What is TikTok Shop?
TikTok Shop is TikTok’s integrated e-commerce feature that allows brands and creators to showcase and sell products directly within the TikTok app (source). It was first launched in select markets in 2021 and expanded globally in 2022.
Some key features of TikTok Shop include:
- Product listings – Brands can showcase their catalogs and products directly on their TikTok profiles.
- Live shopping – Creators can host live shopping streams where viewers can browse and purchase products in real-time.
- Shopping tabs – Brands have a dedicated “Shop” tab on their profiles to highlight their products.
- Hashtag product galleries – Products are aggregated under shopping-focused hashtags.
- Immersive ads – Brands can create entertaining, engaging video ads with Shop Now buttons.
The experience is seamlessly integrated within the main TikTok app to tap into the platform’s community of highly engaged users. TikTok Shop makes it easy for brands to turn content into commerce.
Do I Need a Business Account for TikTok Shop?
Yes, you need a TikTok business account to use TikTok Shop. TikTok Shop is only available for users that convert to a business account. According to TikTok’s registration guide, “Once an account completes the registration process, their business category and website link can be displayed on their profile. This is a separate process from converting to a business account on TikTok.”
TikTok’s seller center also states that “To access TikTok Shop, you will create a shop on TikTok Seller Center, submit the required business documents for verification, and bind your bank account.” This makes it clear that TikTok Shop requires a verified business account.
So if you want to sell products directly through TikTok’s new integrated ecommerce platform, you must first convert to a TikTok business account and go through their verification process. Personal accounts do not have access to TikTok Shop features. Converting to a business profile also gives you access to TikTok analytics and other tools not available on personal accounts.
Sources:
https://www.tiktok.com/business/library/TTBA_Registration_one_pager.pdf
https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/set-up-tiktok-shop-using-tiktok-seller-center?lang=en
How to Switch to a TikTok Business Account
Upgrading from a personal account to a TikTok business account is easy and only takes a few steps. Here is how to switch to a business account on TikTok:
1. Open the TikTok app and go to your profile page. Tap the three-dot menu icon in the upper right corner.
2. Select “Manage account” from the menu options.
3. Tap “Switch to Business Account”.
4. Choose the category that best represents your business or brand.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to connect your business email and confirm the switch to a TikTok business account.
Once you complete the steps, your TikTok account will be upgraded to a business profile. You’ll gain access to additional analytics, advertising options, and tools to help manage your TikTok presence as a brand or company. The process is straightforward and only takes a few minutes to complete.
TikTok Business Account Features
A TikTok business account unlocks additional features not available on a standard personal account. Key features of a TikTok business account include:
- Analytics – View data and insights about your TikTok account’s performance, such as views, likes, comments, followers, etc. You can analyze trends and measure growth over time.
- Promotions – Run ad campaigns directly on TikTok to promote your products, services, or brand. TikTok provides user targeting and budget management tools.
- Lead Generation – Collect contact information from interested users directly on TikTok via lead generation forms.
- TikTok Pixel – Install the TikTok Pixel to track conversions and optimize your ads based on your business goals.
- TikTok for Business Platform – Access TikTok’s suite of business tools like TikTok Creator Marketplace and Brand Scan from one dashboard.
Switching to a business account unlocks these powerful features for brands, creators, and organizations looking to grow their presence on TikTok. It provides analytics, advertising capabilities, and business integration not available with a standard TikTok account.
Setting Up Your TikTok Shop
To set up a TikTok Shop, you’ll need to have a TikTok business account. From there, you can access the TikTok Seller Center to create your shop.
In the Seller Center, you’ll be able to create your product catalog by adding details like product titles, descriptions, images, videos, and pricing. You can add your products one by one or bulk upload them. It’s important to provide high-quality images and videos to showcase your products.
Once your catalog is ready, you’ll need to link your TikTok Shop to your inventory system or ecommerce platform to enable order fulfillment. TikTok partners with ecommerce platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Square to facilitate this [1].
Finally, you’ll need to connect a payment method like a bank account, credit card, or payment processor to receive payouts for sales made through your TikTok Shop. Payouts are made every 30 days.
With these steps completed, your TikTok Shop will be ready to start promoting to customers and processing orders!
Promoting Your TikTok Shop
Gaining visibility and driving traffic to your TikTok Shop is crucial for making sales. Here are some best practices for promoting your shop:
Leverage influencer marketing by partnering with relevant creators to showcase and recommend your products in their content. Make sure to follow FTC guidelines around sponsored content disclosures.
Use attractive images, engaging videos, and catchy text in your TikTok posts to showcase your products. Focus on showing your products in real-world use cases.
