How to Sell Products on TikTok with Shopify

By now, you've probably been told a million times: your brand needs to be on TikTok.

If you're unfamiliar, TikTok is a short-form, video-sharing app that allows users to create and share 15 second, 30 second, and 3 minute long videos, on any topic.

It's quick, it's easy, and it's a whole lot of fun.

But what you may not know is that TikTok can also be an incredibly powerful marketing tool - if you know how to use it.

The app has been downloaded over 2 billion times and is currently the most popular social media platform in the world. TikTok is widely popular with Gen Z, but older generations (with higher disposable income) are quickly migrating to the app as well—even creating content.

With TikTok's growing popularity and diverse audience, more and more brands are looking for ways to create content and sell their products on the platform—they also have no idea where to start.

Good news: TikTok has a seamless Shopify integration that allows brands with a business account to sell their products in-app with product tags and a shopping tab.

So how easy is it to sell on TikTok with Shopify?

Below we will explain how you can include Shopify's TikTok App plugin in your TikTok strategy to boost sales and grow your brand.

Why you should sell on TikTok:

In the past year, TikTok has transformed from a simple video app into the place many Gen Z consumers go to search for product reviews, gift ideas, and brand recommendations.

All it takes is one creative TikTok video.

The trust shared between creators and the average TikTok user is unrivaled by any other social media platform. In fact, TikTok users are 3 times more likely to say they trust the content on TikTok compared to what they see on Facebook and YouTube.

This trust is driven by TikTok's focus on user-generated content (UGC).

Hashtags like #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt make it easy for TikTok users to discover new products and brands that they've never heard of before, all thanks to the UGC shared by content creators and influencers.

This abundance of user-generated content is just one of the many reasons TikTok is unlike other sales channels.

More than half of US adults made a purchase on social media in 2021, and brands are taking notice.

There's a reason TikTok saw a 76% increase in sellers installing the Shopify integration on their channels in one year: customers want an easier way to buy the cool things they see in TikTok videos.

There really is so much to gain when you decide to sell on TikTok.

How to add the TikTok plugin to your Shopify store

Before you can start selling, you'll need to add the TikTok plugin for Shopify by following these steps.

With Shopify's TikTok plugin, getting started is quick and easy:

How to set up your TikTok Business account:

First, you’ll want to make sure your brand is set up with a TikTok For Business account. This is a necessary step before installing the Shopify plugin.

You can create a new TikTok For Business account or connect your existing one.

TikTok For Business accounts have access to exclusive features, like analytics and insights, that will come in handy as you create TikTok content and track ad performance.

TikTok provides tons of helpful resources and FAQs on their site.

How to install the TikTok Plugin for Shopify:

Now that you have a TikTok For Business account, it's time to install the TikTok app.

It's likely that your Shopify store already has app integrations installed. If not, no worries!

The TikTok plugin is available in the Shopify app store. Once you find the TikTok integration, click Install app.

You will be asked to connect your TikTok For Business account (as mentioned above). After connecting the two accounts, you're ready to start tagging products in your videos!

Benefits include ad management and resources for tracking your brand’s performance on the platform—no coding knowledge required.

The TikTok plugin is currently available for Shopify merchants in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and select European countries. The app is not available in China.

Adding the TikTok Pixel to Shopify:

Like Facebook's Pixel, this unique code allows Shopify to share information with your TikTok account so that you can access detailed analytics.

Information about potential and previous customers is critical in making informed and strategic advertising decisions. You'll also learn about your product's performance on social media.

TikTok Pixel for Shopify allows sellers to track visitor actions, create audience segments, and advertise to potential customers. It's a powerful tool to find new customers, optimize campaigns, and measure ad performance.

The pixel for Shopify offers three main benefits:

Easy Implementation

You can create your TikTok pixel with one click in the channel app. With the pixel, you'll receive full-funnel event tracking, including the payment and checkout pages.

