TikTok feels like a self-sufficient internet. Think about it – you’ll find literally everything there, from super-popular internet celebrities blowing up trends to niche weirdos whining about their hyper-specific obsessions. There is joy, drama, passion, a common language and a lot of community. And as in any other corner of the internet, there are many opportunities to sell products.
How to sell on TikTok Identify your niche It goes without saying that the largest user base on TikTok is made up of teenagers, followed by those aged 20-29, followed by those aged 30-39. That’s a lot of information to help you tailor your marketing, and that doesn’t mean you can’t reach older people if that’s your goal. Authenticity helps with this network, so make sure you’re familiar with the app and its various communities.
For example, let’s say you want to sell a reading lamp. Dig deeper into the #BookTok hashtag and learn about the types of videos the app book aficionados post. You can join conversations more organically if you learn their language.
Set up your business account Once you have the order of the digital world, it’s time to set your TikTok account for success. Whether you’re already signed up or starting from scratch, you need to make sure you have a TikTok for Business account (and switching is as easy as opening one). Manage account and tap Switch to Business Account). Naturally, you’ll want to prepare your account to have all your relevant brand information and views, and then it’s time to integrate your e-commerce platform (the instructions should be available on the site of the e-commerce platform you’re using).
When all is said and done, your page will have a TikTok Shopping tag displaying your products. There are two integration points to choose from – you can have the entire retail experience built into the app, or you can have the post-processing happen on your website.
Start creating Of course, it’s not enough to just set up a page and just sit there. To thrive on TikTok, you need to create content. Too much content. When it comes to TikTok, quantity definitely surpasses quality. But the most important thing to remember is that you don’t want to be a “salesman”. TikTok users will sniff an ad from miles away, so if you want to attract attention, you should stay calm about it. Make sure you’re really having fun because your audience can tell if you’re real.
Your best bet is to go back to your niche research and join the trends and challenges in this space. Whether it’s a dance craze or a viral meme, you can join the trend by humbly promoting your product.
Once you’ve created a voice and followers, you can even try starting your own TikTok challenge with a unique hashtag. Such a move can yield results in ways unimaginable, with the right amount of creativity and luck.
Tag your videos with products One of the easiest, most important steps in this process is to properly tag the elements in your videos. Yes, the TikTok Shopping feature includes the ability to tag a product with a simple tap. Not only is this key to keeping your brand awareness strong, it also means you can advertise ad-free – your videos can be in any format and the products you feature will still be tagged. This is a great way to sneak some product placements in front of users who pride themselves on not being deceived by advertisements.
Leverage Effect Whether or not you’ve found success by tapping into TikTok trends yourself, there’s always the option of influencer marketing. Yes, TikTok is full of influencers from all walks of life, and they all have one thing in common: they will support your product for a price. Of course, as with anything, you need to do your research. You’ll want an influencer that fits perfectly into the niche you identified in step 1, and you’ll also want an influencer that has a real impact. Look at their followers and posts to make sure they fit perfectly with your brand, then reach out and identify a partnership.
Promote UGC If you’re smart (and lucky, of course), working with influencers and using original hashtags can invite unexpected UGC (user-generated content). This is the ultimate snowball effect that can result in unimaginable global reach for your brand. UGC can take the form of a TikTok challenge or meme, or it can be a single video that goes viral. It could be something you invite as a brand, or it could be a matter of taking advantage of an organic opportunity when it pops up.
Promote Posts Again, TikTok users are not eligible to respond to traditional advertising. But that doesn’t mean you can’t promote an organic post. It’s actually quite simple to get a video in front of more people with TikTok Promote. Here are the steps to promote a video and drive traffic to your storefront:
Tap on your profile picture in the bottom right to go to your profile.
Tap the 3-line icon in the top right to go to your settings.
Tap Creator tools, then tap Promotion.
Tap the video you want to promote on the Promotions page (must be public and cannot contain copyrighted music).
Choose one of the following destinations for your video:
• View more videos.
• More website visits.
• More followers.
If you choose “More website visits,” add a URL and select a call-to-action button (for example, “Learn More,” “Shop Now,” or “Sign Up”), then tap Save.
Tap the circle next to the audience you want to reach, then tap Next. You can choose from:
• Automatic: TikTok will choose the target audience for you.
• Traditional: Target the specific genders, age ranges, and interests you want to reach.
Set your budget and duration, then tap Next.
Add payment information (Android) or recharge your coins (iPhone).
Tap “Start promotion.”