In this article
What is TikTok Shop and how does it work?
TikTok is a popular social media app that’s free to use. Where you’ll find a host of content including entertainment, tutorials, shopping and more.
TikTok has become a go-to place for discovering new products and small brands. TikTok Shop works like an ecommerce platform where businesses can sell their products online directly to TikTok users. There is no need for an external website, it creates shopping options within users’ entertainment and content feeds.
Sellers can tag products in their short videos or host live shopping streams. And, when a user sees a product they like, they simply tap on a link or a product tag directly. They can buy the product without leaving the app, making it an easy and enjoyable way to shop.
You don’t need a huge audience to start making money on TikTok. What matters most is posting clear, helpful and creative videos or photos around the products you’re selling and following some product listing hacks.
How TikTok Shop differs from traditional marketplaces
TikTok Shop has major differences from established online marketplaces like Amazon, eBay and Vinted. While those platforms rely heavily on a search-based customer journey, TikTok Shop is a discovery shopping platform. Its algorithm presents users with products they could be interested in based on the content they enjoy. It doesn’t require them to search for specific terms or keywords to find what might interest them.
Shipping made simple. Post sorted upfront.
What to sell on TikTok Shop
You’ll want to focus on products that are popular and have high engagement potential from users.
Sell things users are looking for or could be trending because of cultural and seasonal moments. Do some research by checking the demand by searching for products on TikTok.
You could also test a few products first to see what performs best before you decide what your main product offering will be. Some popular products to sell on TikTok Shop include:
- Beauty and personal care: This can be fragrances, make up, skincare or hair and body products
- Fashion and accessories: Vintage clothes, trendy clothes, denim items, custom T-shirts, tote bags, handbags and hats
- Home and kitchen: Things like lighting solutions, candles, vases, kitchen gadgets and appliances are strong sellers along with water bottles
- Tech and gadgets: Phone cases, screen protectors and stickers are popular due to the personalisation trend. Headphones and other tech gadgets perform well too
- Health and wellness: A growing trend, so things like health supplements, green teas, journals and fitness items like yoga mats
How to set up your TikTok Shop
Setting up a seller account on TikTok is easy. TikTok has created simple steps to switch from a viewer account to a seller account. No need to set up a new account from scratch.
Step-by-step account setup
- Open TikTok and go to your profile
- Tap the menu (☰) and choose “Settings and privacy”
- Select “Account type” then “Switch to Business Account”
- Choose a category such as art, fashion or beauty
Once you’ve switched over to a seller account, you need to follow some further steps to activate your TikTok Shop.
- TikTok Seller Centre: Select your country you’re selling in. This is essential to make sure your shop complies with specific regulations and requirements of your region. Then sign up using your TikTok account, email or phone number
- Business type: You need to let TikTok know you’re setting up a shop as an individual seller
- Address and bio: Enter the details of your address of where you’re based, including customer contact details including email address and phone number. You’ll also want to include a return address, along with a clear, simple to read bio about who you are and what you sell
- TikTok’s terms and conditions: Review the terms and conditions on using the TikTok Seller Centre and your responsibilities as a seller. Once you’re happy with them, select “Agree” then “Start Your Business”
- Account verification: To finish account setup, you’ll need to verify your identity. You can find this on the home page. Select “Verify documents.” and upload clear images of the ID it asks for, making sure it’s in date
This is currently how you set up a seller account for TikTok Shop during the time of this article publishing date. Remember all social media channels can do future updates, so it’s always best to check the TikTok website when setting up your account.
Connecting your products and inventory
Once your account’s set up and verified, the next task is adding your products. You can do this in three easy steps:
- Go to the products tab
- Select ‘Manage product’
- Click ’Add new product’
You’ll need to add detailed information about each product including product name, category, brand and a clear description. Then add your media. It’s recommended you add at least five high resolution images without logos or text. The main image should display the front of the product for a better shopping experience. You can also add one video per listing to give your customer even a better understanding of your product.
Tips to create successful product listings on TikTok Shop
Your listing is your sales pitch. It should be easy to read and answer key questions quickly. You can choose to add photos or videos to promote your product listings. Adding video can help increase your conversion rates, as it helps customers trust what they see.
TikTok is all about creativity and consistency. You don’t need expensive equipment, all you need is your phone, good lighting and confidence to create listings that convert. Remember, TikTok users love creative stories.
Here are some things to keep in mind when creating your listings.
- Use TikTok’s algorithm. Be as descriptive as possible to increase your chances of your content being seen by users with similar interests
- Lead with a strong hook. Add a strong visual, question or bold text to the first few seconds of your video
- Keep videos under 30 seconds. This gives you a better chance of catching eyes and selling your product
- Make short show and tell pieces of content, helpful tutorials, or action clips of your products
- Use high quality, clear photos that show your product clearly from different angles
- Add popular hashtags that relate your product niche in the description. It increases your chances of connecting with interested buyers
- Try trending video audio to increase your audience reach, increase engagement rate and make your content more discoverable
- A clear call to action of what to do next, whether it’s clicking the link in the video or tapping the shopping card icon
How to grow your TikTok sales
One way to grow your sales is by trying TikTok LIVE. It works like a TV shopping channel, allowing you to stream video content in real time to your followers, showcase your products, and even offer exclusive deals. It’s interactive too, as users can reply in the chat or react with virtual gifts.
People buy from people, so showing your face on TikTok LIVE can build trust and engage your users. Here are three ways to use it effectively.
- Live product demos: Show your products in action so viewers can get a taste of how they work. This technique can be particularly good for certain products like cleaning, home or beauty
- Q&A sessions: Answer questions directly from potential customers and is a great way to gain trust
- Behind the scenes content: Bring your audience behind the scenes, whether it be a studio tour or in a day in the life, to share insight and help humanise your brand
Managing your orders
Whether selling on TikTok is your full-time job or a side hustle, once sales start coming in, you’ll need a system in place to manage your orders. Being organised will make sure they’re sent out on time, meaning happy customers.
