The Ultimate Guide to TikTok Shop Strategies

With TikTok trends such as “TikTok made me buy it” taking over the internet by storm, it’s clear that the platform inspires purchase decisions for millions of users. In fact, the latest TikTok stats reveal that lifetime consumer spending on the app has reached $15 billion. Also, 11% of U.S. households have made a purchase on the TikTok Shop. So it’s the perfect place to set up shop and showcase your winning products. But simply having a TikTok Shop isn’t enough as you can’t just sit around and wait for the sales to come.

In this post, we provide you with some of the most effective TikTok Shop strategies that will help you sell more on the platform. These strategies will help you make the most of the platform’s shopping feature, so it seamlessly integrates with the rest of your TikTok marketing campaign. Let’s get started.

1. Provide Helpful Instructions on How to Buy

TikTok Shopping has been around for just a couple of years, with the first year mainly dedicated to testing the new feature. This makes it fairly new to the larger TikTok audience, which means that most people aren’t yet familiar with buying on the platform. So make sure to start by providing your audience with clear instructions on how to buy.

For instance, Soo Slick points their customers toward their TikTok Shop. They included an emoji to further point them in the right direction.

@sooslick

Additionally, create videos to introduce the new feature, providing step-by-step instructions on where and how to buy. Be sure to include screen recordings that show them where to find the products, how to access them, and how they can complete the buying process. 

Don’t forget to gauge their needs and pain points and create informational videos addressing those concerns. You can go through the comments to see what questions they’re asking and what problems they’re bringing up regarding TikTok Shop. This will help you understand how to create videos that provide them with the right answers.

You can pin these buying instruction videos (TikTok lets you pin up to three) so that it shows prominently at the top of your page. This will help you educate new and existing followers alike once they’re ready to buy from your TikTok Shop.

2. Strategically Promote Your Products with the Right Videos

Simply sharing product videos can seem too promotional, which doesn’t fit with the TikTok platform. TikTok users prefer to see entertaining videos and videos that educate them about things they’re interested in. So it’s important to be strategic with the types of videos you share to promote products from your TikTok Shop.

You could create shoppable videos that give instructions on how to use a certain product or give them inspiration and ideas on how to use it. Or you could do an in-depth explanation highlighting some of the key features and benefits of the product, giving them more reason to buy it. Alternatively, you could even put your product to the test to show them proof of why it’s a great purchase.

For instance, KimChi Chic Beauty shared the following shoppable video where someone tested their Stage Proof Setting Spray. The video featured a makeup time test, showing proof that the spray helps keep makeup stay on all night long. It included a call to action encouraging viewers to tap to shop the product.

@kimchichic Make your beat last ALL NIGHT LONG ? Our Stage Proof Setting Spray is drag-approved so you already know your makeup will NOT budge! ? Tap to shop! #settingspray #makeuptutorial #makeuphacks #kimchichicbeauty #viralmakeup #makeuptok #musthavemakeup #dragowned #kccb ♬ original sound - KimChi Chic Beauty

Other ways of promoting your products (outside your videos) include:

• Hiring dedicated TikTok Shop Agencies
• Hiring dedicated TikTok Shop Influencer Marketing Agencies

3. Organize Your Shoppable Content into Playlists

Beating the TikTok algorithm requires publishing content regularly. So you may have loads of videos that people need to scroll through to find the products they want to buy. As such, they may not even bother to shop at all.

Make it easier for your customers to find shoppable content by organizing them into playlists. That way, they won’t have to scroll through hundreds of videos to find exactly what they need. 

For instance, you could create a playlist for eye makeup and another playlist for lip makeup. This will allow someone who’s seeking out a certain type of product to find the right shoppable content.

At Willow Boutique’s TikTok, there are dedicated playlists for specific collections. You can find a playlist for the brand’s shorts collection, best sellers, and Country Concert collection. This makes it much easier for someone who’s in search of shorts to find shoppable videos that feature shorts, for example. 

@willowboutique____

4. Launch New Products via Live Shopping

TikTok offers multiple ways for merchants to sell their products directly on the platform. One of those options is through TikTok LIVE, which has been known to boost sales. According to the latest TikTok stats mentioned earlier, TikTok users are 1.7x more likely to watch a brand’s LIVE to buy a product. Additionally, they’re 2x more likely to consider LIVE as the most reliable medium for shopping.

As such, Live Shopping on TikTok could be the perfect way to promote your latest products as you get to build a buzz around the product and convert your customers when they’re in the mood to buy. You could host a TikTok LIVE to launch new products and provide valuable information that would encourage more purchases. During the session, customers might also get the opportunity to ask questions so you can clear up their doubts about buying. 

5. Work with the Right Creators to Amplify Reach

Fortunately for brands and creators alike, businesses aren’t the only ones who can sell products on TikTok Shop. Creators can use it to promote products they love and encourage their audience to buy those products directly on TikTok.

All they need to do is browse products from the TikTok Shop Product Catalog and add their favorites to their videos and LIVE broadcasts. Their viewers will then be able to shop the products directly without having to leave the TikTok app. Creators then get paid a commission from the sales generated through the brand’s Affiliate Program.

