TikTok shared new insights into the impact the app has had on U.S.-based SMBs, as part of a Small Business Month showcase event.
TikTok met with a range of SMB owners in New York to present the expanding opportunities of the app and showcase how NY-based SMBs, in particular, have driven success in the app.
Based on research conducted by GlobalData, TikTok said that two-thirds of U.S. TikTok Shop users have discovered a new brand on the platform, while small businesses with annual revenues under $15 million benefit the most from TikTok discovery.
As per TikTok: “From early experimentation to breakout momentum, TikTok gives small businesses the opportunity to scale by reaching millions of people across the U.S. In fact, searches for ‘small business’ increased 479% during Q1 2026. And 89% of SMBs say their sales increased after promoting their businesses on TikTok.”
The research also showed that:
- Seventy-two percent of brands newly discovered by TikTok Shop users in the past year are small businesses.
- Eight out of 10 TikTok Shop users said they discovered more small brands since they started using the platform.
- Fifty-seven percent of users bought something from the new brand they discovered within days of discovery, while 90% made a purchase within a month.
TikTok said that TikTok Shop merchants represent a new generation of business owners using creativity, authenticity and community-driven storytelling to grow their brands.
“When brands show up to advertise and genuinely engage, they become part of the cultural conversation that drives purchase decisions: in fact, 73% of users said they feel a deeper connection to brands they engage with on TikTok, and 81% said the platform helps them discover new topics and trends they didn’t know they liked,” TikTok said. “That discovery creates a compounding effect: 45% of users continue searching on TikTok after finding something new, extending the window of engagement well beyond a single interaction.”
These notes, TikTok said, underline the rising value of the platform for U.S. small businesses. Accompanied by its evolving artificial intelligence-powered ad tools, TikTok appears to be providing more opportunity to explore passion projects as careers.
