TikTok is no longer just a place where Gen Z dances it out. If you have something to sell, especially to younger audiences, you need to develop a TikTok strategy as soon as possible.
More and more people turn to TikTok as a place to find and purchase products, which is why TikTok ecommerce is becoming so popular.
But how should you use TikTok ecommerce features to your advantage?
In this article, we will go over the TikTok ecommerce platform to learn how it works, with examples, strategies, and best practices.
Then, we will explore how to connect TikTok to the rest of your marketing stack with LeadsBridge automated integrations, for faster time-to-lead.
What is TikTok ecommerce?
TikTok ecommerce uses a video-sharing app that has developed TikTok ads for ecommerce. It makes it easy for sellers to showcase their products in a fancy storefront, and for buyers to make purchases in just a few clicks.
Placing product links directly in video ads allowed consumers to make purchases instantly, as soon as they see the products in their feed.
Why should you adopt a TikTok ecommerce strategy?
Research shows that 71% of TikTok users have made a purchase after discovering a product in their feed, while 58% use the platform for shopping inspiration.
Moreover, over half of users shop directly on TikTok, which makes it a major driver of social commerce globally and in the United States.
Compared to standard online marketplaces, ecommerce on social and video platforms is still emerging. A study shared by TikTok for Business shows that shoppers who are purchasing directly from these platforms are more likely to buy immediately and to say that these purchases bring them joy.
Benefits of a TikTok ecommerce platform
Still not sure? Here are three benefits associated with starting your TikTok ecommerce platform.
Reach a new audience
Selling on TikTok is a great way to expand your reach and sell to a whole new audience. Users under 30 make up about 55% of the TikTok audience, reflecting the platform’s growing appeal beyond just Gen Z.
Ultimately, promoting products on TikTok helps you reach a younger audience and users who may not be present on your core platforms.
Increase sales
TikTok is the place where people go to discover new products. Why? Because it’s perceived as a “place for authenticity, joy, discovery, and as a unique advertising experience.”
The realness and less over-filtered content presented on TikTok make users feel more secure in the fact that what they’re buying is legit and right for them. This translates to more trust, which ultimately leads to higher sales.
Boost SEO strategy
People turn to TikTok for more than just easy entertainment. Google’s Senior Vice President Prabhakar Raghavan said 40% of young people turn to TikTok or Instagram to find a place to eat lunch. As a result, Google is now featuring TikTok videos in its search results.
What does this mean? It means that brands can now use TikTok to optimize their online presence, so that their videos will show up at the top of the SERP when people search for keywords on Google.
10 Strategies & TikTok ecommerce tools high-growth merchants use
These go beyond “work with influencers” or “post more often.” They assume you have basic Shop hygiene handled (catalog, attribution, pixel, etc.).
First, you should know what is available to you in your toolkit.
TikTok ecommerce tools
- TikTok Shop: In-app storefronts with seamless checkout via video, LIVE, or Stories.
- Fulfilled by TikTok (FBT): TikTok handles warehousing, packing, and shipping for sellers.
- LIVE Shopping 2.0: Interactive sales with overlays, timed offers, and real-time engagement tools.
- Search Ads Campaigns: Keyword-based ads appearing in TikTok search results with AI expansion.
- Affiliate Creatives for Ads: Instantly turn top-performing creator content into paid ad creatives.
- Smart+ Creative Generator: AI-powered tool that auto-produces ad variations using catalog inputs.
- Market Scope & Search Center: Real-time trend and keyword analysis for product targeting.
- TikTok Mall: Curated brand aisles for verified, premium shopping experiences.
- Creator Affiliate Program: Performance-based UGC generation with integrated tracking and payout.
- Ad Attribution & Pixel Suite: End-to-end conversion tracking across paid and organic.
TikTok ecommerce strategies high-growth merchants use
Now, let’s see how you can put those tools into use:
1. Trend-backed micro-inventory loops
Pipeline strategy: Pull 3-day predictive signals from Market Scope (search velocity, creator mentions) and send the top 3 SKU candidates straight to FBT with a micro-batch of 500 units. If sell-through exceeds 60% in 24 hours, auto-replenish; if not, liquidate in a timed live auction.
The combination of predictive search data and same-day fulfillment means you capture trend lift before competitors even finish production.
