How to Sell on TikTok in 7 Simple Steps

Have you ever seen a shopping bag icon displayed on a video while scrolling through the TikTok app? This means that something in that TikTok video is being sold on the creator’s TikTok Shop!

With nearly 1.6 billion active TikTok users worldwide, TikTok is a high-visibility social media platform to post content on - so it’s no surprise that it's also become 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, which allows users to buy products directly on the TikTok 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 great ecommerce feature and take your personal brand even further by expanding your products and merch into a second online base on Fourthwall, where you can establish your own website and merch store with customized print on demand goods and so much more! 

Who Can Sell Products on TikTok?

Before TikTok Shop, creators generally 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.

With TikTok Shop, almost anyone can sell products on TikTok. You can register as different business types - individual, sole proprietor, corporation or partnership. Whichever you choose, you must be at least 18 years old, and you'll have to meet some registration requirements to prove your identity and tax status when doing your onboarding.

How to Sell on TikTok: 7 Steps

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

1. Set up a Business Account

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The first step in selling on TikTok is to create your business account. Navigate to the TikTok Shop seller page to sign in and 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 can't 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. Set Up Shipping Templates

You can create and modify your TikTok Shop shipping templates in the TikTok Seller Center under "Shipping Options," where you can select your preferred delivery areas, services, exclusions, and rules.

TikTok Shipping offers Express and Standard options, while Seller Shipping allows self-shipping through a single provider. Make sure your shipping templates are completed before our next step - uploading products.

3. Add Your Products to the TikTok Shop

Now that you have your TikTok account set up, the next step is to add your products to your TikTok Shop! Fourthwall's seamless TikTok integration makes it a breeze for creators to sell their customized Fourthwall merch and apparel to TikTok users via their TikTok shops.

Here are some pointers from your friendly Fourthwall 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.
• TikTok Shipping offers Express and Standard options with details like maximum weight and additional services.
• Seller Shipping allows self-shipping with a single provider; ensure shipping fees template is completed before uploading products.

4. 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! Compelling content drives interaction on the platform and ultimately boosts your rankings and sales. Create content that showcases each product to TikTok users in a creative way - this can include providing useful tips, offer product demonstrations, or doing fun unboxings. 

5. Add Product Tags to Your Videos

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

6. Incentivize Your Followers

Interacting with followers is key to boosting sales and attracting new audiences! Followers should know that you are genuinely interested in offering them the best products and TikTok shopping experience. Consider offering discounts on your shop, like free shipping, to drive sales. You can also invest in TikTok ads to draw more attention to your TikTok Shop and products.

7. Collaborate and Promote Your Content

Beyond tagging your product videos and buying TikTok ads, you can collaborate with other creators and TikTok influencers to promote your products directly, to really grow your audience. Influencer marketing is quite successful on TikTok's platform, and many TikTok users trust their favorite influencers for product recommendations, especially if it's clear that the creator has used the product themselves. 

Benefits of Selling on TikTok

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

• 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. You can invest in things like TikTok ads, but it's not necessary to sell on the platform.
• You can reach a large audience: The TikTok user base is vast and continues to grow, meaning you can get your products seen by an even greater audience.
• TikTok is easy to use: The app's short-form video format encourages TikTok creators to be creative and engaging. Creators can leverage the platform's features, like filters, sound effects, and song choices, to be more creative.
• TikTok's algorithm is unique: The app's algorithm suggests content based on users' interests. This will help to ensure that your products will reach your target audience, increasing the chances of viewers making a purchase.

Take Advantage of Multiple Platforms - Including Fourthwall!

Social media is constantly growing and changing, which means there’s no guarantee that TikTok Shop will be around forever! You may lose access to your TikTok account or your TikTok Shop for any number of reasons, or you may just decide that you don’t want to use that platform anymore. Your TikTok account 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.  

This all might be challenging if you're only operating on one platform for your growth and success. But Fourthwall can help prevent those limitations. Creating your own website and ecommerce store on Fourthwall to sell even more of your products will ensure that your business will continue to thrive!

As a TikTok creator, ecommerce platforms like Fourthwall are perfect for you. You can sell and ship your own items or design print on demand products, letting Fourthwall handle all of your manufacturing and shipping so you can focus on designing your merch and growing your TikTok account. Your Fourthwall shop and TikTok shop are also easily integrated, so you can take advantage of the best features of both.

Creators willing to try new things outside of their comfort zones have a great opportunity to grow their brand on TikTok and Fourthwall, gaining fans and selling products on both platforms. Get your TikTok in order - then come on over to Fourthwall to launch your own website, design and sell even more products, and offer exclusive memberships to your supporters and TikTok fans. Get started on Fourthwall today!