#TikTokMadeMeBuyIt has over 80 billion views.
Not a trend. Not a fluke. A fundamental shift in how we discover, trust, and buy.
In this weekās episode of Andicanhelp Live, Iām digging into something thatās been unfolding quietly but rapidly:
š The death of the traditional ecommerce funnelāand the rise of social-first, content-driven buying.
Hereās whatās changing (and why it matters to small brands and creators):
š The Traditional Funnel Doesnāt Work Like It Used To
The old model was simple:
Ad ā Landing Page ā Email Nurture ā Sale
But thatās not how people shop anymore.
The modern journey is nonlinear, emotional, and deeply social.
People now:
- Discover a product while scrolling
- Watch someone they trust use it
- Buy itāon the spot
Social proof, storytelling, reviews, and demos?
They’re all baked into the contentānot follow-ups.
š± TikTok Is the New Storefront
TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Shortsātheyāre no longer just entertainment platforms.
Theyāre fully functional commerce engines with:
- Native checkout tools (like TikTok Shop)
- Affiliate and creator marketplaces
- Seamless in-app buying experiences
šļø People now āshop where they scroll,ā often without leaving the app or even thinking twice.
š” Mini-case: A small skincare brand used TikTok to launch a single product with no email list and no ads. One organic video = sold out inventory in 3 days.
š” What This Means for Small Brands & Creators
Good news: You donāt need a massive budget to win in this space.
For small brands:
- Your content is your storefront
- Focus on short-form video thatās educational, funny, or emotionally resonant
- Use tools like TikTok Shop, Instagram Checkout, and UGC to build trust fast
For microinfluencers:
- Content is commerce
- Real-time interaction + authenticity = conversions
- Creator affiliate tools let you profit with the brand, not just for them
š§ Tactics That Work Right Now
Want to test this shift for yourself?
Here are 4 practical things you can do this week:
- Audit your current funnel ā Where are you losing people?
- Create 3 short-form videos:
- Product demo
- Customer testimonial or unboxing
- Behind-the-scenes or founder POV
- Product demo
- Enable a native shopping tool on TikTok or Instagram
- Collaborate with niche creators who already have audience trust
⨠The goal isnāt polish. Itās presence. Relevance. Authenticity.
š§ Ready to Dive Deeper?
This is just the surface.
In the full podcast episode, I break down:
- How the funnel collapsed
- What TikTokās āviral-to-cartā model looks like
- Why the next wave of ecommerce is being led by creators and communities
š Listen to Episode 2: [The Funnel Is Dead ā on Spotify / Apple / Substack / etc.]
And I want to hear from you:
Whatās the last thing you bought because of TikTok or Instagram?
Was it a win⦠or an instant regret?
Comment below, or drop me a note at hello@andicanhelp.com.
Weāre also chatting live in the Discord, so come say hi.
Next week:
Is the way that customers are finding what they want changing fundamentally? How relevant is Google in an age of discovery-driven commerce? Weāll explore the future of search and in the ecommerce era.
Until thenākeep scrolling smart.
šš±āØ