That means you can work with influential creators and have them highlight your products to drive more sales. With many TikTok creators having a massive following, you can significantly amplify your reach to boost your earnings from TikTok Shop sales. Moreover, creators can add a creative twist and an authentic voice in promoting your products. This enables you to successfully “influence” their audience and encourage them to shop your products on TikTok.

For instance, Soo Slick has a TikTok Shop Creator Affiliate Open Plan so creators can feature their products in their shoppable videos. According to TikTok’s data, there have been more than 200 million affiliate content views since the program launched. Not only that, these creator affiliates have helped the brand generate more than $1 million in sales since the start of the program. 

@igoezhard Baby you can’t see my cellulite in this!!! Betta getchu one!!! #tiktokshop #viraljumpsuit #tummycontroljumpsuit #sooslickjumpsuit #tiktokmademebuyit ♬ original sound - Big Mama ?

6. Use TikTok Ads to Drive More Sales

Although there’s a great opportunity for TikTok videos to go viral, you can’t simply count on that chance alone. As such, your organic reach may not be enough to drive the kind of sales you need. That’s where TikTok advertising comes in, providing you with the ideal solution to amplify your reach and get your TikTok Shop products in front of the right audience. 

With TikTok ads, you can effectively promote your shoppable videos and guide shoppers to quickly go from discovery to conversion. Once they discover your products through the ad, the shoppable product links allow them to instantly make a purchase instead of having to leave the platform to find the product. As a result, you can drive sales effectively and maximize your investment.

For even better results, consider connecting your advertising strategy with your organic efforts. Look for content that’s performing really well organically as this is an indicator that the content already resonates with your target audience. Then promote those top-performing videos through a paid TikTok ads strategy. 

In addition to a consistent LIVE selling strategy, Willow Boutique further amplified their reach through LIVE Shopping ads. According to TikTok’s data, the brand was able to gain more than 10,000 new followers within 90 days. They also generated sales worth more than $250,000 in gross merchandise value during this same period.

7. Promote Limited-Time Deals through Live Shopping

With the real-time nature of TikTok LIVE, it serves as the perfect channel to promote time-sensitive deals. The fear of missing out on those deals could encourage many shoppers to make impulse purchases.

You could highlight your live event cards in your bio to remind people about the event and encourage them to tune in. Additionally, you can also create videos that give them a glimpse into what the live event will cover as well as the types of deals they can get. People can click on these cards to register for the live event.

@brandontheplantguy

For example, Brandon the Plant Guy regularly hosts LIVE Shopping sessions where subscribers get first dibs on his new plants. In these sessions, he educates his audience about how to make a purchase and creates a sense of urgency by informing them that his items sell out quickly. The event registration page also explains that those in the “root family” get first dibs on their new plants.

8. Consider Fulfilled by TikTok for a Seamless Post-Purchase Experience

Sustaining your growth on TikTok Shop is just as important as generating those initial sales. That’s why it’s crucial to create a seamless post-purchase experience so that your TikTok customers want to come back for more purchases. 

More specifically, you need to focus on the fulfillment experience by ensuring that customers get the right orders at the right time. This will help you prevent customer frustrations and disappointment that could affect the overall experience. Otherwise, you’ll see a lot of first-time buyers who don’t plan on making a second purchase. 

Getting their orders late, receiving the wrong orders, receiving damaged items, and more could affect the customer experience. Moreover, you could risk cancellations and returns that will eat away at your bottom line. 

Additionally, TikTok Shop automatically cancels orders if the status hasn’t changed to “Ready to Ship” within 7 business days. If you’re a small business with limited resources, you may not work quickly enough to get all your orders ready to ship within this period. As a result, you could risk losing valuable sales.

Fortunately for TikTok merchants, you can now leverage Fulfilled by TikTok – a logistics solution offered by TikTok Shop where the company handles fulfillment on your behalf. Offered in partnership with leading 3PLs like ShipBob, TikTok fulfillment allows you to store your inventory with TikTok Shop. 

The company will also handle all the picking, packing, and shipping activities so you don’t have to worry about complex logistics operations. This is a great way to save time and money while ensuring that your TikTok customers get their orders on time. Some of the benefits you can enjoy with Fulfilled by TikTok include:

• Same-day fulfillment if orders are placed before 7 p.m. from Monday through Saturday
• Next working day premium delivery
• Reduced delivery times to improve fulfillment metrics
• Instant messaging service and dedicated customer service to enhance the overall customer experience

TikTok fulfillment has generated impressive results for brands that have leveraged it. For instance, The Beauty Crop reduced their shipping lead times by 36% while their late dispatch rates dropped by 45%. On top of this, they saw a 30% increase in order volumes. 

Get Ready to Sell More with TikTok Shop Strategies

The above TikTok Shop strategies should provide you with enough tips and ideas on how to strengthen your selling efforts on the platform. Provide clear instructions on how to buy your products through TikTok Shop and create playlists that make it easier to navigate your shoppable posts. Be strategic about the videos you share for promoting your product links and use LIVE to broadcast time-sensitive deals and new products.

Don’t forget to amplify your reach with the help of influential creators and paid TikTok ads if you want to drive more sales beyond your existing followers. Finally, optimize the post-purchase experience so that your TikTok customers want to keep coming back for more purchases.