What is a TikTok seller account?
A TikTok seller account allows you to promote and sell products directly through TikTok. It gives access to seller tools like promotions, shoppable videos, and more. According to TikTok’s Business Account Features guide, switching to a seller account unlocks features to help drive sales.
The key differences between a standard TikTok account and a seller account include:
- Ability to add a shop tab and sync product catalogs
- Tools to create shoppable video ads
- Promoted posts for boosting product visibility
- Seller analytics and metrics
- TikTok pixel for conversion tracking
With a seller account, brands and merchants can turn their TikTok presence into a mini e-commerce storefront. It allows showcasing products in short videos and makes them directly shoppable through in-app checkout. According to TikTok, seller accounts open up critical selling features to maximize sales potential on the platform.
Requirements for a TikTok seller account
To create a TikTok seller account and gain access to TikTok Shop features, there are a few requirements you must meet:
You must be at least 18 years old. TikTok requires sellers to be legal adults in order to create a seller account.
You need a valid government ID. This is required in order to verify your identity and business when applying for a seller account. A passport, driver’s license, or other official ID will work.
You need a business email address and phone number. These are required to set up your seller profile and as a way for TikTok to contact you regarding your seller account.
According to TikTok’s Seller Center help documentation, “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.”1
How to convert your personal TikTok account
Converting your personal TikTok account to a seller account is simple. Here are the steps:
First, open the TikTok app and go to your profile page. Tap the 3-dot menu icon in the upper right corner and select “Switch to Business Account.” You will then be prompted to confirm switching your account type.
According to TikTok’s support site, “Tap Switch account when prompted to start the process of converting your personal account to a TikTok seller account” (source).
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete converting your personal TikTok to a seller account. You may need to provide some additional business information like a business category, description, and contact info.
Once you complete the process, your personal TikTok account will now be a seller account, with access to TikTok’s shopping and selling features.
Setting up your TikTok shop
To set up your TikTok shop, you first need to go to the Seller Center and select “Create shop.” Here you can add details like your business category, description, and contact information.
You have two options for adding products to your TikTok shop:
- Connect your online store – TikTok supports integrations with ecommerce platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Etsy. This allows you to easily sync your product catalog.
- Add products manually – You can manually add individual products along with details like price, description, images etc. This is recommended if you have a small catalog or don’t use a supported ecommerce platform.
It’s important to provide as much detail about your products as possible, like color and size variants. TikTok recommends having at least 10-20 products in your catalog to start. You can always add more products later as your shop grows.
Once you finish the setup process, TikTok will review and verify your shop. After approval, your TikTok shop will be live and ready for customers!
Creating promotional and shoppable videos
Promotional and shoppable videos are key to driving sales from your TikTok seller account. Some best practices for creating effective product videos include:
- Showcase products in real-life situations – model items, do tutorials, create hauls or unboxings to show how products look and function.
- Optimize lighting and camera angles to showcase products clearly.
- Keep videos short, creative and entertaining.
- Add overlays, graphics and captions highlighting product features and details.
To enable direct purchases, make use of TikTok’s shopping features:
- Link to products in your TikTok shop using tags and links in captions.
- Use the “Add Link” function when posting to add shoppable elements.
- Enable the shopping tab on your profile to showcase products.
Refer to TikTok’s guide on best practices for video shopping ads for more tips.
Driving traffic to your TikTok shop
Driving traffic to your TikTok shop is crucial for increasing sales and brand awareness. Here are some of the top strategies for getting more eyes on your TikTok storefront:
Leverage relevant hashtags
Using popular TikTok hashtags related to your products is a great way to get your content seen by more users who may be interested in your shop. Make sure to include a mix of broad and niche hashtags to maximize exposure. Some examples include #ShopSmall, #TikTokShop, #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt, and more specific hashtags for your product types like #BookTok or #FoodTok. According to one source, “Utilizing hashtags and challenges on TikTok is an effective way to increase visibility and drive website traffic. Hashtags are a great way to get more people to see your content by showing up on hashtag pages.” (Source)
Partner with influencers
Reaching out to popular TikTok creators in your niche and sponsoring TikTok videos featuring your products is a great collaboration opportunity. The influencer’s followers who enjoy their content may be interested in checking out your TikTok shop too. Make sure to clearly showcase your shop url or handle in the sponsored content. One tip is to give the influencer a special promo code for their followers to use for additional discounts.
