Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last month, you’ll have seen TikTok shop explode.
UGC Twitter has been flooded with countless threads of eye watering TikTok shop commissions. One creator hit me with “I woke up to another 37 sales from my tiktok shop video making me another 1k in commission” and even I felt a pang of FOMO.
Fear of missing out. Fear of leaving a lot of money on the table. Fear of starting too late.
Fear less. Today, we’re covering everything you need to know about starting TikTok shop (even if you don’t have the 5000 followers yet).
What Is TikTok Shop?
It depends on who you ask. For some, it’s a glorified money printer.
In a nutshell, TikTok Shop is an all-in-one shopping experience for folks who don’t want to leave the platform while browsing. It lets you products while watching TikTok LIVE videos, browsing your FYP or through a handy new ‘Shop’ tab.
Rolling out across the US in September 2023, it initially started small, but now, not so much.
There are now over 200,000 sellers (big and small) on the platform and it’s growing every day.
But what’s this got to do with creators?
Why Should UGC Creators Start TikTok Shop?
TikTok shop provides an unrivalled opportunity to make $$$ as an creator.
It’s similar to the Amazon affiliate program. Choose a product, post promotional content on your own account and in return, you receive a commission payout for every sale that content drives.
The kicker?
The % commission you get from TikTok leaves Amazon in the dust.
✨ TikTok shop is new. TikTok shop is still fairly new and shiny. TikTok wants to convert it’s scrollers to shoppers, and to do so they are really pushing shop content. Users are being given vouchers and incentives just to purchase, as are brands to sell.
💸 Commission is high. While Amazon rates are set at around 3-4%, TikTok commission ranges anywhere from 5-65%, so it’s easy to make bank.
🚀 High conversion rates. Audiences don’t need to leave TikTok. Checking out is a seamless transaction that makes it easier for you to make the sale.
How To Start TikTok Shop
Starting TikTok shop as a creator couldn’t be easier, as long as you meet three small requirements. You’ll need to:
✔️ Have 5000 followers in the US, 1000 in the UK
✔️ Have posted a video in the last 28 days
✔️ Be over 18
If you meet the requirements, simply head for Creator Tools in your profile and apply for TikTok Shop.
How To Do TikTok Shop With Less Than 5000 Followers
If you don’t have enough followers, there are workarounds. In fact, there are three different ways to gain access to TikTok Shop as a creator, depending on your follower count. Remember, if you’re in the US you need 5000 followers, if you’re in the UK it’s only 1000.
1. Join A CPA
The first workaround is to join a Creative Partner Agency (CPA).
There are thousands of creative agencies that work with TikTok that you can partner with. You’ll allow the agency access to your account and they’ll give you whitelisting permissions through the agency.
This may take a few weeks, but will ultimately give you access to TikTok shop. I’d recommend Creatorev, but do your own research first.
2. Join As A Business
The second method is everywhere online, so I’ve included it, but I do not recommend doing this.
Essentially, you’re going to use the TikTok shop business loophole. At the moment, you can create a business TikTok shop account with no follower requirements.
- Open a TikTok For Business Account
- Open a TikTok Shop Account as a merchant
- Link the account you want to use to the TikTok Shop
Before you do set yourself up as a business, consider it really really carefully.
It’s a workaround, but one that comes with risk. TikTok are no doubt aware of it already and will eventually put a stop to it.
When they do, you don’t want to be left in the cold.
Remember, TikTok is the easiest app to grow a following on quickly. 5000 followers is really do-able. Ask yourself, if you can’t gain 5000 followers on the app, will you be able to sell products on it?
