How to sell on TikTok?

TikTok has completely revolutionized the way we consume... Not only the content, but also the products. 

With its authentic and spontaneous content, its personalized algorithm, its search engine that competes with Google and the integration of Shopify, the TikTok application is indeed increasingly used to discover new products on TikTok and guide our purchasing decisions. 

For proof, just explore the famous hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuylt. 

If your brand is not yet exploiting the potential of the platform, it's the right time to open a TikTok account. Sharing videos about your products, promoting them through advertising on TikTok, but also recommending creators and influencers, can literally make your sales explode .

Here are our tips for selling on TikTok!

Why sell on TikTok?

In 2023, TikTok is "The Place to Be". 

The social network has established itself since 2020 as the epicenter of culture. It's where new content creation trends emerge - like music, challenges, recipes, verbal expressions, clothing styles, etc. It all starts on TikTok. 

But this is not the only reason.

The reason the application has become such a powerful marketing weapon is because it has amassed more than 1 billion active users, with a retention and engagement rate that exceeds 95 minutes per day and 26 hours per month per TikTok user.

One of the platform's strengths is also its content. After a decade of fussy, meticulously staged formats, the TikTok app has paved the way for authentic style, with a tone and formats that are more spontaneous than onother social networks like Instagram and YouTube. This creates a different way of communicating between TikTok users, and it even creates a real proximity between a brand and its audience. It's not surprising to note that 67% of users say that ads on TikTok capture their attention more than on other platforms. 

Today, in an economy of attention, the TikTok application is the big winner in monopolizing the attention of its users thanks to its hypnotic power. In other words, all brands can break through on TikTok and make their sales explode especially if they use this marketing tool with optimal understanding.

TikTok trends = out of stock

The consequence of this explosive marketing cocktail is thata product that goes viral on TikTok will sell out in stores . We can't count the number of success stories on the platform that have turned into stock-outs, and this in all niches. 

One example is the popular product on TikTok: Peter Thomas Roth's eye cream. The creator @Trinidad1967 had the idea to create a video without filter, where she shows the (almost) instantaneous benefits of the product on her dark circles. Her video quickly went viral on the platform and overnight the product was no longer available in stores. 

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Another emblematic example of the power of TikTok: feta cheese. After the publication of her video, Finnish food designer Jenni Häyrinen never imagined that the Greek cheese would break down in every grocery store in her country. And when her recipe went around the world, it didn't fail to buzz in the United States, where similar shortages were observed in American stores. 

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The opportunities to reach a very large and engaged audience on TikTok are endless. The algorithm does not recommend videos based on your number of subscribers, but on your ability to generate engagement, literally anyone can go viral and generate sales. 

How to sell on TikTok?

We will not go back over the basics of opening a TikTok account for your brand. For more information on how to get started on the platform, feel free to consult our complete guide!

Let's assume that you already have a foot in the social network and that you just need to activate the right levers to sell on TikTok. Here are the best opportunities offered by the platform to highlight your products and significantly boost your sales. 

1. Start creating content

Selling on TikTok simply starts with creating a type of content on the platform. The key as a brand on TikTok is to respect the native codes of the social network and to understand what your users are looking for on TikTok. 

Focus on creatingcommunity content, not promotional content. The idea is to entertain your audience (by following the latest trends, for example) while providing real added value. Present your product, put it in a real situation and clearly show the benefits that your future customers can get from it. 

Once you find your way, the algorithmic process will begin to extend the reach of your content to a wider audience, you can even launch your own challenges and create a unique hashtag for your brand or flagship product. 

2. Configure access to Shopify

If you want to generate sales on the platform, it is absolutely essential to set up your Shopify access . This feature will allow you to share a link directly to the product you are featuring in your TikTok videos. 

Users will be able to buy your product directly on TikTok, without having to leave the application. The path between your content and the act of purchase is therefore as short and intuitive as possible. Your TikTok views will convert more easily into sales!

3. Take advantage of the potential of hashtags 

TikTok hashtags are an absolutely crucial tool for your conversion strategy on the app. They allow the TikTok algorithm to understand the content of your videos, and therefore to distribute it to the right audience. 

But they also serve to list your content and make it easier for users to search on TikTok . This will make it easier for your potential customers to come across your video content when they search for a certain type of product on the social network.

4. Collaborate with users and influencers on TikTok

The strength of TIkTok is the collaborative nature of its content. To boost the reach of your videos, you can indeed collaborate with other creators, starting with influencers or content creators in your niche. 

In addition to having succeeded in federating a large audience, the influencers on TikTok have above all the trust of their subscribers to whom they recommend the products they have tested and appreciated. 

But an equally powerful strategy for selling on TikTok is to encourage user-generated content about your brand. This is called UGC (User Generated Content). To understand how it works and how this type of content can help you gain brand awareness and boost your sales, check out our complete guide!

5. Promote your content on TikTok

While creating native content that goes viral organically is already very effective for selling on TikTok, the platform also offers useful features to boost your video and promote it to a qualified audience .

The TikTok Promote option (available in the 'Creation Tools' tab of your account) allows you toincrease the reach of a particular video. You will be able to choose the goal you want to reach. If your goal is to sell on TikTok, we advise you to choose the "More visits to my website" goal. 

All you need to do is add the URL of your online store and create a CTA (Call to Action) to encourage TikTok users to go there. The TikTok algorithm will automatically select the audience to show your content to (but you can also customize your audience). 

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Use TikTok to maximize your sales

Using the social network to market your business opens up a whole new opportunity - younger potential consumers and a new way to sell them your product. If you want to increase your sales and make the most of the app, remember to approach the platform with this audience in mind.

So don't miss out on this growing opportunity and get the sales results you want by implementing a marketing strategy on TikTok today. If you want to learn more about how we can help your brand grow on the platform, contact us.