Amazon has gotten on board with TikTok! According to the Wall Street Journal, the e-commerce business is introducing a news feed featuring product photographs and videos on the Amazon app.
This week saw the launch of Amazon’s brand-new Inspire in-app shopping experience, which offers users a new way to research products, get inspired by ideas, and make purchases.
Amazon’s shopping platform will have a new social feed showcasing content from various companies and influencers. Amazon shoppers who view that content will then be able to purchase the items featured or showcased on those posts.
The social feed is presently limited to US users and will be available to others in the months ahead.
Along with supporting video content, it’ll also allow photos, giving the app a more hybrid appearance between TikTok and Instagram. It’ll be available on both iOS and Android and iOS.
You might double-tap anywhere on the Inspire content screen, just as on Instagram, to like an item and browse through the Inspire experience like you would with TikTok’s vertical video stream.
Previously, Twitter has adapted the immersive video format from TikTok for improved discovery.
How Does Inspire Work?
The rollout comes after tests performed earlier this year. Amazon was already known to be testing a TikTok-like shopping feed in its shopping app, which had a navigating icon at the bottom.
This high-level location in the primary navigation is still intact in the now-released version, but using the Inspire feed now requires tapping a lightbulb icon instead of the diamond icon it had in the test versions.
The app’s lightbulb-shaped icon will allow users to select from over 20 interests like pets, hiking, gaming, and travel to customize their personal feeds.
When you find something you like, you can buy it by clicking on the small icons at the bottom of the window. The item will appear in an overlay window above the video; however, hitting ‘View all details’ will lead you to the item’s webpage, where you can purchase it, read more, or add it to a list.
According to Amazon, the feed will become more responsive over time as Inspire gains more user involvement and understanding of their interests.
In the long term, the company intends to improve Inspire by adding more shoppable options, extra content, and in-app functionality.
Amazon’s Another Attempt to Lure Social Media Influencers
Notably, it’s not the first time that Amazon will work with content creators and influencers for their shopping app. The Amazon shopping app already includes a ton of content from content creators and influencers specializing in tech, beauty, and fashion.
These pieces of content don’t initially link to the products featured but rather serve as a recommendation. According to its site, the Inspire feature will only be accessible through the Amazon Shopping app.
It’ll include content directly from qualified brands and creators that have joined Amazon’s influencer program.
Amazon also noted that shoppers could post a product review that might show up in Inspire. These reviews may assist customers in making the right shopping decisions.
On top of this, users can also join the Amazon Influencer Program and have their photos/videos featured in Inspire, and brands can also publish photos that are eligible to feature in Inspire.
A seller or vendor can register a Brand Registry with an active Brand Store to add photographs and videos. Amazon has a long history of using famous social media formats to engage people and boost sales.
Sadly, most of Amazon’s social media reactions have been lackluster, as the content exists solely to market things. Meanwhile, individuals use social media for more than just purchasing ideas.