The TikTok Shop has arrived in Brazil with great promises, coming from a history of success around the world. Just last year, the app’s ‘little store’ moved around $33 billion globally, according to Statista. The impact is already being felt here, but brands still have a lot to learn about the subject – from using videos as sales machines to particular functionalities that don’t exist anywhere else.
Henrique Troitinho, CEO of the digital marketing innovation agency Score Media, says that the rules of the TikTok Shop are not the same as any other e-commerce tool. ‘First of all, the online store is based on content and not the other way around. Videos are the sales engine, which requires a TikTok First approach and specialized marketing management to achieve the full potential of the shop. In addition, there are platform specifications, both in terms of restrictions and opportunities,’ he comments.
Therefore, according to the expert, brands cannot just expect to register and start selling. It is necessary to understand the app’s mechanisms and work with them strategically.
One example is the list of restricted or prohibited products. “To follow TikTok’s policies as a whole, there is a series of goods and services that cannot be sold there,” explains Henrique. “It is essential to make sure that no item has ended up in the mix, as this can affect the entire store’s score and reduce its relevance.” Among the prohibitions are weapons, animals or animal products, safety and privacy products, financial products, illegal drugs and drug accessories. The restricted list includes medications, some medical devices, weight loss products, sexual products and services, automobiles and automotive parts, media products, alcohol, tobacco, and electronic cigarettes, among others.
Working with professionals specialized in app management helps the brand to have access to all items and understand the best ways to comply with the rules. Similarly, TikTok Shop’s own opportunities should be seized by those who want to stand out; this includes competitions, with rankings for the highest amount of sales per category.
“Live competitions are the main ones, as they follow a trend already popular in other countries, live commerce,” points out Troitinho. The format is real-time, with live content consumption and shopping at the same time, generating a business turnover that applies to all sectors and company sizes. “China has already mastered this technique for a long time, but now the whole world is jumping on the bandwagon. The expectation is that live commerce platforms will reach $7.2 billion by 2030,” adds the entrepreneur, referring to a forecast from Research and Markets.
What TikTok Shop proposes, then, is a ranking for stores and creators that sell the most during lives, with benefits for those who stay at the top. These advantages include discount coupons to provide to customers, cash prizes, traffic resources, and even trophies. The exposure in the ranking itself is also a boost to the brand image.
“TikTok Shop presents various possibilities and different goals. You can be in the top 10 of your category if you want to work with lives, or you can boost sales in another way. The important thing is to understand that, no matter the path chosen, we are talking about a transformation of e-commerce and not just a new channel. Start with an open mind and ready to truly expand your online presence,” concludes the CEO.
