TikTok is the best thing for businesses since sliced bread. Whether you're a small business owner or a multinational brand, learning how to sell on TikTok is essential. With over a billion users scrolling through TikTok, it's undeniable that it’s a gold mine for sales and marketing opportunities.
But how can businesses even begin to tap into TikTok? With a variety of options from TikTok Shop to TikTok ads, it can feel overwhelming to get started. If you relate to this and want to learn how to sell on TikTok, read on!
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TikTok Shopping: Benefits of Selling on TikTok
Selling on TikTok is a way to tap into one of the most rapidly growing platforms in the world. If your primary intention is to boost sales for your brand, here’s how you can specifically benefit from knowing how to sell on TikTok:
Large TikTok Shopping User Base
With billions of active users on TikTok, the platform provides a powerful opportunity for businesses to reach practically any target audience and demographic under the sun. Even beyond just selling, there’s an avenue here to significantly boost the visibility of your brand if done right.
Cheaper Than Traditional Solutions
Selling and advertising on TikTok doesn’t have to break the bank. TikTok advertising, for instance, generally costs lower than other similar social media platforms with the average cost-per-click being just $0.22.
Integrated TikTok Shopping Experience
From the buyer’s perspective, TikTok offers an incredibly smooth, seamless shopping experience with 30% of daily users having used TikTok Shop before. From discovering and purchasing products whether from videos or even live streams, with just a few clicks, views can be turned into sales with minimal friction.
Community Engagement
TikTok is more than just a sales platform—it’s a community and this is in part thanks to TikTok having the highest engagement rate amongst social media apps. Through interactive features like comments, duets and live streams, you can build a loyal following and foster deeper connections with your audience.
How to Start Selling on TikTok Shop
For businesses like yours, the good news is that TikTok makes it easy to set up a TikTok Shop, assuming you’re eligible to become a TikTok seller. Here’s how you can do this in four easy steps:
Step 1: Create a TikTok Business Account
To begin, you'll need to have a TikTok Business Account.
If you’re currently using a personal account, you can easily switch to a business profile. This will give you access to TikTok’s business tools, including the option to set up a TikTok Shop.
Step 2: Apply for TikTok Shop Access
Next, visit the TikTok Shop Seller Center to apply for access. You’ll need to provide details, such as your business name, contact information and other necessary verification documents.
Once your application is reviewed and approved, you’ll be granted access to start listing your products in the TikTok Shop.
Step 3: List Your Products
Now for the fun part. Once verified, you’re officially a TikTok merchant!
From the Seller Center, you’ll now be able to manage all aspects of your shop, from listing your products to working with your inventories, orders, promotions and more.
Step 4: Promote Your TikTok Shop
But just because you’ve set up your shop and listed your products doesn’t mean your journey has come to an end. In fact, it’s just the beginning.
If you want to become a top TikTok seller, now is the time to start getting creative and taking full advantage of the platform to get your product and brand out there.
Best Practices When Selling on TikTok
Knowing about the benefits and how-tos behind setting up a shop on TikTok is only one part of the equation. You still need to know how to sell on TikTok effectively. To make sure you get the most out of selling on TikTok, always keep the following best practices in mind:
Tip 1: Know Your Target Audience
This point may seem obvious on paper but it’s worth emphasizing a hundred times over: Know. Your. Audience. Knowing your audience is more than just demographics, however. Stay on top of trends, see which influencers are resonating with your audience and pay attention to hashtags that are gaining traction. The more you align your content with what your audience is already engaging with, the more effective you’ll be.
Tip 2: Don’t be Overly Promotional
TikTok users are digital natives. They’ll smell an advertisement from a mile away. Sure, they’re pretty receptive and open to advertising but nobody appreciates being bombarded with a flurry of overt ads. Instead, be fun and creative— create content that educates and entertains, even if your primary goal is sales.
Tip 3: Leverage User-generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) is your secret ally. Leveraging UGC is not only an effective way to encourage customers to practically create content featuring your products for you, providing you with a steady stream of content, but it can also create a sense of community amongst your audiences.
