TikTok
Singapore, 27 May 2021 - TikTok, the leading destination for short-form mobile videos, today introduced Shop Local Saturday, its newest initiative to support small and medium businesses (SMBs) in Southeast Asia throughout the month of June.
As part of Shop Local Saturday, SMBs in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam may opt into TikTok's latest initiative through a variety of paid advertising packages to showcase their brand through a unique suite of in-app spotlight features on TikTok, which will roll out starting June 4. With many SMBs still managing the impact of the pandemic, this initiative also seeks to level the playing field by raising awareness about their businesses and amplifying their offerings.
Access to elevated perks for both SMBs and TikTok users
By joining Shop Local Saturday, SMBs will have the unique opportunity to not only participate in TikTok's campaign but also to leverage the platform's scale and reach. With special perks such as a dedicated in-app page that is designed to drive traffic to the various SMBs' sites, exclusive access to creators, produced ads, creative workshops and listings on TikTok's website and blog, SMBs in will receive next-level brand exposure to drive conversions of more users into new customers. Beyond the benefits to local SMBs, local TikTok users in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam can also look forward to great deals, including providing promotion codes within the app for customers, available on TikTok all across June as they do their part to support their local businesses.
"Small and medium businesses form the backbone of every local economy, and we are thrilled to launch Shop Local Saturday in support of businesses across Southeast Asia. Shop Local Saturday is an initiative to empower more SMBs to use TikTok as a platform to find their authentic voice and reach new audiences. This is our way of supporting SMBs and enabling them to grow in spite of the pandemic. We hope to show SMBs in Southeast Asia that they can leverage TikTok to launch meaningful campaigns that will ultimately drive sales and real business results," said Esme Lean, TikTok's Head of Small and Medium Business in Southeast Asia.
According to TikTok SMB Report conducted in January 2021 by TikTok for Business, 1 in every 4 SMBs in Thailand as well as 1 in every 3 Vietnamese and Indonesian SMBs that have used TikTok rank it as their preferred ad platform and find TikTok ads to be most effective, highlighting the strength of the platform as a marketing tool to drive their business goals.
These findings highlight TikTok's key role and demonstratable success in driving business growth for SMBs. Kraisorn Makdee, founder of BM Collagen, shared: “TikTok allowed us to reach many people in a creative manner. More than that, it helped boost business flows, drive engagement rates and, most importantly, helped sales in a concrete manner. I would say that our switch to TikTok has been a thoughtful, innovative and important investment.”
In addition to the various benefits brought to SMBs by Shop Local Saturdays, TikTok will also amplify the initiative further on the platform through In-Feed Ads as well as attention-grabbing full-screen displays known as Brand Takeovers, to direct users to the Shop Local Saturday listings throughout June.
Supporting SMBs through the pandemic and beyond
This past year has been especially challenging for SMBs in the region, with International Data Corporation (IDC) reporting 70.6 percent of micro and SMBs forced to temporarily cease operations due to the pandemic.
Beyond Shop Local Saturday, TikTok is firmly committed to helping SMBs bounce back by providing them with the tools, resources and best practices to connect with their audiences and grow their business during this difficult time:
- TikTok Ads Manager: SMB can leverage TikTok Ads Manager to create advertising campaigns with easy set up and flexible budgets while helping their business to reach their relevant audiences.
- Grow with TikTok - Starter Lab: A monthly training programme kickstarted in February 2021, where over 6,600 SMBs have since benefited from learning directly from established figures in the marketing industry and TikTok experts on getting started on the platform.
- Small Business Resource Center: Introduced in March 2021, it houses TikTok's best practices and resources for SMBs to learn to connect with their audience and drive results.
- Lead Generation: TikTok's first-party solution that helps businesses reach prospects in order to convert them into potential customers with ease, is also available to businesses. Lead Generation enables businesses of all sizes to create seamless interactions to reach prospects in order to convert them into potential customers.
- Supporting Local Payments on TikTok Ads Manager: TikTok leads the way by being the first to support local-friendly payments through integration with e-wallets like DANA in Indonesia and Rabbit LINE Pay.
- Signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with the governments in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam: TikTok has also partnered local governments in key markets with MOUs, reinforcing its commitment to supporting SMBs across the region.
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About TikTok
TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. Our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok has global offices including Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.
