Social commerce
Short-form video became a storefront faster than it became a marketing channel. TikTok Shop, affiliate links and live selling each have their own mechanics, their own fee structures and their own definitions of a conversion.
This topic explains how the commerce layer sits on top of the recommendation feed, and which numbers actually govern whether a product moves.
Articles for this topic are on the way. In the meantime, the glossary and the free tools below cover the same ground.
Common questions
- What counts as a conversion in social commerce?
- Each surface defines it differently. TikTok Shop counts an in-app order, an affiliate network counts a tracked sale within its attribution window, and a live seller may count a checkout that completes minutes after the stream ends. Compare programmes only after you have written down which event each one pays on.
- Does a viral video sell?
- Not reliably. Reach and purchase intent are separate things: a video optimised for watch-through often reaches an audience with no intention to buy. Product videos usually convert best at smaller, better-matched reach, so judge them on revenue per thousand views rather than on views.
- Where do the fees go in social commerce?
- Platform commission, affiliate or creator commission, payment processing, and fulfilment, with ad spend on top when the video is boosted. Model all of them before you set a price, because the margin left after the stack is what decides whether the channel works.
- Should I sell in-feed or send traffic to my own store?
- In-feed checkout converts better because it removes a step, while your own store keeps the customer relationship and the data. Most sellers run both and accept the split: discovery and first purchase in the feed, repeat purchase on their own site.
Put it to work
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Other topics
- The TikTok algorithmHow TikTok decides which videos to show, which signals it weighs, and how distribution actually works.
- Short-form video metricsWhat each metric measures, which ones predict reach, and how to compare them honestly across platforms.
- Social data APIsHow social platform data is accessed programmatically: official APIs, their limits, and what sits outside them.
- Content strategyThe repeatable parts of short-form: hooks, formats, series structure, retention editing and cadence.
- Trends and trend detectionWhat a trend is mechanically, how one spreads, and how to spot it while it still has room to run.
- Platform mechanicsHow TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts differ in specs, limits, surfaces and behaviour.
- The creator economyHow money moves through short-form: payouts, brand deals, UGC, clipping and agency models.