17 Things You Should Know About TikTok Shop

wellll howdy, y’all. happy Q4!!!! there’s officially 1,500+ of us. how crazy.

i hope you have had an amazing week and start to the new quarter. anyone else following the concept of the winter arc? if so, time to #lockin as the cool kids say.

one quick note before i stop rambling. if you’re in nyc, listen up!

if you’re a founder or have been wanting to make the jump to do your own thing, I am excited to say that my past client, TALEA, is allowing me to speak at their first ever BETTERFEST, part beer fest and part networking and career building. i’ll be talking all about the importance of having a personal brand, the key social strategies for personal brand building (content types, platform selection), how to monetize your personal brand and more.

if you’re around October 27th, join me and tons of other amazing speakers when you click here. you can use the code “NOFILTER25” for $25 off at checkout. stay tuned because i might be giving away a ticket next week.

now, let’s hop into today’s topic: tiktok shop, the somewhat new kid on the block when it comes to a medium to potentially look into adding into your channel strategy.

we’re answering 17 (20 is overrated) questions with the help of a friend of newsletter, Connor Rodriguez, the director of marketing and buisness development at Zero to 1, an end-to-end Tiktok Shop agency who works with brands like Mud/wtr and Organifi.

If you’re looking to start up on Tiktok Shop, have been on the platform but have ZERO idea what to do, or just want to teach your team more about it, this is the newsletter edition for you.

BUT BEFORE WE GET INTO IT…

If you’re a brand on Tiktok Shop or looking to really ramp up your Tiktok strategy heading into the new year, my friends (and today’s sponsor!!), Superfiliate, is here to help you with your influencer and affiliate programs as they are one of the FIRST platforms to be a beta partner of Tiktok Shop.

You can officially have all your Tiktok Shop needs in one place, whether you’re a pro who is sick and tired of having multiple tools or you’re just getting started in exploring the sales channel.

You probably just want to actually read about what you’ll actually be able to do so here’s just some of my favorite perks of this integration that brands like Mary Ruths, Graza (getting our store set up finally!), and Create get to experience:

• Looking for creators, big or small, who would be good to create content and be affiliates for your brand? Easy. Discover 1,000s of target creators in minutes. Seeding is the backbone of a successful Tiktok Shop program so you need to be willing to take the risk if you properly want to test the channel.

• Wasting time with 1-on-1 outreach? Send a message out at scale. It’s easy to get discouraged early, but a high volume strategy is needed for Tiktok Shop. You need to work with thousands to find your true winners.

• Not sure what’s working exactly, but know it’s a good channel for your brand? Superfiliate helps you double down on your top performers and uncover insights on what is actually driving success.

As a reminder, this isn’t all they do. If you also just need a platform that:

• allows you to run end-to-end affiliate, influencer and referral programs

• increase your conversion rate and work more deeply with the creators on your roster

• handle product seeding, promotions, payout management for commissions, and more

Superfiliate could be your solution. I’ve had the pleasure of working with them for Graza and will be on a new client (more coming soon!) and it’s saved me HOURS of my life and allows me to show the broader team the success of our influencer partnerships, ambassador programs, and more all in one place. If you want to learn more about the Tiktok Shop integration incase you’re visual like myself, you can click here.

As Q4 kicks off, I want to make sure that anyone reading this gets to test some of my favorite platforms out SO Superfiliate is actually giving you your first month for FREE. Click here to schedule a call to chat with Paul, Anders, and the rest of the team now.

LET’S TALK (TIKTOK) SHOP

From set-up to optimization to how to utilize influencers for your shop, we’re diving into it all.

Let’s play 17 questions.

1. How does a brand get set up on TikTok Shop ?

Connor: Sign up for a TikTok Shop Seller account. You’ll need to provide basic business info, verify your account, and link a bank account. Once approved, you can set up your shop and list products. You can simply sign up here.

2. What are the requirements for selling on TikTok Shop?

Connor: You need a business account on TikTok, be at least 18 years old, and have a legal/compliant business registered in the US.

KD Note: Wondering what the difference is between a personal and business account? Business Accounts are public profiles that allows brands to use Tiktok’s marketing tools to build a cohesive strategy on the platform. You get access to your analytics that allow you to view your retention per video and more to understand how to best evolve your content strategy on the platform as you see what content performs best and doesn’t. You can also get access to things such as the Video Showcase, which features content that is trending and popular in the country you’re in within the last 30 days.

