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Aug 31, 2023
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6
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How to Sell on TikTok in 7 Simple Steps

Unlocking TikTok's ECommerce Potential: A Step by Step Guide to Monetizing Your Creativity
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Have you ever seen a shopping bag icon displayed on a video while scrolling through the TikTok app? This means that something in that TikTok video is being sold on the creator’s TikTok Shop!

With nearly 1.6 billion active TikTok users worldwide, TikTok is a high-visibility social media platform to post content on - so it’s no surprise that it's also become a popular platform for content creators to sell their products. As a result of this growth, TikTok has introduced new ecommerce features such as the TikTok Shop feature, which allows users to buy products directly on the TikTok app. 

For creators like you, this means there's never been a better time to start selling your products on TikTok! By mastering the following steps, you can capitalize on this great ecommerce feature and take your personal brand even further by expanding your products and merch into a second online base on Fourthwall, where you can establish your own website and merch store with customized print on demand goods and so much more! 

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Who Can Sell Products on TikTok?

TikTok shop examples
Image source: TikTok Shop

Before TikTok Shop, creators generally had to lead their viewers off the platform and away from their TikTok profile to complete purchases. This is no longer the case as viewers can purchase products directly on the platform. This means that creators stand to make immediate sales after their followers view content, making TikTok an excellent platform for monetizing content.

With TikTok Shop, almost anyone can sell products on TikTok. You can register as different business types - individual, sole proprietor, corporation or partnership. Whichever you choose, you must be at least 18 years old, and you'll have to meet some registration requirements to prove your identity and tax status when doing your onboarding.

How to Sell on TikTok: 7 Steps

Selling on your TikTok account is an easy process that involves the following simple steps:

1. Set up a Business Account

TikTok Shop Seller Center
Source: TikTok

The first step in selling on TikTok is to create your business account. Navigate to the TikTok Shop seller page to sign in and register. From here, you’ll enter in all necessary information, including information about your business and personal identification. Having a business account gives you access to additional analytics tools that can help you determine content strategy and engagement. Here are some things to keep in mind while going through this process:

  • You must register in your home location. You can't undo your registration choice. (If you’re a US shop and register in the UK, you can NOT undo this.)
  • If you’re a US user, you’ll need to prove that you’re a US resident. This includes having a valid US phone number or IP address. (If you’re a US user trying to register while traveling overseas, you’ll need to use a VPN. 

2. Set Up Shipping Templates

You can create and modify your TikTok Shop shipping templates in the TikTok Seller Center under "Shipping Options," where you can select your preferred delivery areas, services, exclusions, and rules.

TikTok Shipping offers Express and Standard options, while Seller Shipping allows self-shipping through a single provider. Make sure your shipping templates are completed before our next step - uploading products.

3. Add Your Products to the TikTok Shop

Now that you have your TikTok account set up, the next step is to add your products to your TikTok Shop! Fourthwall's seamless TikTok integration makes it a breeze for creators to sell their customized Fourthwall merch and apparel to TikTok users via their TikTok shops.

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Here are some pointers from your friendly Fourthwall team:

  • In order to maintain a good account standing, all of your products must ship within 7-14 days after being ordered. You cannot run pre-order drops through TikTok Shop.
  • You’ll need to support refunds/returns for all products (with the exception of made to order products.)
  • Customers have a 24 hour window to cancel their order after placing it.
  • TikTok Shipping offers Express and Standard options with details like maximum weight and additional services.
  • Seller Shipping allows self-shipping with a single provider; ensure shipping fees template is completed before uploading products.

4. Create Content

Once your shop is up and running, and everything has been approved by TikTok, it’s time to create engaging content to showcase your products! Compelling content drives interaction on the platform and ultimately boosts your rankings and sales. Create content that showcases each product to TikTok users in a creative way - this can include providing useful tips, offer product demonstrations, or doing fun unboxings. 

5. Add Product Tags to Your Videos

Part of the value of the TikTok Shop is that all viewers become potential customers when they see videos tagged with products being sold. Tagging your products in your videos simplifies the purchasing experience for TikTok users. It’s also important to note that uploads with TikTok Shop shopping tags get a higher priority in TikTok's feeds. 

6. Incentivize Your Followers

Interacting with followers is key to boosting sales and attracting new audiences! Followers should know that you are genuinely interested in offering them the best products and TikTok shopping experience. Consider offering discounts on your shop, like free shipping, to drive sales. You can also invest in TikTok ads to draw more attention to your TikTok Shop and products.

7. Collaborate and Promote Your Content

Beyond tagging your product videos and buying TikTok ads, you can collaborate with other creators and TikTok influencers to promote your products directly, to really grow your audience. Influencer marketing is quite successful on TikTok's platform, and many TikTok users trust their favorite influencers for product recommendations, especially if it's clear that the creator has used the product themselves. 

Benefits of Selling on TikTok

There are several advantages to selling products on TikTok, including:

  • You don’t need to invest a lot of money to get started: TikTok's algorithm favors authentic and innovative content over high production values. You can invest in things like TikTok ads, but it's not necessary to sell on the platform.
  • You can reach a large audience: The TikTok user base is vast and continues to grow, meaning you can get your products seen by an even greater audience.
  • TikTok is easy to use: The app's short-form video format encourages TikTok creators to be creative and engaging. Creators can leverage the platform's features, like filters, sound effects, and song choices, to be more creative.
  • TikTok's algorithm is unique: The app's algorithm suggests content based on users' interests. This will help to ensure that your products will reach your target audience, increasing the chances of viewers making a purchase.

