Are you a business owner wanting to learn how to sell products on TikTok? You’re in luck because this guide shows you the simplest way to get started. We know how some blogs on selling on TikTok can get complex, so we’ve highlighted the absolute best tips to help you get seen on TikTok and start making sales from your future followers.

How to Sell Products on TikTok

1. Optimize your TikTok account

One of the very first things any business owner on social media needs to do to sell products on TikTok is make sure your account is optimized.

An optimized TikTok profile helps you get discovered, tell people about your business, and let them know if they should follow you.

And if you want to sell products on TikTok, you need to get the right people on your account.

You only have a few characters to optimize your TikTok bio, so here are the best things to include:

• A short About You. Talk about your business and what you specialize in.
• A compelling Call to Action (CTA). You should have a call to action that tells people what to do when they land on your profile. If you’re selling products on TikTok, we recommend making it along the lines of “Order now” or “Buy now.” 
• Social media links. TikTok lets you connect some social media accounts and link to them as buttons. Be sure to add the best places to find your business online.

Should you create a personal or business account on TikTok?

One important thing to consider if you want to sell products on TikTok is whether or not you want your account to be a personal or a business account.

Naturally, if you have a business, it makes a lot of sense to sign up for a business account. However, note that it does come with some limitations—business accounts on TikTok aren’t able to use trending music.

This has to do with the copyright terms on TikTok. You’re able to use trending sounds, but music is only limited to royalty-free options. So unless you’re comfortable working with that limitation and not accessing trending music, then you can stick to a personal account.

Do note that you won’t be able to access features that are only reserved for business accounts, including but not limited to:

• Adding a custom link in bio
• Access to advertising and promotion tools
• Getting detailed insights about your account and content

2. Create content—a lot of it

Of course, the very next thing you want to do if you want to sell products on TikTok? Creating a ton of TikTok videos.

We’ll go into more detail about how to create the best content that reaches more people sells your products in upcoming sections, so here’s all you need to know for now:

• Use trending sounds and effects. The key to TikTok discovery is to make the most of trends. The good news is that there are always new trends popping up, so you’ll never miss out.
• Experiment with different formats. TikTok has features like Duets and Stitches, where you can leverage popular videos and get more eyeballs on your account.
• Always make it about your small business. If you’re on TikTok to sell products, then make sure your posts always relate back to your business. Get creative to make sure new trends fit your brand, and stay consistent so people know why they should follow you.

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3. Leverage hashtags

Hashtags are the secret sauce to getting discovered—and going viral—on TikTok. So if you aren’t using them yet, it’s high time you do.

Fortunately, finding hashtags that could get you views, likes, comments, and shares couldn’t be easier. 

Here are some best ways to find hashtags on TikTok to go viral:

• Use the autocomplete feature. Just like Instagram, when you start typing a hashtag into your caption or comment, you get to see some recommended hashtags. Search around your niche, and look for hashtags that get several views.
• Check out what related TikTokers are using. Are other, bigger TikTok accounts using hashtags to get discovered? Steal like an artist and use the same hashtags too.
• Check the Discover tab. TikTok’s got a Discover tab full of trending sounds, effects, and hashtags. Don’t miss out on some of these that’ll get you those eyeballs!

4. Keep an eye on small business trends

We talked about trending sounds and effects, and even emphasized the importance of hashtags. But we’re taking it a step further with this tip: keep an eye on small business trends on TikTok!

Yes, it’s absolutely a thing. Many small businesses use TikTok to grow, so it’s no surprise that an entire community has formed on the platform.

Because of this, keep an eye out on what’s currently got the small business scene hooked. These trends might be “pack an order with me,” “create a candle together,” and the like. These types of videos make it easier to get discovered and eventually sell products on TikTok on autopilot.

To make sure you’re on top of these trends, follow other businesses like yours to do some sneaky spying. And of course, follow unrelated businesses too because you’ll never know where inspiration can strike next.

5. Use the pinned comments

As you create content for your business, you might find that you want more room to talk about your products and offers. 

Enter pinned comments.

While you don’t have much room in your actual TikTok caption, you can “cheat” the system by creating comments that talk about your products, benefits, and anything else. The best part is that you can pin these comments so they’re always at the top, and interested buyers can see them when they check the comments section.

Here are some ideas you can put on your pinned comments:

• Product details
• Benefits
• Testimonials or reviews from customers
• Extra calls to action (CTAs)

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6. Answer questions in the comments or with a video

And while we’re on the topic of TikTok comments, we can’t stress enough how important it is to answer questions you might get on your videos.

You can do it simply by replying in the comment sections, but a neat TikTok feature is that you can respond to comments through another TikTok video.

Your followers and viewers can see the original comment that you’re responding to, so you can feel free to jump straight into your reply.

This is a fantastic way to get more personal with viewers, and also help you churn out more TikTok content with less effort. After all, other people’s comments can make for some great ideas that you didn’t have to come up with yourself.

7. See what’s working

Of course, one important thing that you have to remember no matter what platform you’re on is to monitor your results.

Make it a habit to check how your TikTok videos are doing. Are they performing well? Are they not performing at all?

Even no results is a kind of result, but don’t take this personally. It can take a lot of practice and time before you get the hang of Tiktok. 

Commit to publishing consistently, stay on top of trends, and make it a goal to improve at least one thing about every TikTok video you make moving forward.

Over time, you’ll start to see better results, and you can find out what works best for your small business.

8. Make it easy for customers to buy

Our final tip if you want to sell products on TikTok? Make it easy for customers to buy from you!

This is an often underestimated tip that many small business owners don’t think about. But it can make or break your business.

Depending on the type of TikTok account you’ve set up, i.e. personal or business, then you may or may not have the option to set up a custom link in your TikTok bio.

If you’re able to use a custom link, the best way to sell products on TikTok is to link directly to your online shop. Make it ridiculously easy for customers to see your product, go to your profile, then add the products they’re interested in to their cart.

However, if you prefer to stick to a personal account so you can use trending music, then you might be doing what some business owners are doing on TikTok: send them to a linked social account like Instagram, then asking them to DM you.

(After all, your TikTok followers can’t DM you for orders unless you’re following them back—which makes taking orders on TikTok a huge challenge!)

While there’s nothing wrong with asking people to head to your Instagram, asking customers to DM you for orders might actually be hurting your sales.

Here’s the best alternative to selling in your Instagram DMs:

Set up a dedicated online store, then use this as your link in bio on Instagram. So when people find you on TikTok and visit you on IG, you’ll be able to take their orders right away, no DMs needed.

The best way to do this is with a Cococart shop that’s free and easy to create. You’ll be set up in minutes!

Grow Your Business with TikTok

Has this blog post helped you learn how to sell products on TikTok without losing your mind? We know how overwhelming it can be to try and sell products, from merchandise to handmade products, so we made this TikTok guide to make it extra simple. Commit to mastering TikTok, and soon you’ll see both your account and your business grow.

Your Success is Our Success

‍Cococart is proud to be a company that puts local businesses first. After all, you’re the reason we’re here. We're on a mission to transform independent businesses to accept online orders. If you are ready to  sign up for a free trial simply register your store here, it only takes a couple of minutes.

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