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TikTok only boosting accounts with Shops?
Internet users have been questioning whether TikTok is boosting the views of brands and influencers who have opened a TikTok Shop during the last week.
In September, TikTok Shop debuted in the United States. TikTok established a separate store page, in-feed shopping, and creator-affiliate programs as part of the rollout.
“TikTok Store empowers brands and creators to connect with highly-engaged customers based on their interests, and it combines the power of community, creativity, and commerce to deliver a seamless shopping experience,” a release from the TikTok newsroom reads.
Rachel’s Experiment
Rachel Karten, a social media expert and creator of the Link in Bio newsletter, is one of several users who believe the algorithm changed following the debut, citing the skincare business Dieux’s remarkable success since opening a TikTok Shop.
“[Dieux’s] average video views grew 2,820% after launching on TikTok Store,” she wrote in an X thread this week. “On September 13th, their first TikTok Store video was posted. The 10 films posted just before the debut received an average of 5K views. And the average number of views on the ten videos after they were released on TikTok Store? 146K.”
Karten goes on to note that TikTok Storeis already changing “people’s relationship with the platform.”
The way TikTok is favoring brands on TikTok Shop is wild. I noticed skincare brand Dieux’s views skyrocket as soon as they joined…so I dug in…
— Rachel Karten (@milkkarten) November 14, 2023
Their average video views grew 2,820% after launching on TikTok Shop. I've included two screenshots below—before and after launch. pic.twitter.com/Ui4FMKaxh5
Dissatisfaction
Many TikTok users are dissatisfied with the upgrade, stating that it pushes commercial content, permits the selling of counterfeit products, and makes the app feel “dystopian.”
Though TikTok has not confirmed an uptick in sponsored videos, Business Insider reports that 30-40% of FYP videos are product-related.
With the debut of TikTok Store, it appears that the platform is gradually transitioning from being mostly entertainment-driven to an e-commerce app—a development that has not been warmly embraced by its consumers.
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