How to sell on TikTok: A complete 2024 guide

TikTok isn’t just a playground for viral dance challenges and hilarious skits—it’s become a powerhouse for brands looking to connect with audiences in fresh and exciting ways.

Here's the thing: TikTok isn’t about hard sales tactics. It’s about building a community, sparking curiosity, and sharing authentic content. The good news? If you’re ready to tap into this dynamic space, you're already ahead of the game.

In this guide, we’ll discuss how to sell on TikTok—covering everything from creating captivating content and using TikTok’s tools to maximize reach to boosting those all-important sales. We’ll also show you how Gelato can become your secret ally in producing custom products that align with your brand so you can stay competitive.

Main takeaways from this article:

• Tap into TikTok's massive, highly engaged user base to boost product sales through viral content and strategic advertising.

• As a TikTok shop seller, you can explore various sales methods like TikTok Shops, shoppable videos, paid ads, and influencer collaborations.

• Develop content that resonates with TikTok’s highly engaged audience through storytelling, humor, and trending sounds.

• Team up with TikTok influencers to connect with more people and make your products more trustworthy.

• Use audience engagement practices, TikTok business resources, TikTok shop ads, and performance analysis to refine your strategy.

TikTok has become a powerhouse for businesses looking to reach a younger, more engaged audience. Here are some compelling reasons to consider selling on the platform:

Massive user base

TikTok boasts a massive user base, offering a vast potential market for your products. Users spend significant time scrolling and interacting with content. According to Statista, with over 1.04 billion monthly users, TikTok provides access to a vast, diverse audience. The popular social media platform will reach approximately 2.35 billion users in 2029.

Viral potential

Unlike other platforms prioritizing existing connections, TikTok's algorithm elevates content that resonates, regardless of the creator’s follower count. This opens up amazing opportunities for your products to gain immense visibility and traction. Every video you post has the potential to explode in popularity, attracting thousands or even millions of views.

Highly engaged audience

TikTok boasts one of the most engaged social media audiences, with users frequently interacting through comments, likes, shares, and challenges. This high level of engagement can boost your brand visibility and drive sales.

Now that you know why TikTok is a prime platform for selling, let's explore the various methods you can use to turn your TikTok presence into a thriving sales channel.

TikTok Shop

TikTok Shop is a powerful in-app ecommerce feature that enables businesses to showcase and sell products directly through their TikTok profiles and videos. This shopping experience allows users to discover and purchase products without ever leaving the app. You can integrate TikTok with your shop either by installing the ecommerce app from the TikTok Shop App Store or by connecting it through your ecommerce dashboard.

You can also use the TikTok shop affiliate program to tap into TikTok's user base and highly engaged audience, creating organic interactions.

Shoppable videos

These videos on TikTok transform entertainment into an interactive shopping experience. They feature product links embedded into engaging content, allowing viewers to purchase items without leaving the app. Brands can leverage this feature by showcasing their products in a creative, relatable way, driving higher engagement and conversion rates.

TikTok ads

These ads come in various formats, including in-feed ads, collection ads, and branded effects. Each type caters to different marketing objectives, whether driving traffic to your online store or enhancing brand visibility. Leverage the TikTok ads manager to use advanced targeting features to reach specific demographics and interests, maximizing your engagement and return on investment.

Influencer partnerships

Collaborating with TikTok influencers can boost your brand's visibility and credibility. Start by identifying influencers who resonate with your brand values and have a considerable following in your niche. Reach out with a compelling offer and clear expectations. Consider micro-influencers as well, as their engagement rates often surpass larger influencers.

TikTok live shopping

This feature lets you stream live and showcase your products in real time, creating an interactive shopping experience. Viewers can ask questions, get immediate responses, and purchase directly within the app—it's like hosting your own shopping channel!

Let's discuss the step-by-step instructions for selling on TikTok and leveraging its powerful features to maximize profits.

1. Determine your niche

Identifying your niche is crucial to stand out in the crowded TikTok ecosystem. Start by considering your passions, areas of expertise, and unique characteristics that can set your brand apart. What are you genuinely interested in? What skills or knowledge do you have that others might find valuable or intriguing? By focusing on what you love and excel in, you ensure a sustainable and authentic TikTok presence.