Take Advantage of Multiple Platforms - Including Fourthwall!

Social media is constantly growing and changing, which means there’s no guarantee that TikTok Shop will be around forever! You may lose access to your TikTok account or your TikTok Shop for any number of reasons, or you may just decide that you don’t want to use that platform anymore. Your TikTok account also doesn’t give you access to your buyer emails, which prevents you from doing email retargeting or thanking your customers. With all of this in mind, you shouldn’t rely solely on TikTok for sales.  

This all might be challenging if you're only operating on one platform for your growth and success. But Fourthwall can help prevent those limitations. Creating your own website and ecommerce store on Fourthwall to sell even more of your products will ensure that your business will continue to thrive!

Fourthwall's TikTok selling page

As a TikTok creator, ecommerce platforms like Fourthwall are perfect for you. You can sell and ship your own items or design print on demand products, letting Fourthwall handle all of your manufacturing and shipping so you can focus on designing your merch and growing your TikTok account. Your Fourthwall shop and TikTok shop are also easily integrated, so you can take advantage of the best features of both.

Creators willing to try new things outside of their comfort zones have a great opportunity to grow their brand on TikTok and Fourthwall, gaining fans and selling products on both platforms. Get your TikTok in order - then come on over to Fourthwall to launch your own website, design and sell even more products, and offer exclusive memberships to your supporters and TikTok fans. Get started on Fourthwall today

Design & sell custom products

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Fourthwall is the best way to create your own premium quality products to sell to your online audience
Premium quality. Fast shipping. No minimums.
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Browse our product catalog

Choose from hundreds of premium products you can design and sell instantly
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Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to use Fourthwall?

There are no monthly fees, no upfront costs, and no contracts to use Fourthwall. You set your prices and choose your own margins. Here is how our pricing and splits work when you sell:

  • Products from our product catalog. All products in our product catalog have a publicly listed flat fee, which gets deducted from the selling price you set. There are no extra percentages/margins. You keep 100% of profits.
  • Products you ship yourself. No fee (0% fee)
  • Digital products. 3% flat fee
  • Subscription memberships. 5% flat fee

Additionally, all US-based credit card transactions have an added 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing fee (same as Shopify). Fees vary for PayPal and other providers. Learn more.

How much money do I make on sales from the Fourthwall catalog?

Product costs are listed directly in our product catalog.

If a t-shirt is listed in our catalog at a $10 cost, we will automatically deduct that amount from your profits whenever you make a sale. You can sell products for any price you want.

For example, if you sell the shirt for $22, you'll make $12 in profit on each unit sold. If you sell it for $50, then you'll make $40 in profit on each unit sold.

Does Fourthwall ship worldwide?

Yes! Fourthwall works with manufacturing & fulfillment partners around the globe in the US, UK, EU, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and Japan.

Shipping rates are dynamically determined by the size of package and destination. We work with most major carriers and pass through the true cost of shipping. That means that you can offer low-cost, fast shipping to your fans. Most items have a delivery window of 5-8 days.

Be sure to browse our product catalog to find products that are fulfilled out of your target regions to provide the fastest & cheapest shipping for your community.

Does Fourthwall handle payment processing?

Yes! Fourthwall operates as the "Merchant of Record" and automatically supports the following payment methods on checkout:

Does Fourthwall handle sales tax?

Fourthwall operates as the "Merchant of Record", which means that we're responsible for handling all sales taxes. This includes nexus registration, collecting sales tax, and remitting this to US states & other countries.

That way you can focus on designing products and promoting your shop, not taxes.

Can I connect a custom domain to Fourthwall?

Yes. You can connect a custom domain or subdomain on Fourthwall. Learn More.

Does Fourthwall offer artwork & design support?

If you need help finding an artist or designer, check out our design community.

This is a vetted network of exceptional designers that can help you make great quality designs for your audience. We also recommend tools like Canva or Kittl.

Does Fourthwall provide customer support for my orders?

Yes. For any product from our product catalog, we'll handle all customer support for you.

From answering general order questions to making address changes, our team is there to ensure that your buyers are treated with the same level of care that you would personally give them. We have a 12-hour or less average reply time, including nights and weekends.

For any items that you source on your own and ship from home, however, you'll need to do customer support.

Can you show me examples of storefronts on Fourthwall?

Yes! Over 200,000 sellers use Fourthwall to power their storefronts. This includes creators, podcasters, artists, musicians, startups, non-profits, and more.

Get inspired and browse all examples sites.

What integrations does Fourthwall have?

Fourthwall supports many free integrations, including:

  • YouTube Product Shelf (Merch Shelf)
  • TikTok Shop
  • Facebook and Instagram Shopping
  • Twitch Product Gifting
  • StreamElements and Streamlabs stream alerts
  • Zapier
  • Klaviyo
  • Mailchimp
  • And many, many more

See all apps & integrations.

Are there any requirements to join Fourthwall?

There are no requirements to join Fourthwall! Sign up now.