More and more people log into TikTok every day. It is becoming one of the most frequented online platforms on the internet where people like to spend their time. Not only does TikTok allow people to watch videos, but it also provides a space for people to purchase items.
That is why they have created something transformative called a TikTok shop, which allows users to open up their little online virtual shop directly on their TikTok account. Users can sell eligible items through the TikTok Shop. All one has to do is add products so that people find them and purchase from the shop directly.
A shop on TikTok is a great source of exposure for a lot of potential customers, both small businesses and people. Every month, more than a billion users are logged in to TikTok, with over 150 million monthly active users in the United States. If you set up your TikTok shop correctly, you may sell to a big or small of these statistics. For additional steps on how to add products to your TikTok shop, hang tight and continue reading this article.
Who is Eligible For a TikTok Shop?
If you meet the following requirements, you can create a shop and begin selling products from within the app.
Available Countries
TikTok shops are only available in some places. It is open to users in only a few places, including the United States, United Kingdom, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Singapore.
If you reside in one of these countries, you can experience TikTok shop functionality. This enables you to sell products directly on TikTok and reach an enormous audience within the app.
Age
Setting up a TikTok shop requires you to be at least 18 years old. A shop owner needs to be of legal adult age. He must be able to bear responsibility for activities carried out within the business.
Being 18 or older means being able to take care of all legal and financial issues related to running a shop. This involves sales and other economic activity, including tax.
Last TikTok Activity
Some of the requirements for opening a TikTok shop include the following:
- You must have been active on TikTok recently.
- This means you must have posted at least one video on the account in the last 28 days.
- This proves to TikTok that you are an active user.
- Active users update shops more often and engage with their customers more frequently.
Follower Count
You need at least 1,000 followers on TikTok before opening your shop. Why is the requirement for followers in place? It is preferred that TikTok likes users who already have fans to open the shop. A high level of followers means you will have a higher tendency to get several customers and sales from the onset.
Step-by-Step Process to Set Up Your TikTok Shop
Here are the steps in detail:
- Access the App: Open the TikTok app on your mobile. Make sure you download it. Otherwise, install the application from your mobile’s app store.
- Create Your Business Account: You need to create a business account if you do not have one. A business account lets you have tools for managing your sales and getting shop performance analysis.
- Set Up Your TikTok Shop: Once you have created a business account and made it go live, you are ready to look for the shop tab. The user has to complete the steps presented within the application.
- Navigate Products: Once your shop has been created, go to the portion that says ‘Products. This is where you’re going to handle what you’re selling. Get familiar with this area because you’ll use it a lot.
- Add Products: You can start adding your products. For every product, you need to fill in details about it, like descriptions, prices, and photos. Be clear and eye-catching to attract buyers.
- Configure Shipping and Payment: Configure the shipping methods and various ways of payment. Define how you will be shipping your products and the payment methods you are going to use. This step is crucial in ensuring that you are in a position to get paid and deliver the products efficiently.
- Publish and Await Approval: You have officially launched your shop. When you do this, TikTok checks for the configuration and arranges everything to fit their standard. After that is done, they will approve your shop, and you will be good to go as you begin to sell.
Ways to Upload Your Products in Bulk on TikTok Shop
If you have many products to upload into your TikTok shop, it takes time to do so one by one. However, you can use the Bulk Upload option, which allows you to input several products at once. First, go to your TikTok shop seller center. Under the tab on the left for ‘Products,’ click ‘Bulk Actions.’ You can download a template provided by TikTok.
After getting the template:
- Proceed to fill it out with details of your products, including names, descriptions, prices, and shipping details.
- Ensure that all information is accurate to avoid developing a problem when uploading.
- After the necessary information has been inserted into the template, the following process is to upload the same template back to the seller center under the same segment.
- If you wish to submit all your products at once when using TikTok, just tap on the submit button.
How to Add Your Shopify Products to TikTok Shop?
Adding your Shopify products to TikTok shops is a sure way to attract more customers and increase sales. You can link your Shopify store with TikTok for the perfect product display on one of the world’s most used social media platforms. Here’s how to do it step by step.
Step 1: Install TikTok App on Shopify
Install the TikTok app from the Shopify app store. Secondly, go to Shopify and enter the dashboard wherein you have to look for the space marked as ‘Apps’ in the search bar, type in ‘TikTok’, and the app that appears can be selected. Press ‘Add app,’ and the installation process for connecting TikTok to your Shopify store is displayed. This app helps connect these two platforms.
Step 2: Link TikTok in Shopify Admin Dashboard
After that, you have to associate the installed TikTok app with the Shopify Admin Dashboard. To do this, open the Shopify TikTok app. It will then require you to input your login details for your business account in TikTok. If you still need to create a TikTok for Business account, then you have to create one. This is an essential step because it enables the two platforms to communicate and share information.
Step 3: Sync Shopify Products
After you have connected the accounts, you will sync Shopify products into the TikTok shop. Product sync is an option or rather a feature located in the TikTok app on Shopify. This feature directly pulls Shopify product information, images, descriptions, etc., to the TikTok store. Ensure that all the product specifications are accurate and up to date before conducting this.
Step 4: Handle Sales via Shopify Platform
This is easy to manage because all the sales through the TikTok shop are transferred into your Shopify store. Each time a customer buys something from the TikTok shop, that order directly goes to the Shopify order list. This setup enables you to do everything involved in managing your stocks, sales, and orders. It is conflict-free, and everything is strictly coordinated and appropriately managed.
