Are you doing enough with TikTok marketing for your eCommerce store?
TikTok is one of the best channels to give your store great visibility online.
With 1 billion users, new shopping features, and a steady rise in popularity, TikTok should definitely be an area for online stores to focus on.
This social media app has many exciting features to help businesses reach loads of potential new customers. And with TikTok, you’ve got more chance of your video content going viral than on any other social media channel.
So, how can eCommerce businesses use TikTok? What are the best strategies to boost your online sales? Are TikTok ads for eCommerce worth it?
We’ll explore this all in our guide below.
Why Use TikTok for eCommerce?
TikTok is massive, and right now it’s the perfect social media platform to market your business.
And it’s not just the younger audience that’s on TikTok.
Sure, most of the platform’s users are part of Gen Z, but the app is so popular that even their parents might be on it too. There are loads of niche interests and communities on TikTok. This means you’ll almost certainly be able to find customers here.
TikTok videos are also available to a wider audience of users than other social media apps. You don’t have to be part of a user’s network to see their content. TikTok’s algorithm gives you a much better chance to go viral and reach a massive audience.
This makes it a great platform for small eCommerce businesses to grow their audience and boost brand awareness.
The app also offers TikTok shopping. This is the platform’s social commerce solution that allows brands and creators to sell products directly on the app.
If you’ve got an online store, you can add a shopping tab directly to your profile and start selling to users on the app.
So when it comes to eCommerce marketing, using TikTok is a no-brainer.
How to Use TikTok for eCommerce Marketing
There are various ways to market your online store on TikTok and reach new audiences. Here are some TikTok hacks and strategies that eCommerce brands can use to boost their sales.
Try TikTok Shopping
In August 2021, TikTok launched TikTok Shopping – its social commerce offer in partnership with Shopify. Shopify merchants can use this feature to sell directly on TikTok by adding a shopping tab to their profiles.
This tab pulls products from your Shopify catalog. TikTok users can browse your products on the social media app and effortlessly navigate to the online store if they want to check out.
This makes it way easier to promote your products on TikTok. Customers can discover your products and purchase them on the same platform. This is what’s so great about social commerce.
Source: Glow Recipe on TikTok
How to Set Up TikTok Shopping
Here are a few pointers to help you start selling on TikTok:
- Download the TikTok app for Shopify to get started. Users can also request access to TikTok shopping through Shopify’s TikTok channel.
- Optimize your product catalog for TikTok: Use high-quality product images that will attract customers to your TikTok storefront. Product photos should be easily recognizable and consistent for your brand. Make sure titles are within the 34-character limit, and all product details are included.
- Promote your TikTok shop: Don’t wait around for people to discover your TikTok shop. Create a couple of TikTok posts about your shop. This will help TikTok users find your shop.
- Promote your products: Now that your shop is set up, you’ll want to direct as much of your TikTok traffic as you can to your product pages. Create content about your products, get influencers involved, and mention your products wherever it makes sense. You can also use TikTok Live as an effective way to promote your products.
TokTok Ads for eCommerce
Just like on any social media platform, paid advertising is always a good option for reaching a wider audience.
TikTok video ads follow a similar idea to Facebook or Instagram ads, allowing you to promote your content to more users.
TikTok ads include various different features which can be used to connect with more customers. As an online store, you have a few options for TikTok eCommerce ads.
We’ve outlined three below.
In-Feed Ads
In-feed video ads play automatically in your ‘For You’ feed. These TikTok eCommerce ads are targeted to relevant users, and they allow for engagement from the viewers.
When someone sees the ad, they can choose to use your music for their own video. This can be a great feature to grow the popularity of your content.
Brand Takeovers
These are quick full-screen adverts that appear on your screen when you open the TikTok app. Brand takeovers are faster than other advertising options. Many brands use them for great results.
Top View Ads
This is one of the most effective ad types for businesses on TikTok. Top view ads appear when a user opens up the app. The adverts are full-screen, and they can last for a minute.
Afterward, the same ad will appear at the top of the user’s newsfeed.
Make sure you show relevant products in your top view ad, and you’ll stay on the mind of potential customers.
Read our full guide to learn more about how to use TikTok ads.
TikTok Contests
Social promotions and giveaways are always a powerful way to attract a wider following and increase your engagement.
When it comes to social media platforms, TikTok is probably the best place to run a totally viral contest, thanks to the TikTok algorithm.
The best way to create a TikTok contest is to create your own branded hashtag. Pair this with a dance or challenge of some kind to get people involved. Try to make it fun and entertaining, and not too difficult for people to create.
