How can you make the most of TikTok to get your e-commerce known internationally?

95 minutes per day—that’s the average time TikTok users spend on the app, roughly twice as long as users of Instagram. As well spending more time on TikTok, users do more than simply entertain themselves on the platform. They use it as a search engine to find information and products they want to buy. Therefore, TikTok is a strategic place for spreading the news of your e-commerce, both nationally and internationally.

What is TikTok E-commerce?

TikTok was initially known for its short, creative videos, but soon became one of the most influential social networks in the world, with more than 1.5 billion users to its name in 2024.

That same year, the platform took the step by integrating e-commerce functionalities. This transformed the user experience into a full and fluid buying journey, directly within the app.

TikTok E-commerce describes the solutions and tools that enable brands and creatives to sell their products on TikTok.

The cornerstones of e-commerce on TikTok

TikTok now wants to do more than inspire or entertain: the platform combines viral content with the buying experience. It’s the new star of social commerce and enables e-sellers to:

• sell their products to an audience that’s engaged
• synchronise their product catalogue with TikTok via Shopify, Prestashop, WooCommerce and Magento integrations
• access analytical tools to optimise their campaigns and track conversions in real time

What’s more, TikTok’s founders have developed functionalities dedicated to online commerce. Here they are.

TikTok Shop

This functionality enables users to buy products directly from videos, lives or via the brand’s profile shop tab.

Shoppable videos

Products can be tagged in videos. The user can also click on the product link or basket icon to instantly finalise their purchase. This is a very useful way to make any video transactional.

LIVE Shopping Ads

During LIVE Shopping Ads, a presenter (brand, expert or influencer) presents products, tests them, explains their features and answers users’ questions in real time via interactive online chat. Users can then click on a link to buy them and test them for themselves.

‘Shop’ tag

Each brand can create a shop window on its profile, by integrating a detailed product catalogue (with descriptions, prices, delivery options, customer reviews, etc.). In a way, TikTok duplicates your shop on its platform.

How can you make the most of TikTok to get your e-commerce better known?</h2>

1. Create TikTok challenges

TikTok challenges </strong>can range from a game or a dance to a task to be completed. This type of content can soon become viral.

For example: Pepsi launched the #PepsiCanBalance Challenge. TikTok users had to take up the challenge by trying to balance as many cans of Pepsi as possible. Famous footballers, such as Messi, Sterling and Pogba, joined in with the challenge.

Whatever type of challenge must be completed, you should clearly define the rules and choose a unique hashtag. A TikTok challenge is always accompanied by a hashtag</strong>. The hashtag must be easy to remember and to spell.

🌎 Our advice on getting your e-commerce known internationally: to ensure that your TikTok challenge goes viral all over the world, choose an English hashtag that everybody can understand.

2. Work with influencers

Working with influencers on TikTok is an excellent acquisition strategy because it enables you to benefit from these creatives’ credibility and engaged audience.

Regardless of the number of followers influencers may have, they know how to create authentic content that speaks to their community. This greatly increases the likelihood of their recommendations being transformed into sales.

For example: the Korean brand Beauty of Joseon achieved runaway success by joining forces with beauty influencers on TikTok. These influencers created viral video demonstrations that generated hundreds of thousands of sales in just a few weeks.

🌎 Our advice on getting your e-commerce known internationally: target influencers who have audiences in several countries or who create multilingual content.

3. Using the TikTok Promotion tool

The Promotion tool allows you to broadcast a video to a wider audience, with no need for technical skills. This functionality is a great way to boost the reputation of an online shop rapidly and generate engagement around its products.

For example: a clothing brand can advertise the launch of a collection by using this tool.  This tool ensures that the video will be viewed by thousands of extra users, resulting in a significant increase in traffic to the e-commerce site.

🌎 Our advice on getting your e-commerce known internationally: we advise you to use the Promotion tool’s geographic targeting options. They allow you to select specific countries or regions when configuring your campaign. This means you can reach specific audiences and adapt the message to each market.

4. Use automatic subtitling and translation of the subtitles.

Using automatic subtitling is essential to maximise the reach of your TikTok account. This functionality makes videos accessible to a wider audience, including people with impaired hearing and those who watch videos with the sound off (and there’s a lot of them).

According to an American survey, 75% of TikTok users watch videos with the sound off. This figure rises to 86% for 25 to 34-year-olds.

🌎 Our advice on getting your e-commerce known internationally: don’t forget to use TikTok’s subtitle translation functionality. Once the subtitles have been automatically generated, they can be translated into several languages.

5. Track the right indicators

Your online shop has e-commerce KPIs that can be tracked. Well, your TikTok account is the same. You can find out what content is most popular with your audience by analysing indicators such as:

• number of views
• the rate of engagement (likes, shares, comments)
• the full view rate
• the conversion rate

🌎 Our advice on getting your e-commerce known internationally: analyse the geographic origin of an audience via TikTok Pro statistics or TikTok For Business. Then, you can adapt your strategy according to the most receptive markets, so you’re spending your money wisely.

Getting your e-commerce known via TikTok

Regardless of the size of your online shop, TikTok represents an excellent opportunity to build an engaged community and boost your sales all year round.

Getting your e-commerce known internationally using TikTok – our recommendations in a nutshell:

• create TikTok challenges
• work with influencers
• use the TikTok Promotion tool
• use automatic subtitles and translate them
• track the right indicators and correct your strategy if necessary

Lastly, don’t get obsessed with quality! The strength of TikTok is that you don’t need to do too much or aim for perfection to achieve your goals. Spontaneous videos, such as tutorials, sketches or behind-the-scenes of your brand, often work better than more polished content.

To take matters a step further, why not check out our 8 tips to optimise your e-commerce strategy on Instagram.