We all know how TikTok works; you open the app, start scrolling through videos until you find something interesting, and then maybe start investigating on the same platform. Now when you open the comments section of a video you can see what most of the people have looked at related to that video. For example, in the following picture, we can see the comments section of a video where Britney Mason (a very tall woman) appears, on the upper part we can see the most searched topic ¿Cuánto mide Britney Mason? (in English: How tall is Britney Mason?)
So, this happens with all viral videos. If you want to promote your product TikTok is a great platform to do so. This happened recently with the Viral Amazon Backpack, when you enter the app and look for those words in the search bar lots of videos of people doing an unboxing of the backpack appears, proving how much clothes fit in and trying if they have the right measures to fly in a plane. Most of them have these most searched words in the comments which lead you to other videos. People might not be interested in this product, but they start watching so many videos of it and listening to how beneficial they are that they are tempted to buy it. Normally, people who do this kind of unboxing beneficial videos of the product are always paid by the company.
This not only happened with the viral backpack but with a lot of products on the internet. There are plenty of SHEIN unboxing or recommendations for any products. In my case, when I need to buy something from a web page or even from Primark, I always go to TikTok to check their unboxing and see the real quality of the product I want to order/buy or even check if there are more things that I might want, so I can add them to my online basket. This can be harmful because in the end you order more products than the needed ones and then you regret that you only bought it because it was viral or because someone else has it.
As mentioned in this research paper: Usually, the review covers the perceived advantages and benefits of a product. If the review is intriguing, then people tend to have the desire to purchase in the hope that what they get is the same as the review they see. This quote reminds me of when I used to decide which phone should I ask Santa Claus to bring me as a Christmas gift, I normally watched YouTube reviews where professionals shared their opinions or even compared them with other trend phones. Everything changes with time and in this case, reviews are now on TikTok, this are shorter videos with the purpose of making you want the product they are reviewing.
Do you really need that product?
I have to say that I was a victim of the backpack, it’s nice as it has lots of compartments but the quantity of clothes you can fit in is actually the same as any other backpack. Every time you are going to order something online you might think you need the product at that moment, but wait for 3 days and ask yourself the question again…do I really need this product? It would probably be a no and you will save a lot of money.
More information about this fact can be found on these web pages:
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/26/heres-why-you-probably-bought-something-you-saw-on-tiktok.html
Great post! Your exploration of TikTok’s impact on online shopping is quite relatable to me. The sway it holds over our buying decisions is truly remarkable… With its algorithmic prowess, TikTok can turn probably everything into a must-have. I’ve also seen this three-day rule you advocate. It is a practical strategy, urging us to reconsider the urgency of our buying impulses. I think the world we are living in is a world flooded with choices and sometimes we are compelled to follow the crowd’s choice, especially when something becomes a trend. It reminds me of Le Bon’s book-The Crowd. The psychological influence of trends is indeed a powerful force in our decision-making. So I guess, what we need to do in a world where choices are abundant and opinions easily accessible, is to develop our own reasoned and independent thinking. Again, thanks for sharing this insightful blog!