Cross-promote your shop
Leverage your other social media channels like Instagram or Facebook to promote your TikTok content and drive traffic to your TikTok shop. You can reshare TikTok videos, promote shoppable posts with a link to your TikTok storefront, and run cross-channel ads targeting your existing follower base. This helps expose your TikTok shop listing to new audiences who may not be on TikTok yet. As one source notes, “Give Your Profile a Makeover & Create a Call-to-Action” on other platforms to drive traffic (Source).
TikTok Advertising Options
TikTok provides several advertising options to help drive traffic and sales through your TikTok seller account. The main advertising platform is the TikTok Ads Manager, which allows you to create and manage campaigns.
Some of the main ad formats offered include:
- Spark Ads – Short video ads that can be highly targeted to relevant audiences.
- TopView Ads – Ads that appear when users first open the app and start scrolling.
- Brand Takeover Ads – Full screen video ads that show when users open the app.
- In-Feed Videos Ads – Video ads that appear in users’ feeds.
You can choose campaign objectives like traffic, conversions, or app installs. TikTok’s pixel and API allow for advanced targeting, automation, and measurement.
Key benefits of TikTok advertising include access to TikTok’s highly engaged user base, vertical video format, and playful, entertaining style of content.
Analytics and Reporting
Once you have a TikTok seller account, it’s important to track key metrics to understand what’s working well and where there’s room for improvement. The TikTok analytics dashboard provides valuable insights into your shop’s performance. Some key metrics to monitor include:
- Traffic – Track visits to your TikTok shop page and product pages to see how well your content is driving traffic.
- Engagement – Monitor likes, comments, and shares on your shoppable videos and posts. High engagement indicates your content is resonating with viewers.
- Conversions – Keep an eye on orders, sales, and revenue generated through your TikTok shop. This helps assess the ROI of your efforts.
Within the analytics dashboard, you can view real-time stats on impressions, reach, traffic sources, top videos, and more. Data can be filtered by date ranges and specific videos (Understanding your analytics | Creator Portal). Advanced analytics are also available through TikTok’s API and third-party analytics platforms.
Regularly monitoring performance data will reveal what content resonates most with your audience. You can then fine-tune your TikTok shop strategy to maximize results.
Tips for seller account success
Here are some tips to help your TikTok seller account find success:
Focus on creating high-quality videos. Well-produced videos with good lighting, clear audio, and engaging visuals are more likely to get views and traffic. Consider investing in video equipment like ring lights, microphones, and editing software.
Post consistently. Regularly publishing new videos will keep your account active and give viewers more content to engage with. Aim to post at least once per day if possible.
Respond to comments and engage with viewers. Being responsive shows viewers you care and helps build a relationship. Reply to comments, questions, and feedback.
Optimize your videos for discoverability by using relevant hashtags and sounds. Make it easy for viewers looking for your type of content to find your videos.
Analyze your metrics in the app analytics to see what content resonates best with your audience. Find out the best posting times and double down on what’s working.
Promote your account and videos outside of TikTok as well, such as on other social platforms. Cross-promotion can help reach new audiences.
Consider running TikTok ads to further boost your content and find new potential customers. Target your ads wisely.
Partner with influencers or other brands/sellers to collaborate on videos and cross-promote.
Common Questions and Issues
Here are some common questions and issues that may come up when using a TikTok seller account:
Account Verification
To get your TikTok seller account verified, you’ll need to provide your business information including your business name, address, website, and phone number. Verification can take a few days. Check your email for updates on the verification process. Unverified accounts have restrictions on advertising and analytics. See TikTok’s seller account support page for more on verification.
Changing Back to a Personal Account
If you want to switch your seller account back to a personal account, you can do so in your account settings. However, you’ll lose access to your TikTok shop and analytics. You won’t be able to switch back to a seller account for 60 days after reverting to a personal account.
Promotional Policies
Make sure to follow TikTok’s promotional policies for seller accounts. Disclose sponsorships, don’t make misleading claims, follow contest rules, etc. Violating policies can get your account restricted or banned.