Amazon is testing a TikTok-like feature that would allow customers to scroll through photos and videos to purchase products on the shopping giant’s site.
The test was reported originally in the Wall Street Journal.
The feature, called Inspire, allows customers to like, save and share content and purchase products directly from the feed.
Amazon has not committed to rolling out the feature for consumers. Currently, the test is running with a small group of employees only.
In a statement, Alyssa Bronikowski, an Amazon spokesperson, said the company is “constantly testing new features to help make customers’ lives a little easier.”
According to Watchful, an AI product intelligence platform, the experimental TikTok-like feed mostly shows photos, but if the product does roll out to consumers, Watchful expects it to be video-heavy.
Inspire isn’t exactly a surprise. Most social media platforms are trying to reinvent TikTok’s monster success. Tech Crunch reports on TikTok right now that the tag #amazonfinds has 25.6 billion views.
Of course, finding the perfect fit on TikTok through authentic reviews versus someone selling something might lead to different levels of success. Or possibly not. Influencers have used their Amazon Affiliate links to earn money since the affiliate program started.
Facebook’s Reels and YouTube’s shorts have tried to recreate TikTok’s success. Google said YouTube Shorts was attracting more than 1.5 billion logged-in users each month. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said this year that Reels accounted for more than 20% of the time that people spend on Instagram.
This is not the first time Amazon has used the word Inspire. In 2016, they used Amazon Inspire that was a service that provided educators a place to discover, manage, rate, review, and share educational resources. That service is no longer available, but we look forward to the rollout of Inspire 2.0.
Mary Beth Lee retired from teaching in Texas this year after 28 years as a student media adviser. She spends her time these days reading, writing, fighting for public education and enjoying the empty nester life in Downtown Fort Worth.
