Takeaways From My Conversation with Jordan West

During a recent conversation with Jordan West, the seasoned eCommerce entrepreneur behind Social Commerce Club, we talked extensively about TikTok Shop and its largely untapped potential for businesses. 

Jordan likened TikTok Shop to the early days of Amazon—a "blue ocean" of opportunity for brands willing to dive in and adapt. Based on our chat, I compiled a how-to guide to help outline the essential steps and strategies for launching and scaling your TikTok Shop.

At the end of the blog, you’ll find a free, condensed checklist you can download and use as your go-to as you set up your shop! But first, here’s how to get started: 

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1. Verify the Fit for Your Brand

Before jumping into TikTok Shop, evaluating whether the platform is a good fit for your brand and products needs to be your first step.

• Research Your Category: Start by exploring whether products in your category are already performing well on TikTok Shop. Tools like FastMoss can help you analyze trends and sales data. Look for adjacent or complementary brands to gauge market potential.
• Assess Your AOV (Average Order Value): While TikTok Shop generally favors lower AOV products, higher-ticket items can succeed with solid branding and a clear value proposition. Ensure your AOV is competitive within your niche.
• Pro Tip: If your competitors are selling successfully on TikTok Shop, chances are you can too. Reverse-engineer their strategies to gain insights.
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2. Registering for TikTok Shop

Setting up your TikTok Shop requires careful attention to detail, as the platform has strict requirements to maintain legitimacy.

• Documentation Needed: Prepare essential paperwork, including your business license, trademarks, and any product-specific certifications (especially for supplements). TikTok’s requirements are as rigorous as Amazon’s.
• US Representative: If you’re operating from outside the U.S., you’ll need a U.S.-based business representative. Ensure this is in place before beginning the setup process.
• Common Mistake: Many brands accidentally set up their TikTok accounts while traveling internationally, which locks their shop to the wrong country. Double-check your account settings before starting.
• Setup Timeframe: Plan for the registration process to take 1-2 weeks. If delays occur, be prepared to reach out to TikTok support or your assigned rep for assistance.
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3. Building Your Shop

Once registered, it’s time to build a functional and appealing shop that attracts buyers and encourages sales.

• Fulfillment Options: Decide whether you’ll handle fulfillment yourself or use TikTok’s third-party logistics (3PL) partners, such as ShipBob. TikTok currently offers subsidized fulfillment options, which can be advantageous as your shop scales.
• Tips for Setup: Keep the process streamlined by organizing all required assets (product photos, descriptions, pricing) ahead of time. Ensure your storefront is visually appealing and user-friendly.
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4. Driving Early Sales

After your shop is live, the next step is driving sales and building momentum.

• Focus on Hero Products: Select 2-3 products with high sales potential and concentrate your marketing efforts on them. These should be your “hero products” that can generate consistent GMV (Gross Merchandise Value).
• Run Performance Ads: TikTok Shop is a performance-driven platform. Begin with ads to generate traction and credibility for your products. Early success in sales data makes your shop more attractive to influencers.
• Pro Tip: Don’t treat TikTok Shop as just another influencer channel. It’s a performance marketing channel, and your strategy should reflect that.
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5. Scaling with Influencers

Once your shop gains traction, influencers can help scale your sales significantly.

• Use TikTok Shop Affiliate Center: This tool allows you to manage influencer relationships directly within the platform.
• High-Volume Outreach: Start with a broad influencer outreach strategy. Many brands aim to reach 1,000 influencers weekly to find the best partnerships.
• Build Trust: Prove your product’s sellability by showcasing early success metrics. Influencers prioritize opportunities that guarantee earnings, so strong sales data is key.
• Pro Tip: As your shop grows, open collaborations to attract influencers organically. This can result in thousands of user-generated content (UGC) pieces to repurpose for ads and other marketing channels.
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6. Leveraging Viral Content

Content is king on TikTok, and leveraging high-performing UGC can amplify your results.

• Repurpose UGC: Once you acquire content from influencers, repurpose it for TikTok ads, Instagram, Amazon listings, and other platforms.
• Monitor the Halo Effect: Viral TikTok content often boosts sales on other platforms, particularly Amazon. Tools like Press AI can help you track this impact.
• Pro Tip: TikTok’s closed-loop ecosystem makes it easy to measure results, but always keep an eye on cross-platform benefits for a more holistic view.
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7. Avoid Common Pitfalls

Launching a TikTok Shop can be challenging, especially if you’re navigating the process without prior experience. Here are some common hurdles to watch out for:

• Compliance Issues: Missing documentation, like trademarks or product certifications, can delay approval. Ensure all paperwork is ready before applying.
• Misaligned Strategies: Many brands approach TikTok Shop as an influencer-only channel, but it’s primarily a performance-driven platform. Start with ads and focus on measurable results.
• Platform Limitations: For non-U.S. brands, TikTok Shop availability may be restricted. Use a U.S. SIM card and VPN to monitor performance if needed.
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8. TikTok Shop’s Future in Social Commerce

Social commerce is the future, and TikTok Shop is leading the charge by seamlessly blending influencer marketing with performance-driven sales.

• Affiliate Network Dominance: TikTok’s affiliate network allows brands to leverage influencers and track results, setting it apart from competitors like Meta and YouTube.
• Emerging Competition: Platforms like YouTube and Meta are rolling out similar features, but TikTok’s early success gives it a significant advantage.
• Pro Tip: Early adopters will have a competitive edge as more brands enter the space. Establish your presence now to capture market share before it becomes saturated.
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9. The Bigger Picture: Incremental Revenue

TikTok Shop isn’t just another sales channel—it’s an opportunity to generate incremental revenue that complements your existing strategies.

• New Revenue Streams: Unlike Amazon, which often cannibalizes existing sales, TikTok Shop provides net new revenue. Brands have reported up to 90-95% of their TikTok sales are incremental.
• Scalability: As your shop grows, you can leverage data, UGC, and influencer collaborations to scale efforts across platforms.
• Pro Tip: Think long-term. The content and relationships you build on TikTok can have a lasting impact on your overall marketing strategy.
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TikTok Shop is more than a trend—it’s a game-changing platform for brands ready to embrace the future of social commerce. As Jordan aptly put it, "All commerce is social." 

Whether you’re a small business or an enterprise-level brand, the opportunity to generate incremental revenue and build meaningful customer relationships is massive.

If you’re still hesitant, start small. Research the data, test the waters with a few products, and take baby steps to familiarize yourself with the platform. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll position yourself to capture the untapped potential of TikTok Shop.
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Ready to Get Started?

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE TIKTOK SHOP CHECKLIST

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