Here’s a fun fact for you: #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt is one the most popular hashtags on the platform. As of January 2022, it has eight billion views. Small business owners across the globe have realized that products can go viral on TikTok—just like songs, trends, or filters. So, as a small business community, what do we do with that important piece of information?
Our blog team asked Ecwid sellers how they’ve been using TikTok to grow their business, and which tools have helped them expand their audience and sales. Read on to learn about some of their best practices, and pick up some tricks that you can apply to your store.
TikTok Tools for Business Owners
TikTok offers powerful tools to business owners that help them make the most of their online presence. Why limit yourself to views and likes when you strive for actual sales through the app?
With TikTok Shopping, select sellers in the US and the UK can:
- Upload their product catalog to TikTok and display it right on their profile:
- Tag products in videos so that customers can make sales in just a couple of clicks:
Advertising on TikTok is available for sellers in all countries supported by the app. It allows sellers to:
- Run different types of ads that feature your products or a link to your store:
- Run advanced ad campaigns to reach out to new potential customers with similar profiles to current shoppers, or users who have previously engaged with your store.
Ecwid makes setting up and using TikTok Shopping and advertising a piece of cake for small business owners, regardless of their tech knowledge.
Now it’s time to turn it over to some sellers who have already connected their stores to TikTok and are reaping the benefits.
Ecwid Sellers on Using TikTok for Their Business
TikTok Shopping is an attractive tool for online sellers, as it allows them to encourage viewers to buy products when they are the most engaged—while watching their videos or browsing their profile.
Donna von Hoesslin, founder of the jewelry brand Betty Belts, creates different types of videos for her store’s profile. Their dynamic TikToks show off the process of creating their jewelry, announce winners of contests, and grant access to exclusive behind the scenes content to allow viewers to get to know the crew behind the brand.
Of course, Betty Belts also spotlights video content that highlights the brand’s jewelry. Donna uses TikTok Shopping so that she can tag products in these videos to allow viewers to shop while they watch:
Viewers can click on product links to learn more about the jewelry tagged in the video and buy the item they are interested in without having to leave the app:
TikTok is a relatively new platform for many business owners, but some Ecwid sellers have already been hard at work making a home on the platform—using the app to promote their brand even before the TikTok Shopping feature was introduced. When they saw the potential of the app, they didn’t hesitate to test out new tools as they became available.
Antuana Winston, the founder of skincare brand FeeChi Body, on using TikTok to reach new audiences:
"I decided to promote my brand on TikTok because I was hearing a lot of buzz about it and wanted to reach out to a younger demographic. I mostly created videos that feature my products.
I was using TikTok to promote my business before integrating it with Ecwid, but it was very limited. Because of my previous experience of using Ecwid for selling on social media platforms, I felt confident that Ecwid had the tools and resources to help me expand my brand on TikTok.
I am currently using TikTok Shopping so that it displays all the products available on my website for potential customers. I do plan to increase my ad spend and presence on this platform promoting shopping with my business.
I am very satisfied with my experience. It was a very easy and seamless process to implement. I would highly recommend using this tool. In the short time that it has been implemented, my views and followers have increased. This is another great tool to help grow your small business and reach new potential customers."
For other entrepreneurs, the introduction of TikTok Shopping and Advertising has become a reason to expand onto the new social media platform.
Rhea Mellado, the founder of Yard Sign Company that makes signs and cut outs for events, on exploring the new sales channel:
"I am currently utilizing both the TikTok Shopping and advertising tools. I actively started using TikTok when Ecwid made the shopping tools available.
I use Instagram and Facebook Shopping through Ecwid, so I was already familiar with how to use it, as it is very similar. Ecwid makes it very easy to link your products and shop to the social media platforms. I have tried other website builders. Ecwid is by far the easiest to use as far as creating your site, and linking your products to social media.
Given the current popularity of TikTok, and the ease of using it with Ecwid, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to promote and gain exposure to our company. Also, our products are a bit interactive as they are used for special events and celebrations. TikTok gives us the opportunity to demonstrate how they are used and being able to link our products to our posts is an added bonus.
I try to post videos daily, with videos showing how to assemble products, new products we have available or signs we have set up. As I have my Ecwid shop linked to my TikTok account, I link the products in our shop that are relevant to the posts.
Rhea Mellado
I see a considerable increase in sales and receive more interactions on the days that I post. It is amazing the amount of views that are received on a post that is promoted, I also notice the traffic to my site also increases by about 20%.
I’d definitely recommend using TikTok Shopping and advertising to businesses. Not only is the exposure worth it, but it is quite fun creating videos and learning the new trends to try and reach a larger audience. While I am still learning, I think I have come a long way from my first post.
Along with actively posting, I also comment on other small business pages. I enjoy seeing the way other small businesses promote themselves and by supporting them and commenting on their posts it also increases my traffic.
TikTok advertising is affordable and by playing around with the costs and days you would like to promote the post, I can always find a way to advertise within my budget."
Start Selling on TikTok
We are happy to see that Ecwid sellers test new tools and find what works best for their business. If their stories inspired you to start selling your products on TikTok too, click the button below and we’ll take you from there.
Want to learn more before diving into the new platform? Read our articles that help navigate the TikTok world for ecommerce sellers:
- How to Sell and Advertise on TikTok — Learn all about how to tag your products in videos, upload your whole product catalog to your TikTok profile, and advertise your business on the world’s fastest growing social media platform.
- How to Use TikTok to Drive Interest for Your Business — If you don’t know how to get started with making TikTok videos featuring your product, check out 12 types of TikToks you can make for your business.
And if you’re already using TikTok to promote your online store, feel free to share your experience in the comments!
The post How Small Business Owners Use TikTok to Grow Sales first appeared on Ecwid | E-Commerce Shopping Cart.
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Anastasia Prokofieva, Khareem Sudlow
