Download the PDF version: The Impact of Web 2.0 Communication Methods on TikTok Influencers and Community Commerce Conference Paper
Abstract
Since the pandemic left individuals isolated at home due to the social distancing norms, there was an increase in interactivity and real-time engagement online. The dynamic nature of Web 2.0 has revolutionised communication methods, empowering TikTok influencers to establish their online presence and build a loyal community of people with similar interests, serving as catalysts for community commerce by endorsing products and influencing consumer purchase decisions. This paper analyses how influencers like Li Jiaqi, Kylie Jenner and Tina Lee effectively use TikTok’s affordances of user-generated content, algorithm, hashtags, commenting and sharing to foster trust within their audience and how they leverage this power of social connections to sell products or services.
Keywords: Web 2.0, influencer economy, affectionate economy, community commerce, social commerce, creator’s impact on shopping experience
Thesis Statement: The dynamic nature of Web 2.0 has revolutionised communication methods, empowering TikTok influencers to establish their online presence and build a loyal community of people with similar interests, serving as catalysts for community commerce by endorsing products and influencing consumer purchase decisions.
Introduction
Social media platforms have drastically transformed the digital communication landscape, giving rise to new ways of interaction that have reshaped how individuals consume content online. Unlike traditional media, TikTok not only offers a personalised algorithm-driven content discovery that gathers like-minded people within the space but also, because its unique short-form video content is easily consumable and shared, these messages of shared experiences, opinions and recommendations can quickly spread to a larger audience, allowing users to connect at a deeper level and build loyal followings (Hudders et al., 2022). Moreover, the user-friendly interface fosters a participatory culture as its editing tools allow even beginners to participate in content creation rather than passively consuming it, with minimal technical expertise or financial investment, lowering the barrier to artistic expression and engagement (Haslem, 2022). These examples of blurred boundaries between audiences, producers and consumers served as a foundation for the rapid growth of community commerce, influencer economy and affectionate economy; influencers can use this power of social connections, trust, and authenticity to promote brands and drive consumer behaviour (De’ et al., 2020). The global pandemic further accelerates individuals’ reliance on these trusted communities, especially shopping, as they crave human connection, turning to their favourite influencers for advice and engaging in affective behaviour during the lockdown (Hudders et al., 2022). Consequently, in three short years, TikTok has refined its interactive features – user-generated content, algorithm, sharing, and commenting – and shifted from a predominantly lip-syncing and dancing to a marketing platform to adapt to this ever-changing economy (Haenlein et al., 2020). The dynamic nature of Web 2.0 has revolutionised communication methods, empowering TikTok influencers to establish their online presence and build a loyal community of people with similar interests, serving as catalysts for community commerce by endorsing products and influencing consumer purchase decisions.
UGC TikTok Influencers Drive Consumer Behaviour Through The Power Of Social Connections, Trust, And Authenticity
User-generated content, or UGC, is TikTok’s successful marketing tactic that creates opportunities for influencers, even those with smaller followings, to gain network traffic. Historically, consumers perceive traditional forms of advertising, like print magazines, as unreliable information sources and often hesitate to make purchases due to its one-way artificial communication (Barta et al., 2023). However, as the media communication method evolves from ‘one-to-many’ to ‘one-to-one’, TikTok strongly emphasise customer-centric content and unfiltered reality, serving as social proof (Gelati, 2022). UGC influencers offer testimonials from a customer’s perspective, sharing similar struggles, concerns and recommendations on the products that benefit them, attracting a community of people with similar viewpoints (Zuo et al., 2022). Unlike Instagram, influencers’ content is sometimes heavily filtered and aspired to maintain a ‘perfect’ image and the aesthetics of their feed.
