How to set up (and succeed on) TikTok Shop

With TikTok users on track to spend a record $20 billion on TikTok Shop this year, eCommerce brands that aren’t currently selling on the platform could be missing out on a lot of sales.

Thankfully, setting yourself up on TikTok Shop is pretty simple, especially if you’ve already got an online shopping channel like Shopify, WooCommerce, or BigCommerce.

In this article, we’ll explain what you need to do to set up TikTok Shop for your business, and lay down some tips to help you make the most out of the platform.

Setting up TikTok Shop, step-by-step

Step 1: Register your TikTok Business Account

Before you can start listing products on TikTok, you’ll need to have a TikTok Business account. It’s an incredibly easy process, and can be done entirely through the mobile app.

Open TikTok on your mobile device, and tap the three lines at the top right of your screen. Then, select ‘Settings and privacy’ > ‘Account’ > ‘Switch to Business Account’.

Follow the instructions on screen and you’ll be switched over to a TikTok Business Account immediately.

Step 2: Set Up TikTok Seller Center

Once you’ve successfully transferred over to a Business Account, you’ll need to set up an account on TikTok Seller Center.

This is where you’ll do the majority of your business activities, such as uploading products, conducting analysis, responding to enquiries, and more!

Head over to the TikTok Seller Center sign-up page and log in with your existing TikTok Business Account credentials.

You’ll then be instructed to upload some necessary documents, including identification, which will need to be verified before you start selling.

Tip: Don’t forget to link your Business Bank Account with the TikTok Seller Center. You’ll be directed to do this during the setup process.

Step 3: Upload your products

You can start to upload your products while you wait for TikTok to verify your documents.

Whether you have a single SKU or hundreds, you’re able to upload all the things you’d expect from an online storefront, including photos and product descriptions.

If you’re already using another marketplace like Shopify or WooCommerce, you can sync those platforms with your TikTok Shop account and automatically sync your product listings. You can also use your native platform to manage returns, ad campaigns, inventory, and more.

Tips for succeeding on TikTok Shop

Now that you’re ready to start selling, let’s have a look at some ways to hit the ground running on TikTok.

Throw ideas at the wall

If you’ve never created content for TikTok before, it may take some time to adjust to the types of content that perform well on the platform.

There’s quite a bit of nuance on the platform when it comes to creating content that resonates with the rather unique demographic.

When starting out, experimentation is key. You might put tons of effort into a video that gets very few views, while a rough, unpolished spare-of-the-moment recording ends up exploding overnight.

So, try everything, often. Before long, you’ll have a tone and format that sticks for your audience.

Create on-trend content

TikTok is all about hijacking trends in the hopes of producing a viral post. Think creatively around how your brand and product can tap into the biggest trends, which are always changing.

From music to pop culture references, games to dances, filters to sounds, there’s hundreds of unique trends you can jump on at any given time that’ll give you a chance to mine some huge, potentially life-changing engagement.

Put your products front and centre

For many eCommerce brands, TikTok provides the perfect format to showcase your products in action. How you do that will depend very much on what you’re selling, but here are some ideas:

• Unboxing and demonstrations to showcase products, list features, and explain how it works.
• Encourage your customers to create User-Generated-Content (UGC) and repost the best bits on your channel.
• Before and After videos that highlight the effectiveness of your product.
• Tell a story: this might be the story of your brand, your ongoing journey, or how your product came to be.
• Report testimonials and reviews for social proof and an increased perception of trust.
• Hijack trends and hashtags with creative videos that show off your products in the context of contemporary viral content.

Work with influencers

Creating partnerships with influencers can be an incredibly powerful way to reach new audiences. By paying influencers to create content around your product in their own style, you can engage many potential customers who may have overlooked content from your own account.

Additionally, working with people who align with your brand and values fosters trust and builds hype and awareness around your company and products. You can benefit from the trust your influencer partners have already built with their own audience, as authentic endorsements can result in viewers being more perceptive.

Be sure to do your research when choosing influencers. Unless you have a good reason otherwise, you should stay away from controversial or unpredictable content creators. Once you’ve publicly associated yourself with them, your reputation will be tied to theirs.

Outsource order fulfilment

To give yourself the best chance of succeeding on TikTok, you’ll want to consider outsourcing your fulfilment to a trusted fulfilment partner. All you need to do is ship your goods to their warehouse or fulfilment centre, and they’ll handle everything else.

You won’t have to worry about renting warehouse space or storing your products in your spare room, and they’ll take care of the time-consuming processes of picking, packing, shipping, and handling returns.

And, if you work with a fulfilment partner that has fulfilment centres in multiple territories, you can reach customers all over the world quickly and cost-effectively. This is particularly useful for brands on TikTok, as audiences are often worldwide.

Learn more about TikTok Shop Fulfilment

If you’d like to learn more about automatic order fulfilment for TikTok Shop, we’d love to speak with you.

At J&J, we can pick, pack, and ship your TikTok Shop orders anywhere in the world, thanks to our super-efficient processes and international network of fulfilment centres.
For more information, give us a call on +44 (0)1604 968 820 or arrange a virtual meeting through our online form.

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