Until August 2021, purchases on TikTok were happening organically. Creators mentioned products in their feed and viewers went and scraped e-commerce sites and local stores.
Now TikTok has made it official with Shopify by announcing TikTok Shopping. The long-awaited social commerce experience brings in-app purchases and simplified product searches to the platform. You can shop on TikTok without leaving the app.
What is a TikTok store?
The TikTok Store is a shopping feature available directly on the TikTok platform. It allows sellers, brands and creators to display and sell products directly on TikTok. Sellers and creators can sell products through feed videos, livestreams, and the product showcase tab.
Who can use TikTok Shopping?
You can use TikTok shopping if you fall into one of these four categories:
- Sellers
- Creators
- Partners
- Branches
If you are a seller, you must be located in the UK, Mainland China, Hong Kong or Indonesia. You should also be able to verify this with a phone number from that region, your business registration certificate, and ID.
If you are a creator, your account must be in good standing. In addition, you must:
- Have over 1000 followers
- Have 50+ video views in the last 28 days
- Be 18 years old
- Posted a video on TikTok in the last 28 days
If you check all these boxes, you can apply through the TikTok Shop Creator app.
Source: TikTok
If you are an Affiliate, you must have a registered business in the following countries:
- China
- Indonesia
- Italy
- Malaysia
- Philippines
- Singapore
- Thailand
- Türkiye
- Great Britain
- Vietnam
If you are an affiliate, you must be registered as a TikTok store seller from:
- United Kingdom
- Mainland China and Hong Kong SAR seller (overseas only)
- Indonesia
- Malaysia
- Thailand
- Vietnam
- Philippines or
- Singapore
How to set up a TikTok store
If you are thinking about creating your own TikTok stores, you are probably a seller. Sellers can sign up at the TikTok Seller Center.
Upload all required documents, add your products and then link your bank account! Congratulations, you are officially a TikTok seller.
Source: TikTok
From here, you can continue to add new products to your TikTok store in the Sales Center. You’ll be able to manage your store, inventory, orders, promotions, author partnerships, and customer service, all in the Sales Center.
What is TikTok Live Shopping?
TikTok direct purchases are when sellers or creators stream live for the purpose of showcasing and selling products. Viewers can customize, add items to their TikTok shopping cart, and purchase items without leaving the app.
Tips for Increasing TikTok Store Sales
Shopping on TikTok is a bit like shopping on Instagram or other social platforms. First of all, if you are unsure, learn how to sell your items on TikTok like a pro. Then create a plan to best sell your products with the following tips in mind.
1. Optimize your TikTok product catalog
Your TikTok storefront is the shopping tab in your account. You will want to optimize it to attract customers. Nobody likes a dirty store; the same goes for your product catalog.
Focus on quality and style when adding your product images. You want them to look appealing to consumers – after all, you eat with your eyes first, right? Make your product photos easily recognizable as your brand while staying in line with the rest of your TikTok aesthetic.
Source: Kylie Cosmetics on TikTok
Your product names must not exceed 34 characters, which is the truncation limit. And you’ll want to include basic product information. Your description may be longer; here you can get all the details you missed from the title. Note: Links in product descriptions on TikTok are not clickable.
2. Tell the audience about your TikTok store
Once you get access to your TikTok store, tell everyone about it. Create multiple TikTok showing your audience where the Shopping tab is and how to buy your products.
3. Promote your products
Once your store is set up and people are aware of your products, start promoting them! Mention them in your posts, talk about them on your live streams, and add new product reviews to your bio.
If you want people to pay attention to your products, don’t be afraid to get creative with your promotions. No need for tedious inserts or boring product descriptions – mention what’s available and offer some humor! You can take a page from Glossier’s book and shoot a painfully funny commercial:
@glossier Someone give our LA Editors an Emmy. This infomercial is pure gold! @Dallas Perry @Alexandra #Glossier
4. Collaborate with influencers
TikTok is more than just another social media platform – it’s been called a cultural phenomenon.
If you’re not good at understanding its unique trends, subcultures, and inside jokes, you might be better off handing creative direction over to someone who lives and breathes the platform. Especially when you are promoting a product and the stakes are high (meaning you can either make a lot of money or your content will get lost in the TikTok algorithm).
When you find the perfect influencer for your brand, it can be a game changer. Partner with TikTok creators who truly understand what you’re selling. By giving them creative freedom to express themselves, many brands reach new audiences and sell products.
We’re pretty sure this wouldn’t be National Geographic’s creative direction. But Ben Kilesinski’s own take on the video below just shows that creative freedom for influencers works.
@benkielesinski If you want to learn about Bats, Bears, or The Brazilian Rainforest I GOT YOU. @National Geographic #vancouver #readingrainbow