Zuo’s (2022) scholarly case study demonstrates a Chinese TikTok beauty influencer, Li Jiaqi, also known as “Lipstick King”, who made significant contributions to community commerce through his UGC content. As he often criticises certain shades of high-end lipstick brands like Hermès as being “unsuitable to Asians” (Kovack, 2020, para. 3) while outlining why he prefers some lesser-known lipsticks that complement his skin tone in his videos, his behaviour constructs him as transparent and knowledgeable in the field, resonates with his viewers, thus, convincing them that the product is valuable in solving their problems. Accumulating over 64 million fans within his community on Tiktok, Zuo (2022) claims that his loyal large following has helped him sell 15 thousand lipsticks in just five minutes” (p. 4) and RMB $21.5 billion in sales during the first day of the Tiktok live stream on Alibaba’s 2021 Singles Day. The perceived credibility allows these viewers to regard Li as someone just like them who uses the products, which impacts their intentions to make a purchase, supporting Halim’s (2021) case study where the platform’s affordances that led to user-authentic creative expression turn to UGC as a trust signal, much like they would ask their family, friends or professional network for advice. Halim (2021) further reveals that over 90% of consumers base their purchasing decisions on UGC, and 73% feel more confident in their purchases. Due to this, brands are increasingly inclined to work with TikTok influencers, leading to the rise of the influencer economy (Thomala, 2023). This new creator-driven word-of-mouth communication disrupts the traditional marketing agency while promoting community commerce, allowing influencers to use their authenticity to attract audiences with similar interests, shape consumer purchase decisions and motivate their community to participate in the buying process.
From Discovery to Purchase: How Influencers Use Community Commerce to Revolutionise Shopping Journey
Influencers who establish a strong niche and personal branding are optimising TikTok’s algorithm, hashtag affordances and search engine optimisation (SEO) to tailor personalised shopping experiences and enhance deeper engagement within their communities. This approach revolutionises shopping journeys, transforming how consumers discover, evaluate, and purchase products, which increases consumerism (TikTok Newsroom, 2021). Thus, users turn to TikTok as the go-to platform to spontaneously scroll through their feeds during their shopping journey, seamlessly integrating the platform into their purchasing process.
- Algorithm:
TikTok replaces its reverse chronological order of feed with an algorithm, a recommendation system that controls the discoverability of all types of content on the platform, curating a streamlined feed to every user based on their activity and interaction history (Bhandari et al., 2022). Its strategically designed algorithm has an addictive nature, enticing users to endlessly scroll to consume content. With individuals spending an average of 24.5 hours per month, it surpassed YouTube in 2021 (Geyser, 2022).
Furthermore, this personalised feed, For You Page, is effective because, as its name suggests, content is distributed “for you”, guaranteeing that “no two users will see the same videos” (Newberry, 2023, para. 3). Bhandari (2022) adds that algorithm often brings user’s favourite influencer back on their feed to re-engage and discover new products even when they are not following them, empowering influencers to drive extensive traffic to their affiliate storefront. Because these users already trust the creator as a credible source, influencers can easily make commissioned sales through each purchase they influence.
- Hashtags:
As hashtags categorise content within a niche, the algorithm can precisely push videos that speak directly to the users’ interests, recommend similar videos and potentially entice them to research and purchase. Warc’s (2021) study found that over 70% of consumers have made unplanned purchases from browsing through TikTok. For example, the trending #TiktokMadeMeBuyIt hashtag has generated more than 4.6 billion views, causing the virality of many products, especially on Amazon (Warc, 2021). Momiroski (2023), a TikTok coach who audits influencer accounts, claims that Rozema (@sailor.rozema), a Tiktoker, has “missed out” (0:07) on $60k for not providing an affiliate link to the Amazon products she demonstrated in her videos. Her video generated 40.2 million views, which he analysed if she were to earn $1 commission for each sale influenced with a 3% conversion rate, she would have made $60k, supporting Bhandari’s (2022) discussion that more view count and engagement equal more income.
- SEO:
While distributing content is no longer limited to authority figures, embedding the “everyone is a content creator” notion (Forsey, 2021, para. 1), content can be too diverse and random. SEO helps TikTok search engines understand content relevance and popularity so that viral videos can become easily findable. With the interactive search bar of Web 2.0, users can search topics or videos featuring the products they are interested in purchasing. SEO can further smoothen the purchasing journey by sifting out low-quality or bot content and pushing trending videos with top search for users. Influencers are now using SEO to drive organic traffic, using specific keywords in their content to optimise their brands to compete against other influencer competitors because as SEO recognises their content as viral, the TikTok algorithm will push the content further to more audiences in their feed or as the top trending video in search. This action affects the number of followers these influencers gather, building a loyal fanbase.
