Overview
TikTok has launched TikTok Shopping, which is the platform’s largest foray into the world of e-commerce to date.
With commerce sales growing fast and rapidly, TikTok is looking to take a slice of the increasing action. Compared with other platforms, TikTok users are far likelier to make a purchase based on the products they’re exposed to through the app, and a big fraction say TikTok encourages them to shop even when they had no plans to.
Thus, TikTok Shopping will be a valuable tool for businesses seeking to leverage its special influence. Continuing as one of the fastest-growing social platforms with a spread user base across the globe, the fact that it integrates commerce opportunities underlines its changed functions in the social commerce landscape.
Key Takeaways:
- Set your shop up for success by offering discounts, optimizing your store for search, and creating engaging, organic content.
- Utilize the analytics before, during, and after campaigns so you know what works.
- Clear CTAs should be used to guide shoppers along the buying journey and incite action.
- TikTok Shop has in-feed shopping ads and Dynamic Ads.
- TikTok’s Creative Center will indicate which products are selling well and hence can help find the trending items themselves.
What is TikTok Shopping?
The name suggests that TikTok Shopping allows TikTok users to purchase products in-app without opening a web browser to go to some sort of e-commerce store.
The TikTok describes it as:
When a business sets up TikTok Shopping, it will have a dedicated tab for Shopping on its profile. This tab is represented by a shopping bag icon. Then, customers can see products in TikTok, choose a product, and finally complete the purchase within TikTok or be redirected to an online store of the company for checkout.
TikTok first trialed shopping with just a few Shopify merchants in the US and the UK before opening it up more recently in Canada, but have since rolled it out on a broader scale. Kylie Cosmetics was one of the first stores, owned by Kylie Jenner, who let customers shop directly on TikTok. The brand had almost 3.5 million followers on the platform at that time, so it made sense. Jenner noted at the time.
As captured in the Kylie Cosmetics profile page above, tapping the middle tab with the icon of a shopping bag allows one to see some of the products for sale. One can start the checkout process by tapping one of the images of the products.
Who Can Sell on TikTok?
Provided you are based in one of the eligible countries, you can set up a TikTok Shop under one of these three categories: Seller, Creator, or Partner.
Let’s get into the details.
Sellers
Sellers on TikTok Shop should be in a position to verify their identity with a certificate of incorporation, driver’s license or passport, and the last four digits of their tax ID.
The sellers on TikTok seeking to have one place for commerce within the platform will be required to verify their business location. This is a step prerequisite to the requirement of a phone number, an email address, and a street address for a warehouse or a pickup location.
Creators
You can also make money through commission as a Creator with TikTok Shop Affiliate. You will get a commission for every sale you drive. This means the ability to link to products in your videos and Lives and also highlight them on your profile by having a Showcase page.
You must have an account in good standing, with more than 5,000 followers, and adhere to TikTok’s Community Guidelines to be able to start a TikTok Shop as a Creator. Among the criteria will be:
- The account must have 5,000 followers
- The account owner must be 18 years or more
- Users must follow all the Community Guidelines provided by TikTok
How does TikTok Shop Work?
According to several pieces of research, more users are buying products they see on TikTok Shop as compared to other social media platforms. It is because of the easy process and features introduced by TikTok to discover, research, and buy a product.
TikTok users find out about the latest products and fresh brands on their feeds. They have the option to buy from the Shop tab of the seller’s account.
It provides an opportunity for sellers to easily sponsor the products they are selling and gain sales at one time in a single platform.
TikTok also has a live feature where users can inspect the product on a live broadcast before purchasing to ensure the quality of the product.
How to start selling on TikTok Shop?
The process of creating a shop on TikTok is simple and easy if the user is eligible to become a seller according to the guidelines provided by TikTok.
Follow these easy steps to initiate the process of selling on a TikTok Shop:
Step 1: Apply for TikTok Shop if Eligible
Navigate to the TikTok Seller Central and sign up for a TikTok shop if you fall under the criteria provided by TikTok. Users can utilize a phone number or an email to sign up.
Step 2: Verify Your Information
Enter the desired information about your identity and business. TikTok will ask for the shop name, and type of business along with the supporting documents.