Use market research to identify existing gaps and opportunities within your potential audience. Analyze successful TikTok creators in your potential niche, observe the content that performs well, and note what aspects might be missing or underserved. Tools like TikTok Analytics, Google Trends, and social media surveys can provide valuable insights.

A well-defined niche attracts a dedicated audience and sets the stage for an effective TikTok strategy. Remember, the more specific and targeted your niche, the easier it will be to build a loyal follower base who values your content.

2. Understand your target audience

Understanding your target audience is crucial for crafting content that resonates and converts. Begin by doing careful research to learn about your audience. Find out who they are, what they like, and how they act.

Develop a detailed customer persona to better understand your target audience. This persona should include demographics (age, gender, location), psychographics (interests, values, lifestyle), and behavioral patterns (shopping habits, content preferences). Understanding these aspects will allow you to create content that resonates deeply with your audience.

Delve into your audience's interests, pain points, and desires. What problems are they struggling with that your content can help solve? What topics or trends do they follow? Creating content that addresses these areas will make your TikTok channel more relevant and engaging.

Engage with your audience through comments, polls, and direct messages to gather feedback. The more you know about your potential customers, the better you can tailor your TikTok content to meet their needs and preferences.

3. Develop a sales and marketing strategy

Crafting a well-rounded sales and marketing strategy is crucial for success on TikTok. Begin by identifying your unique selling points and setting clear, achievable goals. Utilize TikTok's analytics to gain valuable insights into market trends and audience preferences.

Once you know what resonates with your audience, create content tailored to their interests. Leverage various TikTok features to enhance your content’s appeal, and schedule your posts for times when your audience is most active to maximize engagement.

Use the data and analytics TikTok offers to understand what is trending and what your audience likes. This way, you can create content that specifically appeals to them. Make sure you use all the features TikTok provides to make your content stand out and post your videos when your followers are most likely to be online for maximum engagement.

4. Create a TikTok account

To start selling on TikTok, you'll need to download the app and create a personal TikTok account. You can then switch to a business account to begin promoting your business and get access to detailed analytics tools.

If you already have a personal TikTok account, consider creating a new one for your business. This allows you to keep your personal and professional content separate. Choose a short, easy-to-remember account name that aligns with your brand. If you plan to expand your target market later, ensure your name will appeal to your future audience and your current base.

Linking your TikTok account to your Instagram and YouTube profiles can help increase cross-platform visibility and make it easier for your audience to follow you on multiple channels.

5. Switch to a TikTok business account

The platform will default your TikTok profile to a personal account. To switch to a business account, follow these step-by-step instructions:

1. Open the TikTok app: Launch the TikTok app on your smartphone.

2. Access profile: Tap on the "Profile" icon at the bottom right corner of the screen.

3. Go to settings: Click on the three dots or lines in the top right corner to open the "Settings and Privacy" menu.

4. Manage account: In the "Settings and Privacy" menu, select "Manage Account."

5. Switch to a business account: Tap on "Switch to Business Account" found under the "Account Control" section.

6. Select a business category: Choose the one that best describes your brand or product. This helps TikTok tailor recommendations and insights for your business.

7. Complete setup: Follow the prompts to finalize the switch. TikTok will guide you through setting up your new business account features.

After creating your business account, you can edit your profile to showcase your brand. Choose a high-resolution image for your profile picture that effectively represents your brand. This could be your logo or another image strongly associated with your business identity. When crafting your bio, focus on what makes your brand special. Are you known for unique custom designs, exceptional quality, or outstanding customer service?

6. Connect your online store to your TikTok account

Integrating your online store with TikTok is a pivotal step for smooth sales. First, create a seller account on the TikTok platform. Then, use a service like Shopify to sync your product catalog directly with TikTok, making your products easily accessible to potential buyers.

Link your store through the TikTok Business Suite, which offers step-by-step guidance. This setup simplifies inventory management and facilitates smoother customer experiences by allowing in-app purchases.

As we mentioned earlier, you may also consider linking your TikTok account to your Instagram and YouTube accounts. This step will allow you to drive more traffic between platforms and offer your audience more ways to engage with your content.

