In recent years, TikTok has grown at an exponential rate. It has developed into a hub for entertaining hashtag challenges and trending music, but it also gives businesses the chance to draw clients by leveraging TikTok for online sales.

Companies are realizing how critical it is to seize hold of this rapidly expanding worldwide trend. This is due to the fact that TikTok receives more user engagement than any other social media network. TikTok is worth the investment whether you’re an affiliate marketer working with companies, an influencer monetizing your own brand, or a business owner selling your own goods.

Discover why your e-commerce brand should take a look at TikTok, as well as how to maximize your presence there and see actual company success stories.

Using the TikTok app to sell goods is known as TikTok ecommerce. You can accomplish this by creating a TikTok shop and converting to a business account. Using video shopping advertisements or an affiliate scheme to promote products from other firms are two other methods to make money on TikTok. TikTok can also be utilized as a marketing platform to generate sales in your online store.

Since Gen Z comprises the bulk of TikTok users, this group should be your target market. Still, a growing number of people from other demographic groups are using the platform. Discoverability is a hallmark of TikTok, as more users look to real evaluations from their favorite creators. Compared to users of other social networks, TikTok users are 1.5 times more likely to purchase a product they found on the platform.

TikTok is part of a larger trend of retail social commerce, an industry expected to reach $80 billion in the US by 2025. While this industry was growing on its own, TikTok has made a unique and significant contribution. This is due especially to the natural tendency of its users to engage in social shopping.

Take for example the viral hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt. Since its birth, the hashtag has generated 60 billion views (as of the time of this writing)—and it’s used by consumers, partners, and brands to discover new products and jump on hot trends.

How to Grow Your Audience and Increase Sales With TikTok

It’s time to get your hands dirty now that you know how amazing TikTok can be for brands. You can use these pointers to develop an effective TikTok e-commerce strategy, begin producing content, connect with your target market, and post engaging TikTok videos.

1. Lead with entertainment, not a sales pitch

Don’t repurpose your boring marketing content to TikTok. This is a unique social media platform with a certain “personality” to its posts. Take some time to get to know the platform’s quirks and trends.

Dig deep into what potential customers are looking at and talking about. Stay on top of what’s trending, including memes and popular hashtag challenges. TikTokers log in to learn, explore, and discover—but above all else, they want to be entertained.

The more fun and engaging your content, the more likely you are to hit glorious viral TikTok status with one or more of your posts. If your brand voice permits, get silly with it.

2. Strive for virality 

The ultimate goal on TikTok is to create viral content. Generally speaking, a surge of attention almost always equates to a spike in sales—whether it’s a quick, temporary pop or a sustained boost in your numbers.

If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to go viral thanks to some coveted user-generated content (UCG). This is where a user creates content that includes your brand or products. You can encourage customers to post UGC with incentives like discounts and other perks.

A great example of UGC is the story of catnip product Cat Crack: a video a user posted of their cat going crazy over the product gained more than 20 million views. According to Junglescout, Cat Crack sold more than 2,000 units in two days because of the post.

3. Set up TikTok Shop to sell directly to fans

If you run an online store, consider adding TikTok as a sales channel. Many social media platforms offer ecommerce features, and TikTok is no exception. As a business account, you can apply to set up a TikTok Shop and access features like a profile shopping tab, live shopping, and paid advertising.

Creating video shopping ads lets you insert product links directly into engaging content. This makes it an effective ecommerce tool. Your ecommerce brand benefits from setting up a TikTok store because of the way the social media platform has become a destination for product discovery and the genesis of trending products. 

4. Use TikTok features to connect with potential customers

TikTok has several features that create a direct communication channel with your viewers to learn more about them and build more meaningful connections.

One of them is the Q&A feature, which allows your audience to ask you questions directly through your profile, in the comment section of a video, or during a TikTok LIVE. Try having users ask you questions about you, your brand, and specific products you offer or promote.

Two other community-building features are Sitch and Duet. Stitch lets you “stitch” another user’s video into yours. Duet plays another user’s video next to yours in split-screen format. These tools have great viral potential. 

5. Partner with influencers in your industry

TikTok influencer marketing can be a boon for your ecommerce store. While there are thousands of creators ready to work with brands, make sure the influencers you choose—and the audiences that follow them—are aligned with your products. This will ensure that the sponsored content feels authentic.

A great place to start is TikTok’s Creator Marketplace. It’s a “matchmaking service” to help brands find the right influencers. You’ll see helpful features like creator discovery, campaign management, and reporting. 

There are plenty of ways to partner with an influencer, such as:

• TikTok video reviews of your product
• A co-sponsored giveaway
• A brand takeover of your business account
• Asking them to push their audience to your TikTok storefront

6. Get more traction with TikTok ads or promoted posts

Creating organic marketing content and building your following this way can be a lot of work. If you have extra budget and you’d like a boost to help reach your goals faster, TikTok ads or promoted posts are great options.