This way, you’ll be able to generate a lot of valuable user-generated content for your brand. Don’t worry about taking too much of an innovative approach – just keep it fun and make it easy for people to join in.
There are a couple of different TikTok contest ideas to choose from. Get creative here and come up with a contest that matches your brand and your target audience.
Be sure to use the right social media contest tool to make running a giveaway easier and more impactful.
@jessicaalba #eyeslipsface my errryday look #honestbeauty #cleanbeauty ? Eyes. Lips. Face. (e.l.f.) – iLL Wayno & Holla FyeSixWun
Partner Up With TikTok Influencers
If you want your eCommerce store to gain more visibility, boost awareness, and reach more customers, then using influencers can make a huge difference. Influencers remain one of the top marketing trends, delivering really good ROI when done correctly.
And on TikTok, influencer marketing is one of the most massive promotional opportunities for marketers.
The right influencers generate more buzz around your brand and product with your exact target audience. Customers trust influencers more than brands, and the right influencer partnerships can drive sales in a big way.
Just make sure that you do choose the right creators to promote your company.
The influencers you work with need to appeal to your customers. You’re using the influencer’s popularity to reach these new followers, but it only works if your product fits in with the influencer’s image.
Also, pay attention to the influencer’s audience demographics, and whether this aligns with your target audience.
@carrieberkk trying a CHOCOLATE face mask!! ? @Farmhouse Fresh #beauty #beautyhacks #beautytips ? original sound – Carrie Berk
Create Real, Entertaining Content
One of the secrets to content that performs really well on TikTok is to just keep it real.
Don’t use professional shoots or perfectly polished video ads. Instead, bring the human element onto TikTok. Remember, TikTopk is a fun place.
TikTok videos filmed on phones in real-life scenarios are more relatable. Businesses should focus on content that feels organic to the viewer. Brands will have more success connecting with their customers when they create content that’s more authentic.
This is also true when it comes to user-generated content. Think about how you can get TikTok users to create content about your product. This should be in a fun and relatable way – like a contest.
Real, entertaining content on TikTok is necessary for better engagement.
@vessi As per our HR department’s recommendation ? #vessi #nomorewetsocks #selflove #mentalhealthwalk #waterproofshoes ? ???????????? ???? – malifisenta007
Top Tip: Make use of your TikTok analytics dashboard to help you gauge what type of content your audience likes best.
Offer Branded TikTok Effects
TikTok users love using filters and stickers in their videos. If you’re tech-savvy, your brand can use this as an opportunity to get your logo in more videos on the app.
Brands and eCommerce merchants can create branded TikTok effects for users to access and post in their videos. For recognizable eCommerce brands, this can be a really effective way to boost brand recognition and develop more user-generated content.
Create Viral Videos
Telling you to go viral on TikTok may sound like a pretty big request, but when you understand TikTok’s algorithm, it’s certainly possible.
Anyone can find your TikTok content. So, if you post the right content at the right time, there’s a good chance you will get a lot more reach on the platform.
This is why TikTok can be such a powerful platform for brands in their early stages. You get much more reach than other platforms.
If you want to become popular on TikTok, the first thing is to create plenty of content. TikTok’s videos are fun and easy to create. The more you post, the more you will see just how much reach TikTok actually offers.
An important tip for viral videos is to keep track of popular trends and music.
Make sure to follow trending hashtags, and try to jump onto these trends as they happen.
Unlike Instagram or Facebook, TikTok content is far more accessible by wider audiences. Even if your account doesn’t have many (or any) followers, the right content can make your brand reach these huge audiences.
The above video is a great example of how trends can go viral on TikTok. This video helped generate a whole new wave of popularity for the Ocean Spray cranberry juice brand, as well as introduce Fleetwood Mac to a new generation of young TikTok users.
@420doggface208 ? Dreams (2004 Remaster) – Fleetwood Mac
Conclusion
Online shopping is bigger than its ever been, and so is TikTok.
TikTok is an excellent tool for eCommerce merchants to reach new audiences, create strategic partnerships, and boost brand awareness. This means TikTok’s potential to boost eCommerce sales is massive.
TikTok is undoubtedly one of the most exciting platforms for eCommerce right now. Just look at some of these small business TikTok success stories to see just how much of an impact the platform can make.
If your online store isn’t on TikTok yet, then it’s time to get on the app and start to connect with its billion global users. This could open up a whole new market for your business to tap into.
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