Now that you’ve identified your ideal audience, it’s time to promote your ecommerce brand and start selling on tiktok. Luckily, BigCommerce has partnered with TikTok so that you can easily connect your BigCommerce store to your TikTok account. Here are 8 steps to get you on your way:

1. Create your account.

First things first, download the TikTok app, create an account and start to get familiar with it. If you already have a personal account, you’ll likely want to create a separate one for your business, but luckily, you’ll be able to switch between multiple accounts with the same login information.

Next, you’ll need to come up with a username for your page. Feel free to get creative with it, but also make sure that your handles are consistent across your social platforms so that customers can easily find and recognize you.

Finally, add a profile picture and a bio with a punchy description of your brand, and connect to your Instagram and YouTube accounts for easy navigation between channels.

2. Switch your account to “Pro”.

By default, you’ll begin with a “Personal” account when you first join TikTok. However, to better market your brand and access analytics features, you’ll need to switch to “Pro,” which offers two types: a Creator and a Business account. Of course, if you’re promoting your business, you’ll want to select Business.

With this type of account, you can access detailed analytics and track your page’s performance to understand which videos are working and which ones you should drop. Plus, you’ll be able to add a link in your bio to your online store, Amazon storefront or Facebook Business page, as well as contact information.

3. Create content.

Once your account is up and running, it’s time for the fun part: filming TikTok videos!

This is where you can really let your brand personality shine. While edited and curated content has its place on Instagram and other visual platforms, TikTok users favor authentic, raw content — so don’t be afraid to have a little fun with it!

If you’re in a creative rut, scroll through your For You feed for a little bit of inspiration, and then do some brainstorming. Grab a pen and paper and jot down every idea you have, both good and bad — even if one idea isn’t great, it will likely help guide you to the best one.

Even though the goal is to promote your product and drive sales, try not to sound too salesy. TikTok users can see right through this and will likely scroll right past your video.

Instead, aim to keep the user engaged — so much so that they’ll want to rewatch your video and share it with their friends. The more views that your video gets, the more likely that TikTok will prioritize it on other users’ For You pages.

Try incorporating content that’s funny or entertaining, whether it be a trending sound effect or a visually compelling how-to video. Keep in mind that you only have 3 minutes max to grab your viewer’s attention, but if you can do so in even less time, that’s even better. Still need some creative inspiration? Check out the TikTok for Business Inspiration Center.

4. Engage with your audience.

The whole point of a social media app is to be, well, social. So don’t isolate your TikTok business from your viewers!

As users engage with your content through likes, shares and comments, make sure you’re actively and consistently communicating with them in the comment section. This will show your viewers that you’re not just there to make a quick sale, but you’re there to interact with your customers and form a community around your brand.

5. Utilize influencer marketing.

If you’ve ever scrolled through Instagram or YouTube, you’re likely already familiar with influencer marketing. Influencers, especially those who match your target audience, can help you reach new customers and grow your brand awareness dramatically. And considering 49% of consumers depend on influencer recommendations to purchase, this is one marketing tactic that shouldn’t be overlooked.

To find a TikTok creator who falls into your niche, try searching for keywords or phrases that relate to your product, and browse through the top videos to see if there are any influencers who might be a good fit.

6. Promote user-generated content.

There’s a reason “TikTok Made Me Buy It” is practically a household phrase.

So many brands go viral on TikTok solely because an ordinary user posted a video of themselves raving about a specific product. And many of these viral videos aren’t even paid ads — they’re simply organic content that gets circulated on the platform until, before you know it, practically every TikTok user owns the product.

Create your own hashtag or challenge to encourage your audience to share videos of themselves using your products. Not only is this free advertising for your business, but it’s also an effective way to get your name out there and get people familiar with your products.

7. Explore other selling options on TikTok.

On top of organic and user-generated content, you also have the option to incorporate paid ads into your marketing campaign. Luckily, TikTok offers a variety of different ad types and tools for targeting specific audiences. There are two different types of ads you can choose from:

Self-Service Ads: These types of ads appear in a user’s For You page just like any other TikTok video, so they blend in and don’t feel too salesy.
Ad Manager: These ads include branded hashtag challenges, brand takeovers, branded filters and Top View ads — aka videos that show up 5 seconds after a user opens the app.
Keep your audience engaged: Leverage TikTok’s Video Creation Kit and create your video ads easily. Access a variety of video templates and even create videos by using your existing images, without needing to be a pro editor.

8. Take advantage of TikTok’s resource center.

Especially if you’re just getting started with selling on TikTok, the “Small Business Resource Center” will be your best friend. The tool allows merchants to access templates for advertising, watch webinars led by industry experts and learn from other brands who have led successful ad campaigns on TikTok.

Plus, the resource center offers TikTok Pixel, which collects data about customers who have interacted with your content and helps users to track and analyze ad performance.