of the dance elements of the platform. Even if you weren’t a professional dancer, most creators were having a go at the trending dances that would pop on the ‘for you page’ on a daily basis.

As a retailer, keep an eye on these trending dances and take part in them, better yet, dance in the videos of products you’re selling.

2. Document a day in the life of the brand.

Documenting ‘a day in the life’ is very interesting to the viewers of Tiktok, both creators and those that just consume the content. 

Whether that’s following around a particular employee during the day or doing a general insight into the brand’s day-to-day activities, it’s highly engaging for a lot of viewers!

3. Create a seamless outfit transition.

Outfit transitions are the perfect trend to take advantage of as a retailer. If you’ve got some basic editing skills and you’re partial to detail, then a seamless outfit transition is worthwhile, and again, viewers love to see it.

4. Behind-the-scenes content.

Viewers, just like documenting a day in the life content, also love behind-the-scenes content. Anything that gives them further insight into their favourite retail brands. TikTok during the crisis of COVID-19 has helped connect people together digitally when a physical connection wasn’t available. 

So as a retailer, behind-the-scenes content is certainly something to consider and to include in your content plan.

5. Influencer collaborations.

TikTok has created a whole digital generation of influencers, and these influencer collaborations are becoming the norm on the platform. You’ve also got a shop that every influencer can have on their page, meaning they link to your products on multiple profiles.

6. Pack an order.

Another great brand insight video is packing an order. It’s been used quite extensively by small businesses, but big brands can also take advantage of this trend. Encourage your users to ask you to pack their order on a video and do these every so often.

7. Simply show off your products.

For some successful videos, retail brands will simply show off the products. Whether that’s using them in action or just displaying them but making them a video, rather than a still picture.

8. Do regular live streaming.

Live streaming is our final trend out of the top TikTok trends for businesses, and it has become very popular across many platforms, not just TikTok. If you’re looking to get more personal with your audience, then having regular live-streaming can be helpful to boost traffic and interest in your products. 

9. Follow the hashtags and trending sounds.

Just like trending dances, there are also trending hashtags and trending sounds that you can find on the discovery page of the platform. It’s worth taking a look at these and finding sounds or hashtags that you can adapt to your own brand, and that could cause your video to go viral!

10. Seasonal styles and fashion inspirational videos.

As retailers do go through seasonal periods and have new products in relation to the type of season or what’s hot on the runway. It’s a good idea to create content that educates your audience, and in this regard, you could create seasonal style videos and fashion inspiration to help give your customers and potential customers, some suggestions.

11. Challenge videos for your followers.

Last but not least, why not give your followers an opportunity to be part of a new trend? Many brands on TikTok have created their own challenge or trend to hope that it takes off and goes viral.

So there you have it: an insight into TikTok marketing for retailers. Whilst TikTok is great, it’s important to not lose sight of your brand’s identity when it comes to trends. Trends are great, but they’re also extremely volatile, so tread carefully and always adapt trends to suit your brand’s image.

This blog post is Last updated on May 24th, 2023.