- Picture of your passport, national identity card, or driving license in case of individual business
- Business registration document or a business license in case of a corporation
Step 3: Connect your Bank Account
Connect your bank account with your TikTok Shop to get all the proceeds you will earn from the platform.
Step 4: Add Inventory
Once the registration procedure is complete add your inventory and make your TikTok shop live so users can buy products.
Step 5: Promote your Shop
You are now a live merchant on TikTok so promote your shop by adding links to enhance the sales.
Can Everybody Use TikTok Shopping?
In the beginning, TikTok Shopping started in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. The service was specifically for Shopify vendors.
After a successful trial in selected countries, TikTok extended the program to a larger audience in numerous other countries. In the TikTok World marketing event in 2021, the TikTok Shopping platform was made accessible to users of other countries.
TikTok Shop is now available in the following countries:
- Canada
- Vietnam
- Thailand
- Malaysia
- Indonesia
- Singapore
- Philippines
- United States
- United Kingdom
Now TikTok Shopping is not only accessible in multiple countries around the globe but also available on applications for other platforms. It added many prominent platforms like Big Commerce, Prestashop, OpenCart, Ecwid, Base, Square, and Shopline.
The interesting features such as live streams, a showcase tab, and the option to promote products within a single interface have made TikTok Shopping go viral and loved by the masses.
The exciting showcase tab permits TikTok users to buy products from a TikTok account from the seller. Users can quickly shop their favorite items without redirecting to any other page or platform.
Moving on from the TikTok Shopping Trial
As a result of the TikTok Shopping trial period in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada the platform was improved. TikTok added many new features along with the betterment of the previously available features.
TikTok learned from Douyin which is one of the Chinese significant social and shopping platforms.
How to Set up TikTok Shopping?
Users are required to own a TikTok Business account to create a TikTok Shop. In case you already have a business on Shopify then you are required to download the TikTok Shopify application to create an account.
Creators and sellers have the facility to produce video advertisements along with managing their TikTok Shop orders from their TikTok Shopify account. Other popular shopping apps are also partnered with TikTok like Big Commerce.
You can download the TikTok Big Commerce Business application and trail and promote your orders from one single platform.
5 tips for Increasing Sales with TikTok Shop
TikTok Shopping is an easy and seamless procedure that can be done by new followers or users. Follow these tips and tricks to improve your position on the platform to sell more products and generate more money:
Tip 1:
Optimize your Product Catalog for TikTok
Elevate your store by optimizing the catalog of your selling products. It must be attractive, clean, and according to the theme of your business.
The images and videos should be high quality and appealing to attract more and more customers. Follow the style of your store and remain steady to that style. This will help people recognize your brand by just having a glance while scrolling down.
One of the perfect examples to follow is the page of The Ordinary Store TikTok Shop. It is simple, easy to understand, and matches the clean style of the brand.
Sellers should keep in mind the guidelines while adding titles and descriptions to the product. The title must be small and must be under thirty-four characters.
The title consists of basic data and facts of the product. The description of the product must include all the necessary information about the product such as size, color, weight, etc.
Tip 2:
Tell your Followers/Audience About your TikTok Shop
Reach out to your audience and inform them about your TikTok Shop and the products you are selling on it.
Make videos to enlighten your followers about the products on your TikTok Shop.
Share easy tutorial videos to explain to your followers how to shop on TikTok and where the shopping tab is present. This will help the new users become the buyer of your products and make your business grow.
Tip 3:
Promote Your Products
Promoting your products is a crucial step for your business. The more you promote your goods more sales you will generate. It is advised to start the process of promotion right after you add inventory to your TikTok Shop.
Think of interesting and appealing promotion methods. Include live streams, sales, giveaways, competitions, etc. in the promotion of your shop.
Add comedy and wit to the description of your products. Use the trending audio to make promotion videos and other trending memes to connect with your audience.
Tip 4:
Hire Influencers to Promote Your Product
TikTok has become a viral sensation quickly after it was launched. It is a hub for setting new trends. It is advised to get yourself connected with influencers and other popular personalities for the promotion of your product/shop.
People are loyal to their favorite influencers and take their advice seriously. After the promotion with the help of popular influencers and celebrities, the sales of your product will skyrocket.