2. Search-sculpting with “Answer Videos”
Publish 15-second clips titled exactly after long-tail search queries (“Is niacinamide safe for teens?”). Run Search Ads Campaigns on those keywords at micro-budgets (< €20/day).
The algorithm rewards relevance, so your CPCs stay low, and your video ranks organically long after the spending stops.
3. FBT threshold engineering
TikTok pays shipping on U.S./UK orders ≥ $25/£20 under the new subsidy rules. Bundle two lightweight hero products into an “algorithm bundle” priced at $26—customers feel they’re gaming the system while you improve margin + AOV.
4. Creator-to-paid flywheel
Give affiliates a dynamic commission: +5% bump if their UGC enters the top 5% CTR bucket in Affiliate Creatives for Ads.
Because their content can be turned into ads automatically, affiliates now have skin in both organic and paid results, and you get ad-ready assets that are already conversion-tested.
5. Mall-to-feed trust bridge
Run a TopView or Brand Consideration ad that lands on your TikTok Mall flagship instead of a normal product page.
Early tests show 18-25% higher conversion for premium electronics and cosmetics because users perceive “Mall” as certified.
6. Live sentiment flash-drops
In LIVE Shopping, use the producer console to watch real-time emoji/comment sentiment. When positivity spikes, trigger a 90-second “flash drop” overlay with an FBT-fulfilled limited SKU.
Perfect Ted saw 2× their most aggressive forecast in a single three-hour stream by layering timed discounts this way.
7. Dark-funnel retargeting via Search Center
Pull your highest-engagement keywords, then create negative keyword lists for In-Feed prospecting ads so those users only see your Search Ads later.
Result: incremental conversions rise ~20% because users feel they “discovered” the brand themselves. TikTok’s own stat is +18% assisted conversions.
8. AI-generated variant testing (Smart+)
Upload three product hero shots into Smart+ with Catalog Ads; let TikTok’s Symphony engine auto-generate dozens of variant creatives.
Kill anything below median ROAS after 48h, double budget on the top quartile. Small brands are seeing 30-40% creative cost savings compared to manual editing.
9. Community-powered R&D “Labs”
Once a month, go Live with a poll-driven product ideation session. Viewers vote on flavors/colors, and then you launch the winning variant exclusively in the TikTok Shop for 14 days.
Because FBT handles micro-fulfillment, you’re effectively crowdsourcing product-market fit at near-zero operational overhead.
10. Ad-sustainable unit economics early-warning
Build a dashboard that tracks the ratio of paid vs. organic impressions for each SKU. If the ratio falls below 70% paid for two weeks (i.e., organic no longer makes up the traffic), pause inventory expansion. This guards against the free-views hangover.
Is your target location in the US, or are you wondering how the recent conflicts affect your business? Read and bookmark this article for the latest updates on the TikTok US ban.
TikTok ecommerce best practices
Now, let’s talk about must-have strategies over trend-sensitive tactics like those mentioned above. In order to run a TikTok ecommerce strategy that works, you need to do two things:
- Generate engagement with your videos (views, likes, comments, shares),
- Then convert this engagement into sales by getting your viewers to take action.
But how do you do that?
Here’s a list of best practices to help you with your TikTok ecommerce strategy.
Leverage hashtags and keywords
On Instagram, they say hashtags are dead. Well, this is not true, at least not for TikTok. As mentioned before, Gen Zers now skip the Google search altogether and turn straight to TikTok to gather information.
Including hashtags and relevant keywords in your captions will help the algorithm identify your videos and display them to people searching for your product or service, even if they are not your followers.
So, when it comes to hashtags, do not disregard them. Instead, make sure to follow up with the top trending ones on TikTok.
Pro tip: Always be on the lookout for what people are searching for. Open the TikTok app and type your main keyword into the search bar.
Before you hit “search,” take a look at the suggested keywords that appear in the dropdown list. Those are common terms people are searching for that can help you figure out which words to leverage in your videos.
Run TikTok Ads and target them to your audience
Publishing a random ad on TikTok is like throwing a hook into the wide ocean, hoping that something will take the bait. Pointless and a waste of time and money. Think about it, TikTok counts over 1.5 billion monthly active users, it’s impossible for all of them to be interested in your product.
By targeting your ads and showing them to a specific pool of users – those who are more likely to be interested in what you’re offering, you increase your chances for a successful conversion.