Tip 4: Familiarize yourself with TikTok’s Guidelines
TikTok may be home to a staggering range of content that fits about every niche out there but it isn’t the wild west. Their community guidelines are there for a reason so make sure you know them by heart and stick to them, especially when using advertising, otherwise you risk getting your account banned.
Tip 5: Engage with Followers
TikTok sales shouldn’t be a one-way street. Emphasize the social in social media by actively engaging with your followers. Ask questions in your videos, respond to comments and consider duets with your followers. Engaging directly with your audience fosters a sense of loyalty and can turn casual viewers into paying customers.
Tip 6: Prioritize Quality over Quantity
It’s tempting to churn out content to stay in the feed, but quality must trump quantity. One well-crafted, engaging video will do more for your brand than ten rushed, mediocre ones. TikTok’s algorithm favors content that keeps viewers watching, so focus on creating videos that are not only high-quality but also compelling. When your content is good, your audience will be more likely to engage, share and ultimately, buy.
Different Methods for Selling on TikTok
Selling on TikTok is so much more than posting random clickbaity videos and hoping for the best. Moreover, when businesses think about selling their products and services on TikTok, the first thing that usually comes to mind is TikTok Shop.
While it’s a powerful tool, it’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to selling on TikTok. Let’s break down the different ways you can sell on TikTok—beyond the shop:
How to Sell on TikTok Using TikTok Shop
TikTok Shop offers your business the opportunity to set up a digital storefront right on TikTok's doorstep. This allows you to present an integrated shopping experience all within the app, making it easier than ever for scrolling users to discover and purchase your products without needing to exit the app.
Though this sounds enticing, know that effective selling requires more than just setting up a shop. It requires you to view your shop as the destination and should be paired with engaging content and TiktOK advertising to create a journey that leads viewers there.
How to Sell on TikTok with Influencer Marketing
Never underestimate the potential impact that influencers wield. Partnering with them gives you access to their followers, helping you reach a much wider audience.
When you choose to work with influencers who genuinely align with your brand and whose followers match your target audience, this can work to your benefit. Their content showcasing your product can be seen as an endorsement by their followers, leading to direct sales from an audience who trust their recommendations.
How to Sell on TikTok Via Live Streaming
TikTok LIVE is another powerful method in your arsenal when learning how to sell on TikTok. It's a unique experience that lets you connect with your audience and interact with them in real time—answering questions, addressing concerns and providing experiences that are both instant and personal.
Best of all, audiences can be converted into buyers on the spot, as TikTok Live allows viewers to purchase directly from streams!
How to Sell on TikTok through TikTok Advertising
TikTok ads are powerful tools that let you reach your target audience precisely when you want. From branded hashtag challenges to in-feed videos, TikTok advertising is an excellent way to tap into TikTok’s massive user base and get your product noticed.
That said, it's essential to be mindful of audience preferences and make your ads feel like a natural part of the TikTok experience—engaging, entertaining and subtly salesy without coming across as an overt promotion.
Get Started with TikTok Messaging Ads Today
Exciting news! TikTok Instant Messaging Ads is now available in Beta for LATAM. Businesses can now connect with TikTok leads via WhatsApp and Messenger to provide consultations, book appointments and close sales — all in one chat.
Access is available via whitelisting for select LATAM countries. To apply, fill out the appropriate form:
Special Offer: Receive 50% off TikTok Instant Messaging Ads spending from December 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025, when you integrate with respond.io and optimise your campaigns toward conversations.
🌏 For APAC: Integration is open to all countries — no whitelisting required. Download our TikTok Ads E-Book to know more, or book a consultation to get started today.
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Further Reading
If you found our article insightful, we invite you to check out the following reads:
- TikTok Ads: Harness TikTok Messaging Ads to Boost Sales
- Ultimate Guide to TikTok for Business [July 2024]
- 5 Game-Changing Reasons Businesses Need TikTok Advertising