3. What fees does TikTok charge for selling through the Shop if a brand wants to be on there?

Connor: TikTok charges fees of around 1% to 5% of each sale, depending on the region and category. Transaction fees may also apply.

4. Once setup, how can a brand link their products to TikTok videos or live streams? Is it easy?

Connor: Super easy! Use the TikTok Shop Seller Center to tag products in your videos or live streams, making them directly shoppable on your videos.

KD Note: If you’re shop is set-up correctly, you’ll be able to simply hit “Tag Product” when you’re finalizing your upload to your account. However, carousel posts on tiktok CANNOT have products tagged on them unfortunately.

5. How does TikTok Shop handle shipping and fulfillment with the brands on the platform?

Connor: So, sellers are responsible for shipping and fulfillment. TikTok also offers integration with fulfillment partners in some regions. Many of our clients partner with ShipBob or work with existing 3PL providers for easy fulfillment.

6. How does a brand manage orders and track inventory on TikTok Shop? Does it sync in real time?

Connor: Through the TikTok Shop Seller Center, you can manage orders, track inventory, refunds and update stock in real time so that there is zero confusion.

7. What are the best practices for a brand to promote their TikTok Shop products?

Connor: At Zero to 1, we recommend consistently focusing on engaging and entertaining content, collaborating with creators, using in-feed ads and leveraging live shopping events to boost your shop visibility.

KD: Similar to as Connor mentioned, I would want a brand focusing on creating engaging and entertaining content first where we know we can collect views, reach, and impressions in a way that integrates the product we are using easily WITHOUT being so pushy.

Some accounts I have really enjoyed who are doing a great job are Nathan and Sons, Popdaddy Snacks, and Cakes Body.

Tiktok Live Shopping is something I am super excited to explore in ‘25.

8. How can influencers and creators promote my brand on TikTok Shop?

Connor: Influencers can tag products in their content or promote them during live streams. Many use affiliate marketing to earn a commission on sales they generate. This is why having an affiliate army of people who know how to create good content is key.

KD: Exactly what Connor said.

Some examples of creator content I’ve enjoyed that helps promote a brand’s tiktok shop is this video between @johnrusanov and C4 by taking a edgy, fun hook of “would you try a stranger’s favorite energy drink” and then having C4 be that drink to then have it turn into a video centered around social proof for how delish C4 is.

A brand that is also doing a great job that is newer to the Tiktok Shop space and is already utilizing shop affiliates is David, the latest protein bar with insane macros and from RX Bar founder, Peter Rahal. You can tell that this was part of their strategy before they came into the market by having affiliates doing taste tests or honest reviews leveraging the keywords of the product “going viral for it’s insane macro ratio” or that it’s “from the founder of RX Bar” to help give validity since many know RX Bar already or have one every day. They have also begun sponsoring some of the affiliate creative as well to run as ads.

9. How does TikTok Shop work with organic vs. paid content?

Connor: Organic content can drive awareness through viral reach, while paid content ensures targeted exposure. In our experience, combining both tends to yield the best results.

KD: This is similar to how we should be thinking about content in general when working with creators or affiliates. We have folks that we want to pay for awareness or community exposure/validation OR we have creators who make content that we know can convert and whitelisting, boost, or sponsor it to get more targeted results for the brand.

10. How can a brand optimize TikTok videos for more Shop conversions?

Connor: Use clear calls to action, prominently feature products, and make content entertaining, but informative. Based on our experience, live streams with product demos tend to perform well.

KD Examples: Bloom Supps , BruMate

11. What analytics does TikTok Shop provide to sellers?

Connor: TikTok offers insights like sales data, traffic sources, conversion rates, and audience demographics, all accessible via a centralized dashboard in the Seller Center. 

12. Can a brand offer discounts or promotions on TikTok Shop?

Connor: Yes, you can create promotions, offer discounts, and even run flash sales directly through the Seller Center. Based on the platform's maturity, combining all three is the most effective strategy. TikTok users/customers are taking advantage of discounts and promotions since they can finally try their favorite items or stock up for a fraction of the price.

