As the fall semester begins and students settle into their new campus housing spaces, young adults are turning to the internet to order last minute necessities they forgot or lost in the moving process.
Viral Chinese-owned app TikTok serves as an entertainment app for people of all ages, connecting individuals across the world with a personalization algorithm known as the “For You page” The app directly tracks an individual's personal interactions with the content they receive and outputs more content catered to their perceived interests.
The online shopping process experienced a shift after TikTok introduced its newest feature, “TikTok Shop.” The new feature allows millions of users to see and directly purchase products on the app.
As TikTok developed and won the interest of young minds, marketing and advertising within the app became a primary pathway for brand success.
The app seized an important relationship between the influx of users by creating an easy way for influencers to promote products to their audiences.. TikTok’s algorithm became key for young individuals to continue investing in the app with the possibility of “blowing up.” The algorithm allowed any users around the world to gain traction and populate massive likes and following.
So-called “influencers” started to pop up on the app in 2020, and many became household names.
If you’re a consistent user, you may be aware of Bria Lemirnade, an influencer and foodie TikToker in the heart of Madison who blew up creating food videos in her mom’s kitchen. Lemirnade had 1.8 million followers as of September 2023.
As TikTok Shop developed, many users became annoyed by the influx of advertisements populating their For You page. But influencers are now given an easy avenue to recommend products to their followers, with easy links to purchase more and more products such as dorm bedding, apartment decor and favorite back to school necessities.
