Introducing the TikTok Black Business Showcase

Introducing the TikTok Black Business Showcase

February 22, 2021

TikTok For Business, Editorial Team

Small BusinessAnnouncements

In early 2020, TikTok made ahuge commitmentto growing diversity initiatives inside and outside the platform, and it was out of this commitment that the Support Black Businesses initiative was born.Support Black Businessesis a series of activities aimed at driving awareness, patronage, representation, and sustainability of Black-owned businesses.

The first activity to come to life was the#ShopBlackcampaign. Launched in partership with Shopify, #ShopBlack called on the TikTok community to support their favorite Black-owned businesses with the help of a Hashtag Challenge, custom AR effect, music and support from popular TikTok creators. More than 40 Black-owned Shopify merchants featured their products and services in the campaign.

The #ShopBlack campaign also brought together Black business owners to connect and share their experiences with the TikTok community .

"I felt connected to the small business community when I met other black independent female jewelers. Hearing their stories helped me realize I was not alone," said Latoya Boyd, founder ofLatoya Boyd Jewelryin San Diego. "Participating in the #ShopBlack campaign, especially listening in on the Zoom calls helped me realize I could be helping so many other businesses succeed because of my own personal experiences. I would love to work with TikTok in the future and in this capacity. I have so much knowledge to give."

After a successful #ShopBlack initiative and building so many positive relationships among small business owners, TikTok came up with the idea to further support them with a Black Business Showcase throughout February.

Black Business Showcase is a brand new program designed to recognize amazing Black-owned businesses in the US and present them to the TikTok community. The goal of the Black Business Showcase is to increase awareness for these incredible Black-owned businesses and introduce TikTok users to the awesome products and services they provide.

Several businesses from the Support Black Businesses initiative signed up to participate in the program, including Bread Beauty Supply,The Necessities Company,Chicago French Press,adwoa beauty,Maya's CookiesandAnaya Arts.

Black Business Showcase is located in the Rewards section of the TikTok app until February 28, 2021. It can be reached from users' individual profile pages, from banner placements throughout TikTok, or by simply entering #BlackOwnedBusiness or "BlackBiz" into the TikTok search bar. Once inside, users can check out participating businesses to learn about their products, missions, brand stories and more. Each brand has its own page introducing itself, and if users like what they see, they can click to go directly to an external shopping page.

As a platform that embraces diversity and inclusivity, TikTok is fully committed to supporting Black-owned businesses and creators. While the Black Business Showcase is a February-specific program, TikTok will continue to promote different opportunities year-round to highlight and interact with Black-owned and other small businesses.  

For more information on how to join our Support Black Businesses initiative and be considered for future programs, clickhere.