Do you still think of TikTok only as an entertainment app? Have you explored selling directly on this app? There aren’t that many businesses that have successfully used the fastest growing social media platform for direct sales. This is despite TikTok providing everything you need for making direct sales.
Over the past few years, this short video platform has partnered with popular e-commerce platforms including Shopify to allow direct sales. Sellers can embed a buy button directly on their videos to allow users to click the buy button and buy products directly from the app.
Here’s what you need to know about selling directly on TikTok:
1. Open a Business Account
If you have been using this app for entertainment like more than a billion users worldwide, you are likely to have a personal account. You will need to convert it to a business account to start selling.
It is free.
Go to your profile page and switch your personal account to a business account. Having a business account allows you to link your website to your profile.
2. Open Up Your Business Centre Account
The next thing you need to do is to set up your TikTok Business Centre account. You will need a web browser to access this website and you also need to choose a name and time zone.
3. Link Accounts
Depending on the e-commerce platform you use, you will need to follow specific instructions for that platform to link your TikTok account and e-commerce platform account. Follow the outlined steps and it shouldn’t take you long to be able to start selling on TikTok.
How to Market Your Business on TikTok
After taking care of the technical stuff to sell directly on the platform, you also need to learn how to market your business to make more sales on the platform. Here are few tips:
- Learn to use the app
- Research your industry to find out how other businesses are selling products directly on the app. Check out the kind of videos they are uploading, frequency of uploading videos, of audio they are using, kind of trends they are following and other such things.
- Make sure your content is raw but still good quality. Pay special attention to audio as audio matters to users.
- Create a content schedule. Do not post randomly and never post a video on your business account only because you feel like sharing it. It’s a business account. All the videos on your business account should be posted after careful consideration.
- Don’t forget that the primary use of the app is entertainment but you can always sell while entertaining users. You’re never going to come up with that perfect content. This is why you need to have your own guidelines to make videos that are good enough. The more important part of the process is to post on a consistent basis.
- Authenticity is big on this platform. Users don’t like curated content. If you come across as shallow or you are trying to sell them something, they are unlikely to buy.
- Learn to use different ad formats on the platform. If you have the budget, start advertising your business to accelerate business growth.
Final Thoughts
Overall, TikTok is the fastest-growing social platform in Australia. Smart businesses are always a step ahead of the competition. If you are not using TikTok for selling your products or services, you are leaving a lot of money on the table. Also, your competitors might already be making sales on TikTok.
Many businesses still haven’t realised the potential of TikTok for business. However, you do. Start a business account today and follow the above-mentioned tips to grow your TikTok account and make sales directly on the app.
