TikTok Shopping: Every thing You Need To Know To Start Selling (2024)

If you’re shopping online or in search of product recommendations, where do you go first? While Google is a standard place to begin, increasingly, consumers are turning to their favorite social media apps. Chief amongst them: TikTok. The favored hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt alone generates one billion views per week globally, in keeping with the social media platform.

Not only has TikTok change into a search engine, a source of inspiration and discovery, and a powerhouse product recommender—it’s also a destination for businesses to sell on to users. TikTok shopping continues to grow in popularity as brands look to scale back friction for the fan-to-customer transition, and its own native shopping features and ecommerce integrations enable brands to sell natively on the platform.

Ahead, learn the way to add the social commerce channel, join for TikTok Shop, and use these tools to succeed in TikTok users and potential customers. 

What’s TikTok Shop?

TikTok Shop is the social media app’s built-in commerce solution for sellers, creators, and affiliates. It enables TikTok users with business accounts to sell directly on the platform with options like Live Shopping and shoppable videos.

What are the advantages of TikTok Shop?

TikTok Shop eliminates the additional step to convert your TikTok fans into customers by offering shopping options directly on the platform. With TikTok becoming a go-to for product discovery, especially for Gen Z and Gen Alpha future consumers, brands profit from showing up in search and offering convenient TikTok shopping options.

TikTok Shop and other shopping integrations allow brands to naturally introduce products into entertaining videos and other content. When you aren’t eligible for TikTok Shop based in your location, certain integrations equivalent to the TikTok app for Shopify can offer you access to shopping features.

Adding TikTok Shop to your available sales channels creates one other touchpoint along with your online store that supports your potential customers’ online shopping preferences. Other advantages include:

• Broadcasting to a large demographic of potential shoppers
• Partnering with trusted creators and using influencer marketing to extend authenticity
• Creatively positioning your products in entertaining content
• Creating a customized shopping experience based on TikTok user behavior
• Benefitting from virality with TikTok trends and hashtag challenges

Who’s eligible for TikTok shopping?

TikTok Shop is obtainable in select markets, including the US, UK, and China. Check TikTok’s latest information for eligible countries and regions. TikTok Shop is broken down into 4 categories, with different requirements for every kind of commerce user, which incorporates:

• Sellers
• Creators
• Partners
• Affiliates

For a seller account, you just have to reside in considered one of the supported countries and supply ID, proof of residency, and a business license. Creator accounts have additional criteria, including minimum follower counts. For the needs of this text, the knowledge will likely be geared toward probably the most common kind of TikTok Shop user: sellers.

Easy methods to arrange TikTok Shop

For those eligible for a TikTok Shop seller account based on location and other parameters, follow these easy steps to get arrange and enable online shopping features in your account.

1. Create a business account on TikTok

Making a business account is easy—and free. Completing this step alone unlocks features not available to other users, equivalent to advanced analytics and access to the TikTok Ads Manager.

2. Register for TikTok Shop

Navigate to the seller registration portal and fill out the appliance. Upload the required documents, including your ID, proof of residency, and proof of business ownership. 

3. Wait for the outcomes

You’ll receive an email about your application end in one to 2 days after applying. Once accepted, you’ll have the option to make use of TIkTok’s shopping features.

4. Link your account and get selling

Link your TikTok account to your TikTok Shop to begin selling on TikTok. You’ll now have the option so as to add products and promote your shop in your bio and content.

Easy methods to sell on TikTok with Shopify

If what you are promoting is ineligible for TikTok Shop based in your location, it’s possible you’ll have the option to access the advantages of TikTok shopping and making sales through your content and video marketing.

Follow these steps in your Shopify store, if the TikTok integration is obtainable in your region:

1. Arrange a Shopify store and create your website.
2. Create a TikTok business account.
3. Install the TikTok for Shopify app from the Shopify App Store.
4. Connect TikTok to your Shopify store inside the app.
5. Start creating ad campaigns using product photos and videos.

Shopify merchants profit from the TikTok integration for his or her businesses as they will manage inventory, sales, and promoting across platforms in a single place.

5 ways users can shop your products within the TikTok app

TikTok shopping options are plentiful for users trying to buy products directly from their favorite businesses on the platform. 

1. Live shopping on TikTok

When your brand goes live, it’s an incredible opportunity to demo products and answer questions in real time, encouraging fans to buy those products directly from the app. Items might be added to the user’s cart throughout the livestream and so they can take a look at immediately or at the top of the published.

2. Shoppable videos

Shoppable videos on TikTok are content with shoppable links that allow users to purchase products without leaving the content.

3. Product showcase

In your TikTok account, users can tap the shopping tab (or bag icon) to access a mini storefront where they will take a look at in a couple of taps. Some accounts could have a product showcase with out a TikTok Shop. These are frequently affiliate accounts that don’t own the brand or products being sold. 

4. Shoppable ads (powered by Shopify)

Brands ineligible for TikTok Shop can still make the most of TikTok shopping with the TikTok App for Shopify. By installing the TikTok Shopify app, you may sync your product catalog, construct creative videos using products, and create TikTok ad campaigns. Tag products in your content to supply a simple way for users to buy your products.

5. Shop Tab

In 2023, TikTok announced its marketplace solution, the Shop Tab. By tapping the icon, TikTok users are taken to a one-stop shop to browse products from multiple creators across multiple categories. Note: this feature currently is obtainable only in select markets.

TikTok shopping best practices

Once what you are promoting is about up with shopping features on TikTok, there are a couple of tricks to take advantage of selling on TikTok. 

Think like a creator, not a brand

Social platforms all have their very own trends and content formats that work best for every audience. It’s a mistake to repeat your strategy from other platforms over to TikTok without understanding the content that performs best. On TikTok, authenticity wins. 

Aim for creative content that uses trending TikTok sounds, shares a peek under the hood, jumps on current popular culture conversations, or offers real value to fans through education. Content like this that may incorporate products organically will at all times perform higher than a direct sales pitch.

Partner with creators and influencers 

Influencer marketing is a large industry, with brands clamoring to work with the most well liked self-made web personalities and influencers trying to monetize their success. This win-win partnership is an incredible option for brands of all sizes, even those with smaller budgets. In reality, TikTok’s own research found that 72% of survey respondents feel unusual content creators are more interesting than celebrities. 

Marketing alongside influencers gives your brand and products authenticity, as TikTok users often turn to their favorite creators for trusted recommendations. 

Profit from social commerce with TikTok Shop

Social commerce is exploding, with sales projected to succeed in $79.6 billion within the US alone by 2025. Don’t sleep on this consumer trend—arrange your TikTok account with shoppable features and begin attracting buyers today.