One of the most interesting side effects of the TikTok ban saga was how it prompted everyone to pause and reflect on TikTok’s place in our culture and the profound influence it has had.

Love it or hate it, TikTok has reshaped the way we consume content, catapulting creators to fame, defining cultural trends, and building communities around niche interests.

Now, with TikTok’s future more stable, we can start to unpack its legacy—and one area stands out: the mainstream acceptance of TikTok Shop in the United States. TikTok turned out to be the platform to bring livestream commerce to an American audience at scale, and it has shown this isn’t just a passing trend or something that, as I wrote in 2023, is for niche audiences like baseball card sellers.

For American companies, the message is clear—now is the time to harness this momentum and adapt to the future of connected, real-time shopping experiences.

From Content to Commerce: The FOMO Effect in Livestream Shopping

Livestream shopping taps into something deeply human: the desire to connect in real-time and the fear of missing out. TikTok’s success with its Shop feature demonstrated how content creators can build buzz, cultivate trust, and spark a buying frenzy within minutes of going live.

As marketing executive Andrew Garson shared in a recent conversation, “For followers, livestream shopping is not just shopping—it’s an event, a shared experience that blends entertainment with exclusivity, and it’s another way to build connections online.”

At the heart of livestream commerce is a simple yet powerful psychology: viewers tune in not just to buy products but to be part of a moment. When a creator recommends a product during a livestream, it doesn’t feel like a hard sell—it feels like a trusted friend sharing something they love.

This kind of engagement transforms shopping from a solitary transaction into a communal experience, leveraging the same dynamics that make social media so engaging.

For brands, this shift represents an extraordinary opportunity. By aligning with the right creators and speaking authentically to their audiences, businesses can build not just sales but deep, lasting relationships with their customers. Platforms like Whatnot and Loupe have embraced this approach, focusing on niche markets like collectibles and sports memorabilia, where passion runs high and trust drives every transaction.

A Blueprint for Success: Authenticity Over Hard Sales

Livestream shopping success isn’t about discounts or flashy promotions—it’s about authenticity. The brands and creators that thrive are those who understand their audience and focus on storytelling. Instead of simply presenting a product, they show how it fits into a customer’s life or solves a real problem.

It’s marketing that feels personal, not transactional.

It’s this authenticity that has allowed niche platforms like Whatnot to raise hundreds of millions to expand their live shopping capabilities, as they prove that the format works when it aligns with the needs of communities.

The Future Is Now: Adapting to a New E-Commerce Era

American brands are at a critical juncture as they approach engagement with what may be a new era in e-commerce.

“This era of e-commerce will be known as one that prioritizes real-time interaction, community-driven trust, and shared experiences over traditional product displays,” shared marketing executive Andrew Garson, “The companies that succeed will be the ones that focus on building authentic connections and turning shopping into something fun, something that people want to be a part of.”

Just where that will take place has become the biggest question as we enter 2025. As it appears increasingly likely the TikTok ban will remain in effect at the end of the month, the question has become which platform – existing or otherwise – will rise to meet the moment.

The opportunity is here, waiting for someone to seize it.