What began back in 2016 as a platform to upload 15-second dance videos has evolved into one of the world’s biggest social media apps, rivalling Facebook and Instagram.

More than half the UK population now uses TikTok each month, while £1.5 billion people are hooked on the app worldwide.

TikTok is now one of the world's biggest social media apps, with millions of users in the UK and billions worldwide (Image: PA) But closer to home, businesses in East Anglia say posting videos of their products on TikTok can turbocharge sales and attract thousands of entirely new customers.

Morgan Lewis, 23, set up Bakeaholics during the pandemic in 2020.

With no physical shop premises and social distancing laws in place, she began sharing pictures of her inventive homemade cakes and bakes on social media and delivering them to people’s doors.

She now has stores in Attleborough and Norwich’s Chantry Place, but says that more than two thirds of her sales come through TikTok Shop – the platform’s e-commerce digital marketplace.

Morgan Lewis set up Bakaholics in 2020 (Image: Bakeaholics) “Social media is one of the biggest driving forces in our business - I don’t know where we would be without it,” said Miss Morgan, whose business now has almost 18,000 followers........

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