Targeting TikTok ads is super easy. When creating an ad, click on “Targeting.” Here you can choose location, gender, age, and interests. Focus on interests that align with your product or service to help you find your target audience.
Use CTAs
By default, users are lazy. So, give them an incentive to take action and make it as easy as possible for them.
CTAs are short, linked buttons that appear at the bottom of your TikTok ads and are a great way to turn a viewer into a potential customer, with just a few clicks.
When posting a TikTok ad, you can choose from a list of ready-made CTAs, such as “Learn More,” “Book Now,” or “Sign Up.” These clickable buttons will then direct users to a landing page on your website or store.
If you want to avoid redirecting users to an external landing page and would rather keep them on the app to submit their information and get your offer, you can easily do so by using TikTok Lead Generation.
Take a look at some of our most popular TikTok Lead Generation integrations for ecommerce.
Learn everything there is to know about TikTok Lead Generation here: How to master TikTok Lead Generation Ads & get more leads.
Optimize logistics with TikTok Fulfillment
A seamless shopping experience doesn’t end at checkout—it continues with fast and reliable delivery. TikTok Fulfilment helps sellers streamline logistics by handling inventory management, packing, and shipping directly through the platform.
By integrating TikTok Fulfillment into your ecommerce strategy, you can eliminate common logistical challenges and focus on scaling your business while providing a smooth post-purchase experience for buyers.
Partner with creators
It’s 2025, yet word-of-mouth is still the most effective way to convince someone to buy something. If someone you know buys a product and speaks highly of it, you’ll be more likely to buy it yourself. Is that right?
The same thing applies to TikTok. User-generated content is great to get viewers to buy your products, as long as the ad looks and feels genuine. So, partnering with creators to make videos about your products or services is a very effective way to boost sales through TikTok.
To get inspired with TikTok content ideas, check out this article: Top 8 TikTok content ideas for your campaigns.
Connect your TikTok Ad account to LeadsBridge
Last but not least, here’s another best practice that can change your TikTok ecommerce strategy for the better. By connecting your TikTok Ad account to LeadsBridge, you can sync your TikTok Ads tools with the rest of your marketing stack to transfer lead data automatically and in real time.
This allows you to stop wasting time on manual tasks and focus on getting in touch with your potential customers right away, as soon as they interact with your ad.
Take a look at some of our most popular TikTok Lead Generation integrations for ecommerce.
We’re also working on an integration for TikTok Custom Audiences. If you’d like to look for a specific integration and join the waiting list, you can do so by typing your desired source below.
Click here to check out all available TikTok integrations. And if you’d like to learn more about TikTok Custom Audiences, read this article: The complete guide to TikTok Custom Audiences.
TikTok Ads for ecommerce
If you want to promote your products or services on TikTok, you need to learn about Shopping Ads: a new TikTok ad solution that “helps turn a brand’s presence on TikTok into shoppable experiences for users.”
Shopping Ads is a three-in-one solution with different formats to adopt and combine: Video Shopping Ads, Catalog Listing Ads, and LIVE Shopping Ads.
Video Shopping Ads
This ad format allows you to add a shoppable link directly to your video. This way, when viewers see your video in their feed, they can check out the product you’re featuring by simply tapping on the Product card or anchor link and then purchase it immediately.
This feature is now available for testing to all TikTok shops globally. Learn more about how to create TikTok Video Shopping Ads here.
Catalog Listing Ads
You can feature your shoppable products in a catalog, alongside other merchants’ products, reaching users via the For You page who are more likely to buy. However, as of January 2023, Catalog Listing Ads is no longer available as a standalone format, but is now part of Video Shopping Ads.
LIVE Shopping Ads
This feature helps people on TikTok discover and watch your live videos, to browse and purchase the products you’re presenting while they’re watching.
Final thoughts
TikTok has turned into a place where entertainment meets ecommerce in a magical buyer journey where the customer can feel the joy of discovery.
Due to this evolution process, TikTok has rolled out new ecommerce ad solutions that are specifically designed to present products as TikTok experiences, making entertainment shoppable.
Thankfully, LeadsBridge is here to keep you always updated about the latest news in advertising and to help you connect your advertising platforms to the rest of your marketing stack for real-time, automated lead data transfer, and faster time-to-lead.
Get started with LeadsBridge for free, now!