Tip 5:
Be Original and Authentic
The originality of the product will help you gain more sales. Send the same thing that you are showing on your account. Do not sell replicas after showing the original products. Selling fake products or sending customers low-quality items will damage your reputation.
Tip 6:
Sell Quality Products
One of the most important tips to increase your sales is to sell quality products as quality speaks for itself. Customers will promote your product by suggesting your shop to their friends and families.
People even pay a good amount of money without getting hesitant if they are sure that in return they will get a high-quality product. Consumers will also review your product and give high remarks on the quality items.
Tip 7:
Use Other Social Media Platforms for Promotion
Do not constrict yourself to TikTok only. Promote your shop on other social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, x (formerly known as Twitter), etc. to grab the attention of more and more potential customers.
All You Need to Know About TikTok Shop Ads
TikTok Shop Ads are opening the floor for businesses to extend their reach. These ads will make things easier than ever to connect with potential customers.
These are even now available automatically in TikTok Ads Manager for all advertisers in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. If you do not have an ad account yet, you can create one easily via the sign-up page.
These TikTok Shop Ads are tailored to ensure audiences are targeted across Feed, Search, and Shopping Centre placements, making sure that your products reach the right people.
These ads are designed with a specific product sales campaign objective in mind. While creating a new campaign, ensure this objective is enabled and choose TikTok Shop as a source for your products.
There are three ad formats available with TikTok Shop:
- Video Shopping Ads: Run shoppable videos for traffic and sales. By default, the call to action is a product anchor link-an an orange shopping cart.
- LIVE Shopping Ads: Engage customers in real-time with live shopping experiences.
- Product Shopping Ads: Engage your campaigns in ads from existing product images, no need to create more content.
Each ad type engages users in a different stage of their shopping journey—from discovery all the way to purchase. At once, all ad formats combined will help create maximum campaign effectiveness to drive most of the results.
Your Shopping Tab is Your TikTok Shopping Storefront
If you have a TikTok Shop, you should really think about your Shopping tab as an extension of your e-commerce storefront—and you want that to be as attractive as possible to potential customers. For that reason, make sure your product pictures are as beautiful and clear as possible. In the best case, they should be recognizably yours—not just something generically sourced from some supplier’s site.
Keep your product titles under 34 characters, so that they are fully visible, but you can put all details and full descriptions about your products, whatever you feel is likely to answer the questions of customers.
What Will You Do to Have a Successful TikTok Shop?
It’s going to take some time for most of your users to commence purchasing on the platform of TikTok. Because of this, you can’t let your fans and followers search for the new TikTok Shopping tab by themselves. The shopping bag icon is pretty small and low-profile.
First and foremost, ensure that everything is correctly set up for your business TikTok account. Begin by reviewing your TikTok bio. You really don’t have much space compared to some other social platforms, but make sure to use what little you have and include some accurate details about your brand. Add a few keywords to help with your SEO, but let it sound natural.
Since you’re probably targeting Gen Z, or even Gen Alpha, make sure that you are speaking their language. Avoid coming off like some old fuddy-duddy trying to sell something to them, even if that is your aim. Add in plenty of interesting emojis, but make quite sure that you don’t accidentally slip one in where it shouldn’t be. It’s crucial you know what an emoji means before using it. Emojipedia can help with this.
Be sure to include that in the video, they can purchase without leaving the app. They should have clear links and also how people can shop from your shop.
Be prepared for when you’re going to promote your catalog in your videos, not in all videos. TikTok users are very savvy with marketing; they are very cynical about full-on ad videos. Mix up videos promoting items in your catalog with other entertaining video clips. Try making these promotional videos more interesting.
Add a bit of humor to them. Remember that people log onto TikTok not to shop but to see some fun videos. However, they can then decide to make a purchase if your video captures their interest and they do not have to go through a lot to buy their favorite item.
Don’t forget to put your TikTok feed on your website so more people can view it. Embed it into your sales website with the help of an app such as Vop.
Hashtagging with Branded Hashtags
One of the ways you can do this is by a Hashtag Challenge Plus. This feature enables users to shop for products associated with a sponsored hashtag. Basically, you tie together a paid-for hashtag with some particular challenge that you set for TikTok users.