​Advanced Features

You can track website visitor events with improved match rate accuracy and build audiences while capitalizing on opportunities to show relevant ads to potential customers.

Automatic updates

Since TikTok has a direct integration with Shopify's API, there's no action required to update code.

To create your TikTok pixel, simply log in to your TikTok Ads account and click the 'Create Pixel' button. It's that easy.

No need to stress about HTML codes and user error with this automated process.

Using the TikTok Store Manager for Shopify Merchants:

This feature is not yet available to all sellers on Shopify.

Don't have access?

It doesn’t hurt to familiarize yourself with the process. You can begin strategizing now, incorporating these steps into your workflow when the service is available to you.

With TikTok and Shopify sharing data with each other, you can seamlessly manage products on your Shopify store. This includes how they appear on your TikTok Business account.

For detailed information on this process, check out TikTok’s resource on Store Manager.

How to drive more sales on TikTok

Once you link your Shopify store and TikTok account, it's time to focus on building out your strategy.

There are several tactics that most brands use to increase their visibility and build brand awareness on TikTok while growing their customer base.

These are the most effective:

1. Optimize your profile

Start by choosing a clear profile picture—your logo should suffice.

Next, fill out your TikTok bio. There's an 80 character limit, so choose your words wisely. Add strategic keywords and relevant emojis to immediately grab the attention of TikTok users.

Don’t forget to add a CTA. Consider users who landed on your page coming from an influencer’s post or straight from your TikTok profile—what do you want them to do next?

Finish by adding a link to your Shopify store, or a link to a specific landing page on your external website to encourage site visits, email signups, promote discount codes, and more.

Here's an example of a simple and effective TikTok account bio from sock brand Bombas:

For an example of a TikTok bio with a little more of an edge, check out this one from E.l.f. Cosmetics' TikTok profile:

2. Start a movement with a branded hashtag challenges:

Your main goal on TikTok should be to get your brand in front of as many faces as possible.

Branded hashtags are an effective way to do that—specifically sponsored hashtags.

Sponsored hashtags on TikTok show up at the top of the discover page where they are the easiest to find.

Your sponsored hashtag can prompt creators to use a specific challenge, sound, or filter in their TikTok videos that ties back to your brand and starts an active conversation about your products.

Encourage users to post their purchases with a branded Hashtag Challenge Plus:

Kroger’s campaign generated 304K user-generated videos and 800 million views.

Laughing Cow’s campaign generated one billion views across 231,000 user-created videos.

Lipton and ASUS saw similar results.

You can also boost your visibility by joining in on existing TikTok trends with popular hashtags and sounds. Check TikTok's Discover page on a regular bases to stay caught up on what to leverage next.

3. Leverage TikTok’s creator tools:

TikTok provides brands with tools like templates to create engaging content (including augmented reality filters) and ads using existing brand and product image assets.

Use product details and photos straight from your Shopify store in easy-to-create videos to run as ads.

When users click on the “Shop Now” button in your video ad, they'll be taken to your Shopify store.

But you can also add these videos to your website or blog for an extra layer of marketing.

4. Embed Your TikTok Feed:

Okay, so technically we have one more way to integrate TikTok with Shopify–embed your TikTok feed on your website.

You can do this with services like Vop, or select individual TikToks to embed on your home page, a product page, or even a blog entry like we did in this post!

Check out this guide from Neil Patel, for more on best practices.

Take the next step

Don’t miss this opportunity to leverage this Shopify and TikTok platform integration to grow your online sales.

Make the most of TikTok and Shopify's tools with user-generated content and paid influencer marketing, without having to navigate TikTok Creator Marketplace. TikTok influencers are the masters of creating content that users trust, and it’s a critical part of any brand’s e-commerce marketing strategy.

It’s just one of the ways HelloConvo can help boost your brand’s visibility and help brands grow faster.

We provide e-commerce brands with best-in-class influencer marketing strategy and influencer campaign management.

Book your free strategy session with HelloConvo now to learn how to kickstart your TikTok marketing strategy!