Read Also: How to Drive Sales With Automated Instagram DMs

TikTok ads work much like ads on other social media platforms. Using the Shopify TikTok app, you can create campaigns with specific objectives, then build your ads within them. Once the ads are live, use the dashboard in Shopify to track their performance and optimize.

If you don’t want to invest in full ad campaigns, you can promote individual posts. The Promote feature is fairly straightforward. Choose your budget and duration, as well as a few other settings, including whether you’re interested in getting more views, website visits, or followers.

7. Use affiliate links to promote products and brands

Creating an affiliate program can help you spread the word about your brand on TikTok by allowing other TikTok users to promote your products and earn a commission on sales. 

On the other end of the spectrum, affiliate marketing is a great way for those without a dedicated brand to earn some income while promoting your favorite products and businesses.

How to Use TikTok for Business

Navigating TikTok for your business might seem like stepping into a new world, but rest assured, with the right approach, it’s a world brimming with opportunities. 

Here’s your straightforward guide on how to use TikTok for your small business.

• Start by understanding your audience

Who are they? What content resonates with them? 

By pinpointing your target demographic and their preferences, you can tailor your content strategy to meet their interests. Remember, TikTok thrives on authenticity, so ensure your content genuinely reflects your brand’s values and offerings.

• Dive into content creation

TikTok is all about short, engaging videos that capture attention. 

Whether it’s showcasing your products in action, sharing user testimonials, or offering quick tips related to your industry, prioritize quality and relevance. 

Use engaging visuals, crisp audio, and compelling captions to craft content that stands out.

• Utilize TikTok’s features to your advantage

Experiment with trending challenges, utilize popular music tracks, and explore effects that enhance your content’s appeal. 

By staying current and tapping into what’s trending, you can increase your content’s visibility and reach.

• Engagement is key on TikTok

Foster a sense of community by responding to comments, engaging with followers, and participating in relevant conversations. 

By building genuine relationships with your audience, you cultivate trust and loyalty, essential ingredients for business success.

• Collaborate with influencers or creators within your industry

Partnering with individuals who align with your brand can expand your reach and introduce your business to new audiences.

Ensure collaborations feel authentic and resonate with both your brand and the influencer’s audience.

• Create a TikTok Shop for your business

TikTok Shop presents an innovative platform for sellers to tap into a massive audience by integrating shopping directly into the social media experience. 

With TikTok’s vast user base, the opportunity for brand exposure and sales growth is unlimited. 

• Monitor and analyze your TikTok efforts

Utilize TikTok’s analytics tools to track performance, identify what’s working, and refine your strategy accordingly. 

TikTok Ecommerce Examples

Do you need some pro-level inspiration? These are three instances of e-commerce companies that are using TikTok marketing to their full potential and driving sales from the social media platform for uploading videos.

Contour Cube

This ecommerce phenomenon is also helping brands get noticed. Sarah Forrai, the founder of Contour Cube, embraced TikTok to build awareness of and sell her face-contouring products. The brand’s TikTok account has grown to nearly 200,000 followers and more than 2.9 million likes across all its videos.

“We’ve been lucky with a number of videos reaching large audiences between one million to seven million views,” says Forrai. “This has driven a huge amount of traffic to our website and helped grow our online community.” Within three months of launching its product on TikTok, Contour Cube was approached by large retailers and found distribution partners, and is now stocked at THE ICONIC, Uncommon Goods, and Dolls Kill.

“Launching on TikTok catapulted Contour Cube into the mainstream, and for us, we were truly surprised by the huge engagement from what we thought was a niche idea,” says Forrai. “TikTok has since become our primary marketing platform, accumulating over 30 million views to date, which is amazing for a startup like us.”

Glow Recipe

Glow Recipe takes a different approach to TikTok ecommerce. The Korean natural skin care brand uses a link-in-bio tool to send its followers to a curated collection of all its content.

This collection includes shoppable links for the products featured in Glow Recipe’s videos, so its followers can buy items directly on its website, as well as access other important links for its business.

Glow Recipe also takes advantage of the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt trend, which has become a popular marketing tool for businesses promoting products and services. This simple hashtag gives social validation to users who are deciding if they’re ready to make a purchase.

GymShark

Challenges are one of the biggest trends on TikTok, with many brands using them to earn UGC and build a reputation with the TikTok community.

One of those brands is GymShark, a fitness apparel, and accessories retailer that creates unique hashtag challenges that are in line with its aspirational workout-focused content.

Its #gymshark66 challenge, which asked users to transform their body within 66 days for a chance to win a free year’s supply of GymShark goods, garnered over 45.5 million views, 1.9 million likes, and 12,500 comments.

Naturally, the entries also included participants who regularly wear GymShark apparel. These entries gave exposure to the brand’s products and helped maximize its credibility and sales.

Finally

TikTokers are in the front row of a social commerce revolution that is taking place. Have a plan in place before you start producing content for your TikTok videos so that you can optimize the outcome, increase website traffic, and turn followers into customers.

Make entertaining, timely, and pertinent material. Establish connections with important influencers and your audience. Check out the useful features and tools on TikTok. You’re already on the right track for growth if you can engage and amuse potential clients.