Twitter influencers choose TikTok for shopping over all other social media apps

TikTok Shop platform launched in the US last year
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Updated 03 March 2023
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Twitter influencers choose TikTok for shopping over all other social media apps

  • TikTok appeared in online shopping discussions 37% of times, outperforming YouTube

LONDON: TikTok has become a more attractive shopping destination for Twitter influencers, who prefer it to other social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram, a recent study revealed.

After examining shopping-related discussions over the last six months, the Social Media Analytics Platform of GlobalData, a data analytics company, found that TikTok appeared in related conversations 37 percent of times.

The video-sharing app outperformed YouTube, which appeared 27 percent of times, Pinterest 22 percent, Instagram 7 percent and Snapchat, which scored 6 percent.

The study links the findings to the launch of the TikTok Shop e-commerce platform in the US in November 2022.

The TikTok Shop feature allows users to access shoppable links and make purchases while watching livestreams or in-feed videos. It is available in Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Phillippines, and the UK.

Allegedly, this has greatly contributed to turning TikTok into a shopping source of choice.

“For consumers, TikTok becomes a shopping destination — with a personalized Shop tab and order tracking in-app. Product pages have reviews and info on how many others have ordered the item, as well as a way to enter coupons shared on creator livestreams,” Olivia Moore, consumer partner at Andreessen Horowitz, told Charged.

TikTok’s 2023 What’s Next Trend Report revealed that the social media giant expects to deepen its influence, anticipating encouraging users “to test out new products and ways of thinking and behaving.”


Saudi Arabia strengthens global ranking in 2026 Soft Power Index

Updated 20 January 2026
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Saudi Arabia strengthens global ranking in 2026 Soft Power Index

  • UAE maintains 10th place, Qatar climbs 2 spots

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia climbed three positions to 17th place in this year’s Soft Power Index, released on Tuesday by marketing consultancy Brand Finance.

Other Gulf nations also performed well, with the UAE maintaining its 10th-place ranking and Qatar and Bahrain each climbing two spots to No. 20 and No. 49, respectively, marking a rebound for the region after a softer showing in 2025.

The report indicates that the performance reflects sustained investment in proactive diplomacy, economic diversification and expanded initiatives across culture, tourism and sports.

It also comes at a time when several Western powers are recording declines in their rankings, highlighting the growing influence of Gulf states.

“The UAE remains a clear regional leader, while Saudi Arabia and Qatar have strengthened their global positions through focused economic diplomacy and international engagement,” said Savio D’Souza, managing director for the Middle East and Africa, Brand Finance.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE either maintained or improved their rankings across all key pillars, including familiarity, reputation and influence.

The Kingdom recorded notable gains, with increases of 25 points in the People & Values pillar and 12 points in the Culture & Heritage pillar.

“Although perceptions across some markets remain mixed, renewed upward movement in the rankings suggests that targeted, long-term soft power strategies are beginning to pay off,” D’Souza said.

Globally, the US retained its top position despite recording the steepest overall decline in its score, followed by China in second place. Japan rose to third place, overtaking the UK, which ranked fourth, while Germany placed fifth.

Brand Finance defines “soft power” as a “nation’s ability to influence the preferences and behaviors of various actors in the international arena (states, corporations, communities, publics, etc.) through attraction and persuasion rather than coercion.” 

Each nation is assessed across 55 individual metrics, producing an overall score out of 100 and a ranking from first to 193rd.