Shopify expands Audiences with TikTok, Snapchat, and Criteo integration

Shopify Audiences, Shopify’s target contact list generator, is now welcoming new platform integrations. The latest additions include social media giants Snapchat and TikTok, along with the advertising platform Criteo. While these integrations are already available to Shopify Plus merchants in the United States and Canada, the TikTok integration is set to roll out in phases.

Shopify Audiences is tapping into the vast potential of the open web for Shopify merchants. It differs from other payment-based advertising solutions, as it doesn’t handle user-level data. Instead, it leverages data modeling to create custom audiences, making it a more privacy-friendly option.

The addition of Criteo to Shopify Audiences is a notable move. While Shopify Audiences isn’t primarily a revenue driver for Shopify, it can attract more merchants to its Shopify Plus package. The true value lies in helping merchants boost their sales on the open web, potentially lowering customer acquisition costs, much like large social platforms have done for specific brands.

Shopify Audiences is also enhancing its offerings with the introduction of Benchmarks, an insights dashboard that provides advertisers with valuable information about their spending compared to similar brands. As more merchants join, the data cooperative becomes more valuable, offering better targeting and analytics capabilities to its partners.

For partners like Meta and Criteo, Shopify Audiences provides valuable benefits. Meta can leverage the modeled attribution capabilities while Criteo gets an opportunity for growth without sharing revenue with Shopify. It’s a win-win situation that allows partners to enhance their offerings and tap into the e-commerce giant’s vast merchant base.

Overall, Shopify Audiences is expanding its reach and capabilities, aiming to help merchants succeed on the open web while providing valuable insights and partnership opportunities for ad tech companies.

Last year, Shopify laid off 1000 employees (10% of its workforce), and the company shares saw a 14% decline.