7. Publish engaging TikTok content

The next step is publishing content that engages your audience. To do this effectively, use market research and analytics to understand your target audience and what types of content they engage with the most. For example, find out what length of video your audience prefers. TikTok users generally prefer short videos, so stick to shorter content to capture and keep your target audience's attention.

Create TikTok videos that showcase your product's design and quality. Create content to share your design process or show your product being used or worn in different situations.

Music videos are popular on TikTok, so you can add music and sound effects to your videos to increase engagement. Using humor is also popular, so don't be afraid to add fun and personality to your videos.

You can add hashtags to your videos to help TikTok users find them. In certain countries, you can add product links to your posts that connect to an online TikTok Shop, providing a great way to grow your ecommerce business.

8. Engage with your audience

Audience engagement can be the difference between videos being viewed and converting views into sales. One way to boost audience engagement for viral videos is by engaging your followers yourself.

A simple way to engage audiences is by liking and responding to comments. Another way to promote engagement is by sponsoring Branded Hashtag Challenges and soliciting user-generated content. You can increase the effectiveness of this strategy by featuring user-generated content on your feed and asking your followers to vote on the winning entry. This rewards audiences for engagement and invites further engagement.

Another way to reward audiences for engagement is by offering discounts and bonuses. For example, you can offer a free giveaway of one of your products to the winner of your BHC challenge. This provides a tangible motive for audiences to engage with your TikTok feed while adding a fun sense of engagement.

9. Encourage user-generated content

TikTok lets users issue hashtag challenges that invite other users to create videos of themselves performing specific actions. Challenge videos get marked with hashtags that let the TikTok community see them. This lets users participate in challenges and contests that promote community engagement.

Business TikTok users can leverage this feature by selecting an advertising option called a Branded Hashtag Challenge (BHC). Users who click on a Branded Hashtag get sent to a landing page with your company’s logo, website link, a description of your challenge, and videos using your hashtag.

Sellers can leverage TikTok’s BHC feature to promote brand awareness by using engaging content and creating challenges that engage target audiences while highlighting your product. You can showcase user-generated responses to your challenges by displaying them on your TikTok feed.

10. Collaborate with TikTok influencers

TikTok lets you connect with influencers who already have your target audience in their following. You can use the TikTok Creator Marketplace to search for creators by keywords relevant to your products and market niche. Once you identify possible promotional partners, you can send invitations to collaborate with other TikTok creators. Analytics and reporting tools let you track the results of your collaborative campaigns.

Building a successful collaboration with influencers starts with thorough research. Identify influencers whose audience aligns with your target customer profile, as this ensures that your partnership will be relevant and effective.

Once you've shortlisted potential influencers, engage with their content organically before reaching out; this shows genuine interest and helps build rapport. When contacting influencers, communicate your goals and expectations and offer a mutually beneficial proposal. Once influencers agree to collaborate, give them creative freedom to craft content that resonates with their audience while staying aligned with your brand’s message.

11. Run paid ads

A variety of TikTok ads are available on the platform, including:

• In-feed ads: These native ads display in users’ customized For You feeds, making them blend in organically.

• Collection Ads: These are in-feed ads that link to a gallery of your products.

• Brand Takeover ads: When users open their TikTok app, these ads pop up, take over the screen, and play for a few seconds before being replaced by in-feed ads.

• TopView ads: After users open TikTok, these ads appear at the top of their For You Page feeds after three seconds and last up to sixty seconds.

• Branded Hashtag ads: These appear at the top of the user’s Discover tab and promote your BHC challenge.

• Branded Effects ads: These let you offer TikTok users customized filters featuring your brand.

To maximize the impact of TikTok paid ads, start by defining your target audience clearly. Use TikTok's advanced targeting features to reach specific demographics, interests, or behaviors to ensure your ads reach the right users.

Craft engaging and authentic content that resonates with the TikTok community. Explore different ad formats, such as In-feed ads, Branded Hashtags, and TopView ads, to determine which types best capture your audience's attention.

Pay attention to metrics such as engagement rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates to understand what works and what doesn't. Adjust your campaigns based on these insights to continually optimize for better performance.