Utilize TikTok’s built-in advertising tools like Brand Takeovers and In-Feed Video Ads to reach new audiences. Target your ads based on interests, behaviors, and demographics.
Add shoppable product links, your store’s hashtag, and other ecommerce features to your TikTok bio to drive traffic.
Run contests and giveaways for your products to generate buzz and grow your follower count organically.
Repurpose your top-performing TikTok videos as TikTok ads to maximize reach. This takes advantage of the algoirthm.
Use trends and viral sounds to make engaging videos featuring your products. But make the audio and visuals relevant to your brand.
Analyze performance data in the TikTok Shop Manager to identify top-selling products and fine-tune your promotional strategy.
Cross-promote your TikTok content and shop on other platforms like Instagram and Facebook to maximize exposure.
Tips for Selling Successfully on TikTok
Selling successfully on TikTok requires creating engaging videos that showcase your products in a fun and entertaining way. According to Squareup, some of the top tactics used by successful TikTok sellers include:
- Showcasing products in action through demos and tutorials
- Telling the product’s story and highlighting its benefits
- Using eye-catching visuals, effects, and transitions
- Collaborating with influencers to promote products
- Running giveaways and contests to generate engagement
For example, the company Fly By Jing went viral after creating an educational and entertaining video about making dumplings using their products. Beauty brand Milk Makeup frequently collaborates with TikTok creators to demonstrate creative ways to use their cosmetics. Companies like CeraVe and Olaplex have found success through simplified science experiments showing how their products work.
The most effective product videos on TikTok entertain first and sell second. Keeping the audience engaged throughout the video with useful tips, captivating visuals, or an interesting narrative is key. Sellers should focus on showing their brand personality and making emotional connections with viewers in order to drive sales.
TikTok Shop Policies
TikTok has several policies in place for sellers on TikTok Shop to ensure a safe and compliant marketplace. Some key policies include:
Prohibited Products Policy (source): Outlines categories of prohibited products like dangerous goods, restricted medical devices, adult content, and more. Sellers are responsible for complying.
Return Policy: TikTok Shop requires sellers to accept returns within 7 days of delivery. Sellers must provide pre-paid return shipping labels.
Content Policy (source): Covers requirements for product info, images, videos and other content. Content must be accurate, high-quality, and follow TikTok’s guidelines.
Violation Points System: Sellers get violation points for issues like late shipping, improper returns processing, etc. Accumulating points can lead to probation or banning.
By following TikTok’s seller policies, merchants can avoid issues and create a positive experience for shoppers.
TikTok Shop vs Facebook Shops
TikTok Shop and Facebook Shops are two ecommerce platforms that allow businesses to set up online stores directly within their apps. While they share some similarities, there are some key differences between the two:
Facebook Shops is more established, having launched in 2020 1. It offers more advanced features like product tagging, insights and analytics, messaging with customers, and integrations with payment systems 1. TikTok Shop is newer, having launched in 2021 initially in Southeast Asia. It offers a more streamlined, user-friendly experience focused on impulse, social commerce purchases.
A key advantage of TikTok Shop is its tapping into TikTok’s huge userbase of over 1 billion monthly active users 2. Its addictive short video format lends itself well to spur-of-the-moment shopping. Facebook Shops reaches Facebook’s nearly 3 billion users, but doesn’t have the same shoppable video format.
Facebook Shops allows for cross-posting shop content across Facebook and Instagram. TikTok Shop is currently limited to TikTok, though ecommerce features are being tested on TikTok’s sister app, Douyin, in China 3.
In summary, Facebook Shops has more advanced ecommerce capabilities while TikTok Shop offers a more viral, social shopping experience. The choice comes down to your target audience, product type, and business goals. Both serve as promising ecommerce channels for businesses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions about using TikTok Shop:
Do I need a business account to use TikTok Shop?
Yes, you need a TikTok business account to access TikTok Shop seller tools and set up a shop. You can convert your personal account to a business account in the app settings. See TikTok Business Account FAQs for more information.
What are the fees for selling on TikTok Shop?
TikTok does not charge fees or commissions on transactions through TikTok Shop. However, you may be charged payment processing fees by third-party payment providers.
How do I get paid for my TikTok Shop sales?
After a sale is made, your payout will be deposited directly into your connected payment account, such as PayPal. Payouts are made automatically according to the schedule of your payment provider.
Can I ship TikTok Shop orders internationally?
Yes, you can ship worldwide directly from your TikTok Shop. Be sure to set accurate shipping rates and processing times for international orders.
How do I get support for my TikTok Shop?
You can get support through the Seller Center help portal or by emailing [email protected]. Support is available for technical issues, policy questions, account access, and more.
