TikTok has grown into one of the most important platforms for marketers on the web. It survived all sorts of hardships, including even two bans in the US! One thing the platform has never stopped evolving. It has always been a place where some innovations were present, and you can see this with one of its latest features, the TikTok Shop.
When you think of TikTok, you probably think of a video service that hosts weird dance videos, cringe kids following memes, and awful livestreams that nobody watches. But in reality, TikTok has been trying to distance its business model from that and become a valid eCommerce store.
The initial launch of the TikTok shop has been met with hype and scepticism, but now in mid-2025, its safe to say that its a overall good feature that is here to stay! The platform is already driving billions of dollars in sales, and its only likely to become a bigger part of TikTok in the future!
So, now that we've said all of that, it's time to learn a bit more about the TikTok shop and how you can use it to make money!
TikTok Shop Explained
The Shop is a fully integrated e-commerce solution, built within the app itself. Its most important feature is that it eliminates friction for users who want to buy something that they see on the app, by eliminating the need to go to third-party browsers or apps. Everything is done within TikTok, seamlessly.
Unlike on other platforms that rely on “Link in bio”. On TikTok, you just need to swipe, and you will be presented with an in-app shop where you can buy merch or products without leaving the app. All of this is helped by a few things:
- Shoppable Videos
This is the most common format. A creator posts a video featuring a product, they enable the shop, and then a small clickable shopping cart icon appears above their username. Tapping on this icon brings them to a curated product page where the viewers can browse, select, and check out instantly.
- LIVE Shopping
This is something that is gaining popularity. A few years ago, TikTok was trying to become a place where users could stream content as well. To help incentivize creators to livestream, they have added various in-app purchases for gifts that act like donations to the creator, as well as a fully fledged shop.
This shop can update in real-time and offer special bundles and discounts for the duration of the stream. It creates a sense of urgency and FOMO, often leading to a big spike in sales.
- Dedicated Shop Tab
Brands and creators can have a dedicated shop tab in their profiles. This is great for brands that sell products and use their accounts as advertisements for them, or creators that promote products, or host their own merch.
- The Affiliate Program
There is also an affiliate system for creators. For specific products, they can earn commission on every sale they drive through their content. The affiliate commission is usually quite good, especially compared to other platforms.
The TikTok Shop Opportunity
The TikTok Shop has become an important part of the platform, and since TT takes a cut from each sale, they are also promoting it as its a great way for them to earn money. TikTok has some unique strengths that make this shop more potent than if it was on other platforms, and that opportunity is something affiliates shoulnt miss on!
-
Infinite Discovery
TikTok has one of the best and most engaging algorithms, which is why it's so popular in the first place. No matter when you come to the platform, you will find something fresh and exciting to watch and enjoy.
This almost endless amount of content means that there are almost an infinite things a user can see and get interested in. Since the viewing of products and their purchase is made so easy and seamless, it’s easy to see why it’s so powerful if done right.
-
Authenticity
Videos that do best on the platform are sincere, and simple videos that are not cinematic edited masterpieces or obvious ads. This, more human, quality to the videos also has a nice side-effect, it makes people think it's more authentic.
This reflects well on the sales of products. If done right by the right creator, they feel more like a personal recommendation than a sales pitch. If you manage to keep up your reputation as a trustworthy and relatable creator, you can sell anything with ease through the shop!
-
Viral Sales
There are always some viral products that are incredibly popular for a short period. Remember things like fidget spinners? Now imagine if the TikTok shop were available back then for users. Creators could have made thousands, if not millions, of sales overnight, just because of the viral trend. While viral things are unpredictable, and it's not advisable to rely on waiting for them, it's still a great thing to have a platform where you can capitalize on those viral and trendy products when they appear.
Making Money On TikTok Shop
Success on TikTok Shop requires you to think like a content creator first and a salesperson second! Here is how to approach it!
-
Find Your Niche and “Viral” Product
Don’t just sell anything. Find products that align with your content niche and that make sense for you to sell. Look for products that are visually interesting, useful, and have a wow factor or something that makes them unique. This wow factor can be your main selling point as well as a thing that can make the product go viral later on.
A boring product is difficult to sell, no matter how interesting your videos are, so try finding interesting things to sell in your niche first!
-
Make “Shoppable” Videos
TikTok is nothing like traditional pro ads that used to work. The videos you make need to be entertaining, have some value on their own, and have naturally integrated products. The ads themselves also need to not look like ads. They need to feel genuine and not push products too hard.
- Show, don’t tell!
Instead of just talking about what your product does or what features it has, show it to the audience. Make before-and-after videos, or how it changed your daily routine, or any other format that would fit it best. Solve real problems with it to connect with your audience!
- Hook them early!
You only have around 3 se conds to hook someone into watching your video. This means that you need to catch the users attention right away. You can do this by making bold statements, a question, of showing off visually interesting parts of your video.
- Trending sounds and formats
You should use trending sounds, video formats and memes to help promote your product whenever you can. Its not just about what people like at the moment, the algorithm knows what your video is about and it will push it harder if it thinks it could have success with audiences.
- Go Live
Live events can be incredibly lucrative if done right. Plan them with what you want to promote and have product demos ready. Promote the events to your audience beforehand so that they know when to join and what to expect. Interact with comments, answer questions in real-time, and create FOMO with limited-time offers to drive sales even harder!
- Request Samples and Build a Content Library
If you have a decent enough following, you can also request product samples. Review them, make 3-5 videos about them with different hooks, angles, and formats, and see if the products resonate with your audience. Make sure to do this only for products that are actually decent and that you would use yourself, as your reputation can be ruined quickly by promoting junk.
Some Problems You Might Face
While the opportunity is massive, it's not without its challenges!
- Competition
The platform has already matured and there is a lot of competition fighting for every customer. This has lead to price wars, which often cause low margins and less overall sales depending on niche.
- The Algorithm
Your results are determined by how well the algorithm pushes your content. While you can do things that it likes and increases your chances of being featured more, you can guarantee success, and even with a viral video, your relevance can fade quickly if the algorithm stops pushing your content.
-
Logistics and Customer Support
As an affiliate your reputation is on the line, but you hav eno control over shipping, quality, or customer service. So if the seller you promote messes up, your audience will be mad at you.
- Returns
Most sales are low-cost impulse purchases. This means that you will drive a lot of sales, but as excitement fades, some people will request refunds and returns. These costs can add up over time and eat into your revenues.
Conclusion
In 2025, the TikTok Shop is not something you should ignore. The unique blend of quick, attention-grabbing videos and interesting, low-cost products has been great for sellers on the platform, and you should try it out as well!
The potential is extreme, but this is not a passive income stream. If you want to have success, you need to make content, stay on top of trends, and build an audience over time. Stay genuine, don’t push bad products, and make it more about you than the products.
Please log in to Facebook to access the comments section