It’s a good idea to keep a simple notebook or spreadsheet to track all sales, postage and costs. This will help you understand what’s selling well and plan future stock.
Getting into a habit of doing these things will help you manage your orders successfully.
- Check new orders daily or regularly and confirm details
- Message customers to thank them and confirm delivery times
- Prepare your parcels in batches to save time
- Update order status when shipped
- Keep proof of postage and tracking numbers for every parcel
Packing and posting your orders
The fun part: packing and posting your orders. First thing’s first, check the restrictions list to make sure the items you’re sending aren’t prohibited in the UK or a country you’re sending them to.
Well packed parcels protect your products and make a good impression on buyers. You’ll want to choose the right packaging, whether it’s boxes or padded envelopes, along with tissue paper and bubble wrap for protection, depending on what you’re selling. Including a thank you note will add a personal touch.
Getting a digital scale at home or in your business so you can weigh and measure parcels will help you pick the right service before you visit a Post Office branch to send them.
Remember, it’s important to label what you’re sending clearly. Write neatly in block letters and don’t forget to include the return address. Stick labels flat so they don’t peel off in transit. And always keep your proof of purchase.
Why use Parcels Online?
When you’re ready to send your orders, Post Office Parcels Online makes shipping quick and convenient.
You can browse postage services from different trusted courier online and pay upfront for the ones you need. Then just leave the items you’ve paid for at a parcel drop off point at one of thousands of Post Office locations, wherever it’s convenient.
The benefits for TikTok seller include:
- Parcels Online syncs with your TikTok Shop so orders appear automatically, making it easier to manage your orders
- Choose and compare trusted couriers including Royal Mail, DPD and Evri
- Set rules to automatically choose courier services
- Pay for postage before you drop off your parcels.
- Print labels at home so your parcels are ready to send before you pop in or have them printed in branch for free
- Drop off at your nearest Post Office branch
- No need to wait to pay while they’re processed
- Get full tracking so you can share updates with customers and deal with any delivery issues
How to get started
It’s easy to start using Parcels Online with only a few steps, helping you send parcels from your TikTok Shop stress free:
- Go to the Parcels Online page
- Sign in or create a free account
- Connect your TikTok shop
- Orders will import automatically
- Choose a courier and delivery option. You can set rules to automate this too
- Pay for postage and print labels
- Drop off your parcels when it suits you
Other ways to make money on TikTok
If you sell your own creations or resell physical products, selling directly on TikTok is a great platform to use. You stay in control of what you sell, how you price it and how you package and ship it. TikTok also offers more than one way to earn, depending on your skills and audience you’ve built.
- Affiliate marketing: Share product links and earn different amounts of commission when followers buy through them
- User generated content (UGC): Being paid by brands to create videos including product reviews, reaction videos and how-to demonstrations to promote their products through your authentic and relatable style of content
- Live gifts and subscriptions: Earn money during livestreams through virtual gifts from viewers or monthly subscriptions for access to exclusive content
- Virtual events: Host paid online events, workshops or meetups for your followers around what you sell. For example, it could be a wreath making workshop if you sell dried flowers
Key takeaways
- TikTok Shop helps people find your products. You don’t need to rely on search. TikTok shows your videos to users based on what they already like
- You don’t need lots of followers to sell. Short, useful videos can help you make sales. Show your product or share quick behind-the-scenes clips
- Sell products people want. Beauty, fashion, home gadgets and wellness items do well. Try a few and see what gets the most interest
- Make listings clear and quick. Use good photos, short videos and simple descriptions. Start strong and tell people what to do next
- Parcels Online makes shipping simple. It links with your TikTok Shop, automatically imports your orders, lets you pay and print labels at home, and drop off your parcels when it suits you
Find a trusted carrier you need to send your orders
Common questions
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You don’t need a huge following and there is no minimum requirement to start selling on TikTok Shop. Some small sellers make sales with fewer than 1,000 followers by posting creative videos, high quality photos, a strong call to action or doing a TikTok LIVE.
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Yes, TikTok Shop is an in-app ecommerce platform. Sellers can tag products in their videos or photos. When a user sees a product they like, they simply tap on a link or a product tag directly to buy the product, without having to leave the app and to go to an external website.
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The best way to manage your time efficiently while running a TikTok Shop includes batch printing your labels once a day, store packaging supplies in the one place for quick preparation, keep popular courier options saved as favourites, send tracking details to customers after dispatch and store these for your reference too.
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Using Post Office Parcels Online to import your orders, choose a carrier, pay for postage upfront, print labels at home and drop off at thousands of convenient Post Office locations is the easiest way to post your Tik Tok orders.
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If you can’t print your postage labels at home, our Post Office branches will print them and attach to your parcels for you.
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Set a clear return policy on your TikTok Shop, whether you will pay for returns or whether the user needs to. Include a delivery slip in your parcel and always keep proof of postage.
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Some products might be restricted or need special packaging to send in the UK or internationally. Make yourself aware of the Post Office prohibited items guide before sending your parcels.
Postal services
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Drop & Go
Sending items often? Save time and easily keep track of what you send with our fast drop-off mails service. It’s free to sign up
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Parcels Online
Compare services and prices from different carriers. Pay for postage online. Then drop parcels off at any participating Post Office branch
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Banking services
Access your bank account at thousands of Post Office branches. Pay in cash and cheques, make withdrawals or check your balance
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Footnotes
1Six common mistakes that could invalidate your will (Source: Which?, 18 July 2023)