The digital landscape in the UK has reached unprecedented levels of connectivity, with 97% internet penetration and 79% of the population—approximately 54.8 million people—actively engaging on social media platforms. This digital saturation has created a fertile environment for innovative marketing and sales strategies, particularly for small businesses.
Small businesses form the backbone of the UK economy, comprising 99% of all companies and employing nearly half the nation’s workforce. As these enterprises navigate an increasingly competitive marketplace, many turn to emerging platforms like TikTok and social commerce solutions to drive growth, build resilience, and connect with new customer segments.
The convergence of entertainment and shopping through social commerce represents one of the most significant shifts in consumer behaviour since the rise of e-commerce itself. For small businesses with limited marketing budgets, these platforms offer cost-effective ways to reach highly targeted audiences and convert engagement directly into sales.
The fusion of entertainment and commerce we’re seeing on platforms like TikTok has fundamentally altered how small businesses approach digital marketing,” explains Ciaran Connolly, Director at ProfileTree. “What’s particularly exciting is how these platforms democratise visibility—a small local shop in Northern Ireland can now compete for attention alongside major retailers through creative, authentic content that resonates with specific communities.”
TikTok’s Impact on UK Small Business Marketing
TikTok has evolved from a niche entertainment platform to a critical marketing channel for businesses of all sizes. By early 2025, TikTok’s UK user base reached 24.8 million adults, representing a 9.2% increase in ad reach year-on-year. This rapid growth trajectory makes TikTok one of the fastest-expanding social platforms in the UK market.
User Demographics and Engagement
The platform’s demographic reach is particularly valuable for businesses targeting younger consumers:
Age Distribution: 74% of 18-24-year-olds in the UK now use TikTok, making it the leading platform for reaching Gen Z and younger Millennials.
Time Spent: Young adults (18-24) spend an average of 64 minutes daily on TikTok, compared to 13 minutes for UK adults.
Gender Balance: TikTok’s audience is nearly evenly split, with 52% female and 48% male users in 2025, offering broad appeal across gender demographics.
Regional Adoption: While initially concentrated in urban areas, TikTok usage has expanded significantly across all UK regions, with robust growth in Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Business Impact and Marketing Effectiveness
TikTok’s distinctive short-form video format has proven exceptionally effective for small businesses across multiple dimensions:
Brand Storytelling: The platform’s narrative-driven content style allows businesses to showcase their personality, values, and behind-the-scenes operations in ways that traditional advertising cannot match.
Viral Marketing Potential: TikTok’s algorithm-driven content distribution enables even small businesses with minimal follower counts to achieve viral reach through compelling content.
Authentic Engagement: Users respond more positively to genuine, unpolished content from small businesses than to highly produced corporate content.
Ad Performance: TikTok ads reach 45% of all UK adults aged 18+ and 36.6% of the UK’s internet user base, with engagement rates often exceeding those of other social platforms.
Small Business Success Stories
The platform has proven particularly valuable for businesses in creative sectors, local retail, and service industries:
Independent fashion boutiques using TikTok to showcase new arrivals and styling ideas
Local food establishments are creating content around signature dishes and preparation methods
Service-based businesses demonstrate their expertise through how-to and tutorial content
These businesses leverage TikTok’s visual nature to communicate value propositions that might be difficult to convey through text or static imagery alone.
The Social Commerce Boom
Integrating shopping functionality into social media platforms has created a seamless path from discovery to purchase, with substantial implications for UK small businesses.
Market Growth and Consumer Adoption
The UK social commerce market is experiencing explosive growth:
UK social commerce sales are projected to reach £7.4 billion in 2024 and nearly £16 billion by 2028, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.2%.
56% of UK consumers have already made purchases directly through a social or entertainment platform, with this figure expected to rise further throughout 2025.
In 2025, 82% of consumers use social media for product discovery and research, with platform preferences varying by category and demographic.
Platform preferences for product research show YouTube leading (52%), followed by Facebook (45%), Instagram (38%), and TikTok (34%).
Evolving Features and Functionality
Social commerce capabilities continue to evolve rapidly, with several key developments shaping the landscape:
Live-stream shopping events allow real-time product demonstrations and Q&A sessions
Shoppable posts and videos enable immediate purchase without leaving the platform
AI-driven personalisation targeting users with products based on their engagement history
Augmented reality (AR) try-on features for apparel, accessories, and cosmetics
These features democratise access to advanced e-commerce capabilities previously available only to larger enterprises with substantial development resources.
“Shop with me” and styling videos have emerged as particularly effective formats for driving fashion purchases
Technology Integration
Advanced technologies are enhancing the social commerce experience:
50% of fashion executives see generative AI as key for product discovery and recommendations
82% of customers want AI to reduce shopping research time
AR try-on features increase purchase confidence and reduce return rates by up to 30%
Virtual shopping assistants and AI stylist tools are becoming increasingly sophisticated and widely adopted
Practical Tips for SMEs
For small businesses looking to capitalise on these trends, several practical strategies stand out as particularly effective.
Content Strategy
Content approach is critical to success on TikTok and other social commerce platforms:
Focus on short-form, authentic video: TikTok users respond best to creative, relatable content that doesn’t feel overly produced or commercial
Showcase personality: Highlight the people behind the business and authentic brand stories
Demonstrate products in action: Show practical applications and real-world benefits rather than simply listing features
Leverage trending formats: Adapt current viral trends to showcase products or services in relevant ways
Maintain consistent posting: Algorithms favour accounts with regular content schedules
Technical Implementation
The technical aspects of social commerce require attention to maximise effectiveness:
Optimise for mobile and social search: Over 42% of UK shoppers start their purchase journey on search engines, but social platforms are rapidly closing this gap
Ensure seamless checkout processes: Minimise steps between discovery and purchase
Leverage platform analytics: Use platform-provided insights to refine targeting and content strategy
Implement proper tracking: Ensure attribution models correctly capture the impact of social commerce on overall sales
Test multiple formats: Experiment with various content types, from short videos to live streams, to identify what resonates with your specific audience.
Community Building
Building engaged communities around a brand creates a sustainable advantage:
Respond to comments and messages promptly: Engagement signals to algorithms that content is valuable
Create two-way conversations: Ask questions and solicit feedback from followers
Businesses that embrace these platforms and invest in high-quality, authentic content are best positioned to succeed in the evolving digital marketplace. The integration of entertainment and commerce creates powerful opportunities to connect with consumers in more meaningful ways than traditional advertising allows.
For UK small businesses, particularly those in retail, fashion, and consumer goods sectors, social commerce represents an additional sales channel and a transformative approach to business growth that merges brand building, community engagement, and direct sales into a cohesive strategy.
As we move into 2025, the businesses that most effectively adapt to these evolving platforms will gain significant competitive advantages in customer acquisition, retention, and lifetime value, regardless of their size or marketing budget.
Your business needs a digital marketing plan, whether small or Fortune 100. These days, almost everyone shops online. If your business isn’t digital, you’re going to...
In an era where information is just a click away, online reviews wield tremendous power over how potential customers perceive a brand. Among the many platforms...
Augmented reality (AR) is transforming online interactions in ways we could scarcely imagine a few years ago. By overlaying digital information onto the real world, AR...