Use some of the Other Tools in Shopify and Other e-Commerce Platform Apps
These apps do so much more than provide a way of selling your products from TikTok. They really are all-in-one marketing tools for firms looking to leverage TikTok as a channel.
Some of the more key features of TikTok for Shopify include:
- Easily create a new account, set up a payment method, and run ads.
- A Video Generator: This helps you to make high-quality TikTok-like videos in just a few minutes. There is no need for video production skills; all you need to do is upload images of your products or videos, and the tool will handle the rest.
- Track performance with TikTok Pixel: One-click installation with no coding or developers required. Use the TikTok pixel to track user event types, track users on TikTok who have made purchases, and retarget existing customers.
- Setup and easily track conversion campaigns in Shopify with our guided campaign creation tool
- A snapshot of some of your important campaign performance data and your conversion funnel.
FAQs:
Following are some of the most asked questions by the TikTok Shop users:
Q1. What is TikTok Shopping and how does it function?
Ans. TikTok shopping allows businesses to sell products within their TikTok app. Registration of TikTok Shop provides a business with a dedicated shopping tab on its profile, represented by a shopping bag icon. Customers can view and select products within TikTok and complete the purchase either within the app or be directed to the company’s online store for checkout.
Q2. How to ship your TikTok shop orders
Ans. Here are some of the options:
- Shipping by TikTok: Hands-off is when TikTok is responsible for picking up orders for delivery. This option is ideal for strictly TikTok-based people who need automation in this process.
- Seller Fulfilled: You are in charge of the packing, labeling, and handover to local and international carriers. It’s best if you also sell products outside TikTok Shop and want a centralized, automated process that combines your inventory and orders.
Q3. How to Join TikTok Shop?
Ans. Simply follow these steps:
- Sign up with a phone number and an email address or with a TikTok account.
- Fill out the application form
- Upload all necessary documents
- In a few days, the application result that will be sent to your email.
- Connect your TikTok account with the TikTok Shop account.
Q4. What are some best practices to have a successful TikTok Shop?
Ans. To successfully drive the TikTok Shop, the following steps shall be followed:
- Make sure your pictures of your products are attractive and clear.
- Keep product titles under 34 characters.
- Offer detailed descriptions.
- Advertise and promote your TikTok Shopping tab, specifically how customers can shop from your store.
- Mix promotional videos with entertainment for the viewers.
Q5. Can any business leverage TikTok Shopping?
Ans. TikTok Shop offers integrations with various e-commerce platforms like Prestashop, Base, Square, BigCommerce, OpenCart, Ecwid, Shopline, etc. Brands can bring live shopping events straight into the platform and tag videos with links to product pages.
Q6. Who Can Sell On TikTok Shop?
Ans. The following people can sell on TikTok Shop:
- Applicant’s age must be at least 18 years.
- To sell on TikTok Shop, a U.S. passport, a U.S. driver’s license or proof of legal residency in the U.S. must be provided.
- There are two kinds of sellers on TikTok Shop: individual and business sellers.
- Government employees, political figures, and political parties cannot sell on TikTok Shop.
Q7. How many seller accounts am I allowed to register on TikTok Shop?
Ans. TikTok Shop allows sellers to register a maximum of five (5) seller accounts.
Q8. Is TikTok Shop the place to sell in 2024?
Ans. TikTok Shop merges shopping with entertainment, especially for Gen Z customers.
It’s fast becoming part of consumer culture, and 64% of TikTok users are all in to view live content from brands.
TikTok Shop has other benefits, too:
- Access to an already-large user base that’s getting larger
- Algorithm surfacing engaging and relevant content
- Short-form video format perfect for product showcase
With quite a simple setup, you will be able to list products one by one, batch upload several items, and integrate TikTok Shop with your current e-commerce platform.
Conclusions
TikTok possesses a bright future for social media commerce on its platform. The company continues to expand its integrations with multiple e-commerce platforms while releasing new ad products.
Moreover, the API for Business has been brought to the front line by TikTok, enabling businesses to connect with the TikTok for Business platforms for the development of innovative solutions for advertisers. For further information visit Marketing Bulls regarding e-commerce solutions.
