How to Sell on TikTok in 7 Simple Steps

Have you been seeing an orange shopping cart and shopping tag displayed on some videos while scrolling through TikTok? This means that something in the video is being sold on the creator’s TikTok shop. 

With over 1 billion active users worldwide, TikTok is a good social media platform to post content on. With so many people using the app, it’s no surprise that it's becoming a popular platform for content creators to sell their products. 

As a result of this growth, TikTok has introduced new ecommerce features such as the ‘TikTok shop’ feature. This allows users to buy products directly on the app. For creators like you, this means there's never been a better time to start selling your products on TikTok. By mastering the following steps, you can capitalize on this new ecommerce feature and take your personal brand to the next level. 

Can You Sell Products on TikTok?

Yes! With TikTok’s new feature, almost anyone can sell products on TikTok. You’ll need to either register as a Corporation or as an Individually owned business. 

Before, creators often had to lead their viewers off the platform and away from their TikTok profile to complete purchases. This is no longer the case as viewers can purchase products directly on the platform. This means that creators stand to make immediate sales after their followers view content, making TikTok an excellent platform for monetizing content.

How to Sell on TikTok: 7 Steps

Selling on TikTok is an easy process that involves the following simple steps:

1. Set up a Business Account

The first step in selling on TikTok is to create a business account. Navigate to the TikTok Shop seller page to register. From here, you’ll enter in all necessary information, including information about your business and personal identification. Having a business account gives you access to additional analytics tools that can help you determine content strategy and engagement. Here are some things to keep in mind while going through this process:

• You must register in your home location. You cannot undo your registration choice. (If you’re a US shop and register in the UK, you can NOT undo this.)
• If you’re a US user, you’ll need to prove that you’re a US resident. This includes having a valid US phone number or IP address. (If you’re a US user trying to register while traveling overseas, you’ll need to use a VPN.)

2. Add Your Products to the TikTok Shop

Now that you have your account set up, the next step is to add your products to your TikTok Shop! In the near future, Fourthwall will make this a seamless process for creators to sell merchandise and custom apparel on their TikTok shops. Here are some pointers from our team:

• In order to maintain a good account standing, all of your products must ship within 7-14 days after being ordered. You cannot run pre-order drops through TikTok Shop
• You’ll need to support refunds/returns for all products (with the exception of made to order products)
• Customers have a 24 hour window to cancel their order after placing it.

3. Set Up Shipping Templates

TikTok doesn’t yet support:

• Automatic rates by carrier
• Automatic rates from your ecommerce platform

You’ll have to manually offer these, so be sure to set up shipping templates prior to making sales.

4. Start to Create Content

Once your shop is up and running, and everything has been approved by TikTok, it’s time to create engaging content to showcase your products. Engaging content drives interaction on the platform and ultimately boosts your rankings and sales. Create content that showcases each product in a creative way. Provide useful tips and offer product demonstrations or unboxings. 

5. Add Product Tags to Your Videos

Part of the value of the TikTok Shop is that all followers become potential customers when they see videos tagged with products being sold. Tagging your products in your videos simplifies the purchasing experience for followers. It’s also important to note that uploads with TikTok Shop shopping tags get a higher priority in the feeds. 

6. Incentivize Your Followers

Interaction with followers is a crucial element in boosting sales and attracting new audiences. Followers should know that you are genuinely interested in offering them the best products and experience. Consider offering discounts on your shop, like free shipping, to encourage more sales. 

7. Collaborate + Promote Your Content

Beyond tagging your videos with products, you can collaborate with other creators to promote your products directly, leading to a massive audience. Influencer marketing has been successful on the platform, and many followers trust influencers for product recommendations, especially if they have used the product themselves. 

Benefits of Selling on TikTok

There are several advantages to selling products on TikTok, including:

1. You don’t need to invest a lot of money to get started: TikTok's algorithm favors authentic and innovative content over high production values.
2. You can reach a larger audience: TikTok has a massive user base that's continually growing, meaning you can get your products seen by an even greater audience.
3. TikTok is easy to use: The app's short-form video format encourages creators to be creative and engaging. Creators can leverage the platform's features to be more creative, such as the available filters, sound effects, and song choices. 
4. TikTok's algorithm is unique: The app's algorithm suggests content based on users' interests. This will help to ensure that your products will be reaching your target audience, increasing the chances of viewers making a purchase.

Sell on Multiple Channels

Social media is constantly growing and changing, which means there’s no guarantee that TikTok Shopping will be around forever. You may also lose access to your TikTok shop if you happen to get suspended from the platform, payments may be delayed, or you may just decide that you don’t want to use that platform anymore. TikTok also doesn’t give you access to your buyer emails, which prevents you from doing email retargeting or thanking your customers. With all of this in mind, you shouldn’t rely solely on TikTok for sales.  

Long-term growth and success is important, and that might be challenging if you aren’t operating across more than one platform. Creating your own website to sell your products will ensure that your business will continue to thrive. If you’re a TikTok creator, e-commerce platforms like Fourthwall are perfect for you. You can sell and ship on your own items, or design products and allow us to handle the manufacturing and shipping. We also allow you to collect supporter emails to allow the creation of newsletters, email retargeting, etc. 

Start Selling on TikTok!

There has never been a better time to sell products on TikTok, and with the app's expansive potential audience, growing your TikTok community is surprisingly straightforward. Creators willing to try new things outside of their comfort zones have a great opportunity to grow their brand and sell products on this platform.

Fourthwall enables content creators to launch their own websites, sell products, and offer memberships to their supporters. Get started today.

Learn more about selling on TikTok here.