These three affordances aid in successful community building. As the user shopping journey in e-commerce shifts from discovery to action within a tap, influencers can easily sway purchase decisions within their community of like-minded people who share similar interests and opinions.
Superfans Are a Community: How These Fans Organise to Aid in The Success Of Influencers
The shift to Web 2.0 enables TikTok to showcase dynamic content that promotes user interaction and collaboration through commenting, sharing, and duetting, stimulating greater user engagement within the community similar to UGC. With this, influencers can cultivate a special relationship with fans, create deeper communication, and establish trust and loyalty, contributing to community commerce (De’ et al., 2020). Flynn (2019), a host of the Smart Passive Income podcast, invent a concept called “superfans”, which he explains that it refers to an influencer’s most devoted followers, who often are willing to go to great lengths to support and promote their favourite influencer. Flynn (2019) argues that having superfans is a brand’s “greatest asset” (as cited in Doll, 2022, para. 5), as they help influencers spread awareness through word-of-mouth, amplifies the visibility of the influencer content and drive interest in these influencer-endorsed products through active participation in discussions, without influencers needing to “constantly chase after new customers” (as cited in Watson, 2020, para. 5). Superfans also often contribute financially to influencers by purchasing their merchandise, exclusive content or sponsored product. This financial support enables influencers to maintain their online presence and continue creating content, which in turn fuels the influencer economy (Barta et al., 2023).
An example includes Kylie Jenner, an influencer and a celebrity, whose business, Kylie Cosmetics, reportedly generated annual revenue of over $360 million from the brand alone (Varnham, 2020). Being the second most followed person on Instagram and with 52.3 million followers on TikTok (Botha, 2023), Varnham’s (2020) article claims that the brand has most benefitted from these followers, despite she quotes, “Kylie Jenner is actually kind of bad at being an influencer, but her fans still love her” (para. 1).
Flynn (2019, as cited in Doll, 2022) further reveals that influencers only need 1000 superfans to scale their business; they do not need millions of followers nor to persuade every follower. He explains that if these superfans spend $100 annually on the influencer brand, the business can generate $100,000 – six-figure. Lee (2022), an influencer and entrepreneur with 800,000 combined TikTok and Instagram followers, reveals in her podcast that she was able to scale her six-figure net worth from her social media gigs into a seven-figure since launching her Full-Time Influencer coaching program to her followers. She claims that this is because she could convert her superfans from her main account, which “took four years to grow 400,000 followers” (Lee, 2022, 2:33), to her new business account, which took only three months to reach 100,000 from scratch. With the power of a strong influencer community constructed through Tiktok’s comments and sharing, influencers can market their brands on their platform, converting their fans into sales, and making e-commerce another income stream.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this conference paper has demonstrated the influence of Web 2.0 communication methods on the emergence and success of community building and networking. As the digital landscape continues to evolve and shift towards more interactive and user-generated content, TikTok’s interactive features allow influencers to continue to expand their reach, build stronger connections and a loyal fanbase between individuals who share similar interests, values, and opinions, driving community commerce to new heights (Hudders et al., 2022). As a result, influencers have the power of social networking to promote products effectively and shape consumer purchase decisions. This notion results from the rise of participatory culture, which has led to media distribution, such as advertisement, being no longer limited to authority figures but is now accessible to anyone with an internet connection (Barta et al., 2023). Users are becoming individual information sources, and because consumers today can actively participate in discourses by sharing their opinions and experiences, all users within the platform are becoming a part of a limitless sharing community (De’ et al., 2020). Moreover, this paper has explored the role of superfans in fuelling this influencer and affectional economy, emphasising the significance of the emotional investment and support these dedicated followers provide. Although some may argue that there is already an oversaturation in the influencer market, it is undeniable that modern consumers now gravitate towards these influencers’ advice as part of their purchase journey. The influencer economy will continue to expand in 2023, accelerating the growth of a creator-centric economy and community commerce.
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Hi L, The thing is the paper is mainly concentrated on the African continent particularly.If you make an analysis of…