Products You Can’t Sell on Your TikTok Shop
It has specific rules on what you can sell and what is prohibited. Knowing these rules can help avoid any action taken against your account. Here’s a breakdown of some kinds of products not allowed in TikTok shops.
a. Digital Products
You cannot sell digital products, which means products that are electronically downloadable or accessible. E-books, digital art, music files, and software are not allowed in the TikTok shop. It is made only for physical products that will be delivered to customers.
b. Alcohol Products
TikTok shops do not allow the sale of alcoholic products. You can’t list items, super buy, or sell any item containing alcohol. This includes all types of spirits, beers, wine, and other alcoholic beverages. Such sales may invite severe penalties, which even include shop closures.
c. Tobacco
TikTok also does not allow tobacco products. This serves to include cigarettes, cigars, loose tobacco, and all associated smoking peripherals. Much the same as with alcohol, their sale is strictly forbidden. Much more severe action will be taken against a store if it is discovered to be selling tobacco. This can prevent the selling of other products.
d. Vehicles
You cannot sell any vehicles on the TikTok shop. This includes cars, motorcycles, boats, and generally any motor vehicle. It is not designed to sell large, high-cost items like these, many of which require special handling and registration.
e. Weight Loss Supplements
TikTok shops prohibit weight loss supplements in any form. These include pills, powders, and liquids that claim to have the effect of losing weight. TikTok is keen to ensure that all products sold on their platform are safe. It does not make health claims that cannot be verified by medical research.
f. Illegal Substances
You cannot sell illegal substances in TikTok shops. These include drugs banned or controlled by the law, their derivatives, and synthetic alternatives. The selling of illegal substances is against the TikTok policies. It can lead to legal procedures with shop closure.
g. Firearms
You can’t sell firearms in TikTok shops. This prohibition includes any gun and parts for guns. This is due to safety reasons and respect for the legal restrictions on the selling and distribution of firearms.
How to Successfully Run Your TikTok Shop After Adding Products?
After successfully adding products to your TikTok shop, the next task is to manage and develop it effectively. So that it attracts and retains customers. How you go about the presentation and promotion of your products makes a huge difference in sales. Here are some key ways of operating a successful TikTok shop:
Use High-Quality Product Images
Upload high-quality pictures, as they greatly influence customer attraction to your TikTok shop. Clear, clean, and nice pictures give your products prominence and enhance their attraction to buyers. Ensure that the images are well-lit and taken from different angles to provide a complete view of your products.
Write Catchy Descriptions
Catchy, clear product descriptions are wonders added to your product listings. Explain briefly what makes your product unique and why one must buy it. The language must be simple and easy and directly communicate its benefits to the products for potential customers.
Make and Apply Promotion Strategies
Design and implement efficient promotion strategies that better expose your shop and provide it with more sales. This can be in the form of discounts, limited-time offers, or bundling. Promotions not only grab eyeballs but also enforce quick purchases from customers eyeing a good deal.
Take Influencers Onboard
Partner with influencers to give your shop relevance and credibility. Choose those whose followers are very close to your target audience. Also, those who organically can recommend your products. You can get more traffic and sales with trusted recommendations.
Be Honest About Your Product
Be honest and straightforward about what you are selling. Provide all the relevant details about your product, its features, its benefits, and, where necessary, its limitations. This helps in building trust with customers. It empowers a business to attain high satisfaction, repeat business, and positive reviews to work in the long run.
Conclusion
Want to add products to your TikTok shop? First, you have to be eligible for the TikTok shop. Open the TikTok app; create a business account. This lets you start setting up your shop. You can add all of your products one by one or use the bulk upload facility to add many products at one time. Remember to attach good pictures and descriptions of the products. You also need to set up the payment and shipping options before you are ready to publish the shop and await its approval.
After being allowed to open your shop, focus on how to promote it by increasing the reach of customers through influencer marketing and promotions. Develop trust with customers by providing quality images of the products and honest descriptions. Keep in mind there are some items you can’t sell, such as digital products, alcohol, tobacco, and firearms. You can then have a successful TikTok shop with the right choice of products and marketing strategies that give it a better chance of increasing sales.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How do I import a product to my TikTok Shop?
To import a product to your TikTok shop, log in to the seller center inside the TikTok app. Click ‘Add Product,’ fill in all details for your product, and then submit it for review. Once approved, this product will appear in your shop.
Q2. Why aren’t my products showing on TikTok Shop?
Your products will most likely only appear in the TikTok shop if they are on hold or under review. The product information needs to be fixed since it fails to comply with TikTok recommendations. Check for any notifications or required actions within your seller center.
Q3. How do I add a product catalog to TikTok?
You need to log into your TikTok seller center. After logging in, you will see an in-built ‘Catalog Manager’ that will allow you to upload all product details. Once approved, they will show in your TikTok shop.
Q4. Why can’t I add a product link on TikTok?
If your account has yet to meet specific criteria, like the number of followers or verification, TikTok will restrict the addition of product links. First of all, make sure that your account has the eligible status to support such features by checking TikTok’s commerce eligibility requirements.
Q5. How do I add a brand to my TikTok Shop?
You have to gain approval from the brand or be their rights holder before listing it in your TikTok shop. Go to the ‘Brand’ section in your seller center, complete the appropriate documentation for proof of ownership or authorization, and then add your brand details.
Q6. Can I add new products in bulk to my TikTok Shop?
Yes, it is possible to add new products in bulk to your TikTok shop. The seller center has a bulk upload feature. You can download the bulk upload template, fill it with all your product information, and then upload it again for processing.