Shopify has launched a new program to help creators find partnerships with businesses for free.
Called Shopify Collabs, Shopify is hoping the new tool will “cement” it as “the creator’s commerce platform of choice” as it furthers its social commerce strategy.
This is Shopify’s latest push to drive more influencers to its platform and help merchants counter a slowdown in e-commerce sales. The Canadian tech behemoth has staked its future on influencers to spur growth. The company has been developing a full-fledged suite of services specifically targeted at influencers across Facebook, TikTok, Spotify, YouTube, Pinterest, and more.
Shopify claims that the creator economy can present a new sales channel for its merchants to reach new consumers and tap into the $104.2 billion market that continues to steadily increase.
According to Shopify, the creator gets paid when a consumer purchases a product using the link that the creator has shared. Creators must apply for a Collabs account to access Shopify’s more than one million merchants.
With Collabs, the company said, creators will be able to more easily take their first step into the world of commerce and better manage financial pressures. “We think those creators are the next generation of entrepreneurs, but they face challenges monetizing their content. In an interview with Modern Retail, we’re trying to help the creator/influencer bridge this gap from creating content to monetizing it as they enter commerce,” said Amir Kabbara, director of product at Shopify.
Merchants can install the Collabs feature to make their store and products discoverable. Using the platform, business owners can manage their relationship with creators, such as supplying affiliate links or discount codes.