12. Leverage TikTok's business resources

TikTok provides a Small Business Resource Center to help businesses leverage the platform’s sales potential. The center offers templates, webinars, success stories, trends, and tips. You can see examples of other businesses that are using TikTok successfully. This lets you adapt their methods to promoting your own products. Use these resources to help you build your ecommerce business through TikTok shopping.

To make the most of TikTok's Small Business Resource Center, start by exploring the various templates and customizing them according to your brand's voice and aesthetics. Then, participate in webinars to stay updated with the latest trends and strategies directly from industry experts.

Pay close attention to the success stories section. Analyze these stories to understand what made their campaigns successful, and think about how you could implement similar tactics.

13. Monitor performance and analyze

Regularly monitoring your TikTok analytics is essential to refine your strategy and boost sales. Use the built-in analytics tools to track metrics like profile performance, content engagement, and follower growth.

Take the time to analyze video performance to understand which types resonate most with your audience. Be sure to keep an eye on trends and competitors to stay ahead. By frequently analyzing your data, you can adapt your content and marketing strategies for optimal results.

Let’s explore the nine actionable tips to help you engage your audience and drive sales effortlessly.

1. Offer customizable products

Customization allows you to provide unique, personalized items that can cater to the specific tastes and preferences of your audience. When customers can tailor a product to their liking, it adds a personal touch that makes the purchase more special and memorable. This level of personalization can boost customer satisfaction and loyalty.

This is where Gelato's Personalization Studio comes into play. Gelato offers an easy way to create and sell custom products. Whether you sell apparel or lifestyle products, our platform allows you to easily design and produce items that your audience can personalize.

The intuitive tools on our platform and our global network ensure quick production and delivery, making it convenient for you and appealing to your customers. By leveraging Gelato’s TikTok integrationresources, you can stand out on TikTok by offering personalized products to each customer’s liking.

2. Use TikTok features

TikTok provides many features that can help sellers promote their products more effectively. Being familiar with these features and how to use them can help you maximize your TikTok following and sales.

Some TikTok features are similar to tools found on other social media platforms, while others are unique to TikTok’s platform. For example, TikTok uses hashtags like other social media apps, enabling you to take advantage of trends.

The platform includes features to help you create, edit, promote, run TikTok ads, sell products, track ad performance, and analyze campaign results. Browse the platform and use the Small Business Resource Center to familiarize yourself with its different features.

3. Create compelling calls to action (CTAs)

Calls to action invite your audience to take follow-up steps after watching your videos. This can encourage them to visit your ecommerce store or purchase your products, and it can also help guide them in performing such actions.

Use strong CTAs in your videos to promote desired audience actions. A compelling CTA should tell viewers exactly what action you want them to take, explain how they should perform the action, and offer motivation for taking action. For example, you can tell users to visit your ecommerce online store, show them the link that takes them to your ecommerce shop, and describe what benefit they will gain from following the link.

4. Offer exclusive promotions

One way to motivate audiences to buy your POD products is to offer exclusive promotions. An exclusive offer makes your audience feel special while adding a sense of urgency to respond before it expires.

There are several methods you can use to offer unique promotions. You can create limited-edition lines of products which are only available to your TikTok followers. You can offer discounts that only your TikTok audience can use. Or you can allow your promotional partners to promote discount codes for your products exclusively to their followers.

5. Create a consistent posting schedule

To maintain the followers you attract on social media accounts, following a consistent posting schedule is vital. When you post regularly, audiences know when to look for your content and how often to expect your posts. If your posts start to become irregular, followers may lose interest simply because they’re not sure if you’re posting or when they should be looking for your posts.

Create a schedule to share content and follow it consistently. How often you post depends on your resources and your audience. TikTok recommends posting several times a day. However, if you’re a small business, you may not be able to produce that much content. When your resources are constrained, consistency is more important than volume. Ideally, you should post on a schedule that matches your audience preferences, as your analytics indicate. Experiment with different posting frequencies and track which schedule generates the highest audience engagement.

6. Leverage trending sounds and hashtags

Using trending sounds and hashtags is a powerful way to boost your content's visibility and reach on TikTok. Start by regularly checking the Discover page, where you can find trending hashtags and sounds that are capturing the attention of TikTok users worldwide.