KD: A lot of affiliates can also end up creating content around the fact that you (the viewer) can save money on X product since it’s X% off for a limited time. Personally, the discount that got me was the insane discount on the Osea Body Oil, which I want to drown in (in a good way).

13. What’s the difference between TikTok Shop and TikTok Shopping ads?

Connor: TikTok Shop allows users to make purchases directly in-app, while TikTok Shopping ads link to external eCommerce sites via DTC or Amazon. 

14. Are there any TikTok Shop selling restrictions or prohibited products?

Connor: TikTok prohibits the sale of certain items, including counterfeit goods, tobacco, alcohol, and adult products. Always check their updated prohibited items list. You can reference the restrictions and prohibited product list here.

15. How does a brand collaborate with influencers to promote their TikTok Shop products? Are there different ways?

Connor: You can offer affiliate deals, pay flat fees for content creation, or work with influencers through TikTok's Creator Marketplace. Live shopping events are another effective way to collaborate where a creator can host a live for the brand.

16. How can a brand boost visibility for their TikTok Shop products on the platform?

Connor: Consistently create trending paid and organic content, leverage influencers, run in-feed ads, and get started today :)  You’re better off testing and seeing what works vs. staying still and being overwhelmed.

17. What are some of your favorite brands on Tikok Shop currently and why are they your favorite? Is Tiktok Shop best for a specific niche (ex. Clothing, food, beverage)?

Connor: Goli is one of the top-selling products at the moment in the TikTok Shop community. They have generated $4M in GMV over the last 30 days.

Note from KD: GMV is Gross Merchandise Value, a metric that represents the total amount of sales a company makes over a specific period of time. For creators on TikTok, GMV can reflect overall performance and how commission is attributed.

Like many brands, TikTok is the channel that offers their deepest discount available. TikTok Shop is not as efficient as other channels. However, most of these 300K customers that they have are net-new. Now, those customers will keep buying the product during their next Target run. Here's the catch: Goli did ALMOST NOTHING on  TikTok shop for months and months, making the same mistakes as most brands - limited seeding, no affiliate army and no X-factor.

My favorite takeaway from the Goli story is that legacy brands can win there, too. It just takes commitment to the channel and leaning into what works. Virality first, then efficiency. Six—or seven-figure GMV requires going all in and investing in the channel with buy-in from the top. You control your own results.

AHEAD OF THE TREND

This week, I’m sharing a few creators and trends that are happening in the social media universe that I am loving that you can tap into, try, or use for inspo.

• Trends: 

  • If you’re a soda company or protein shake brand, lean into this whole crazy concept of the diet coke + vanilla protein shake combo that has racked up millions of views with popular creators like Wishbone Kitchen even giving it her stamp of approval. Yes, you know I will be trying this.

  • The concept of the Fall Wishlist here and here using this sound (a classic bop!)

• Content + Influencer Partnership of the Week: Merit Beauty x MARTHA STEWART!!! I’ve been a Merit fanatic for the last year. If you’re looking for a quick make-up routine, all of their products are phenomenal. This is just iconic for so many reasons. Merit always delivers from launch creative to curation to community. Standing ovation.

• Snack of the Week: I have been gatekeeping the new Chili Crunch SUPER Crunchy Cookies from Momofuku Goods in collaboration with Milk Bar. They are sweet, spicy, and are making a very good late night treat as I write this. Imagine a perfect buttery, crispy cookie with a lil’ zing. NOM.
  

• Account I Am Crushing On: Glowbar. I love the A LOT of the recent meme work they have been doing since it’s not only super broad (example) to appeal to skincare lovers and doesn’t push the brand, but also gets particularly niche when it comes to the locations and communities in which Glowbar exists like this post about what your favorite local location means about you. Also love how they lean into the nostalgic factor of the products that many men and women might have fallen subject to like this quick “if you loved ___, you’ll love ___” content series to help with basic skincare product education.

LOGGING OFF FOR NOW

That’s it for this week! As always, thank you for letting me steal a spot in your inbox.

If you have questions about it, please hit "REPLY”. These newsletters are made to help you so I want to get your questions in real time as you need answers or things you’re just wondering about. You can always send them her or DM me on Twitter.

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Peace, love, and KPIs.

-KD

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