Another effective strategy is to keep an eye on popular challenges associated with specific sounds or hashtags. Participating in these challenges can enhance your content's chances of being seen, liked, and shared. You can also use external analytics tools to monitor the performance of specific hashtags and sounds to better understand their impact.

7. Create behind-the-scenes content

Humans love stories, and taking your TikTok audience behind the scenes helps build an emotional connection with your brand. Share glimpses of your design process, introduce team members, and show how your products come to life. This adds depth to your brand and humanizes it, making your audience feel like they’re a part of your journey.

By offering a peek behind the curtain, you cultivate transparency and relatability, which can build trust and loyalty among your followers. Such content breaks the monotony of product-centric posts and provides variety to your feed, keeping your audience intrigued.

8. Host giveaways or contests

These activities can create a buzz, drive user interaction, and expand your reach. When you host a giveaway, you can ask users to perform specific actions to enter, such as following your account, liking a video, or tagging friends. These requirements boost your visibility and ensure that your brand interacts with a broader audience.

Similarly, contests that require content creation can flood TikTok with user-generated content featuring your products or brand, amplifying your marketing efforts without incurring additional advertising costs. This is also a tangible way to show appreciation for your audience, making them feel valued and more connected to your brand.

9. Cross-promote on other platforms

Share your TikTok videos on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to tap into different audiences that might not be active on TikTok. By doing so, you create a cohesive social media presence, making it easier for potential customers to discover your brand across various channels. Integrate TikTok stories and posts into your social media strategy to maintain consistency and build a unified brand image.

You can also leverage features like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts—platforms that also focus on short-form content—to repurpose your TikTok videos. This ensures your content reaches a broader audience and keeps your engagement levels high across different platforms.

Selling on TikTok offers enormous potential with its massive user base, viral nature, and highly engaged audience. By leveraging TikTok shops, shoppable videos, ads, and various forms of content, you can reach a wider audience and drive your sales to new heights.

With Gelato's TikTok integration andGelato's global platform, you can take your TikTok selling strategy to new heights. Our platform provides print on demand solutions so you can create and sell custom products without worrying about production or shipping complexities. Choose from a vast array of customizable products, integrate easily with your online store, and take advantage of Gelato's global network to ensure fast, reliable delivery to your customers.

Whether you're engaging your audience with shoppable videos or launching a Branded Hashtag Challenge, Gelato's flexible and scalable solutions are designed to support your business growth on TikTok.

Ready to elevate your TikTok sales? Sign up for Gelato and choose a subscription plan today!

How much does it cost to sell on TikTok?

Selling on TikTok involves no upfront costs for creating content or profiles. However, you may incur fees like platform commissions, transaction fees, and optional ad costs. TikTok Shop also includes currency conversion and payout fees. Understanding these costs is essential for effective budget planning.

Do I need followers to sell on TikTok?

While having followers can boost your sales efforts, you don't need a large following to start selling on TikTok. Engaging content, effective use of hashtags, and utilizing TikTok's advertising options can help you reach new audiences and drive sales, even if you're starting from scratch.

How much commission does TikTok take?

TikTok charges a commission of approximately 5%- 20% based on the product category on TikTok Shop. Other fees, such as transaction fees, currency conversion fees, and payout fees, may also apply, and they could vary based on your location and the payment method used.

Is TikTok Shop safe to sell on?

TikTok Shop is a safe platform for selling products. It employs rigorous security measures to protect both sellers and buyers, including secure payment gateways, fraud detection, and customer support. Always follow TikTok's guidelines and best practices to ensure a smooth and secure selling experience.

Can I sell on TikTok without a business account?

Technically, you can sell on TikTok without a business account, but it's less effective. A business account offers tools like analytics, ad options, and TikTok Shop integration, making it easier to reach a wider audience and drive sales. It's highly recommended for serious sellers.

What sells well on TikTok shop?

Top-selling items include fashion, beauty products, and trending gadgets. Viral potential and engaged audiences on TikTok mean that innovative and visually appealing items also perform exceptionally well.