TikTok Shop redefines the codes of online commerce, with Discovery commerce. More than just a marketplace, it’s an environment focused on engaging content, where the act of purchasing merges with the experience of entertainment. For brands, it’s not just about listing products. It’s all about content strategy, influence and omnichannel presence. Here are the four pillars you need to know to develop an effective presence on TikTok Shop.
Shoppable videos: the foundation of any TikTok Shop strategy
Shoppable videos are now the main performance lever on TikTok Shop. They are the first form of presence, and often the most profitable.
The principle is simple: you publish a video from your TikTok page, and embed a direct link to one or more products in your TikTok Shop. The user can then buy without leaving the platform, in just a few clicks.
But this apparent simplicity must not mask two fundamental issues: the quality of the content and the frequency of publication (at least twice a week). Success on TikTok Shop depends on the brand’s ability to regularly produce engaging, authentic videos, perfectly calibrated for the TikTok algorithm. This is often referred to as the “self” model: the brand expresses itself in the first person, embodies its products, and relies on short, punchy storytelling.
Advice from our Tiktok Shop experts: Integrate content creation into your TikTok Shop project right from the start. Don’t just put your products online. Ask yourself: Who’s going to produce the content? What tone should you adopt? What formats should be tested?
Live shopping: the art of selling live
TikTok Shop’s second key lever is live shopping. Here, the brand speaks live on TikTok, presenting its products, answering users’ questions and encouraging them to buy in real time, thanks to exclusive offers, demonstrations and testimonials.
This format is enjoying strong momentum, particularly in the beauty, fashion and lifestyle worlds. It combines the strength of an emotional bond with the power of immediate purchase. In China, live events already account for a major share of e-commerce sales. In Europe, the trend is following its course, and TikTok is investing heavily to make it a strategic pillar of its business model.
For successful live shopping :
- Prepare a smooth, dynamic flow
- Rely on influential creators if you haven’t yet mastered the exercise
- Create the event (teasing, promotions, exclusives)
Opinion of our Tiktok Shop experts: Live Shopping is the most promising format on Tiktok Shop for generating sales. But it requires organization and a learning curve to master its codes.
The Shop Tab: your brand’s product showcase
The third, more traditional but rapidly expanding lever is the Shop Tab. This is a tab dedicated to shopping, accessible from the main TikTok interface. Currently being rolled out in France, it will soon be available to 100% of users.
This Shop Tab includes :
- A search bar to find products
- Personalized recommendations based on videos viewed or past purchases
- Product categories (fashion, home, tech, etc.) like on an e-commerce site
This lever is reassuring for brands: it offers passive visibility to users in search of inspiration. But it’s not enough to generate traffic or sales, as buying reflexes on TikTok are not yet equivalent to those on traditional marketplaces.
Advice from our Tiktok Shop experts: the Shop Tab is a good complement to a content strategy, but cannot be your sole point of entry.
Profile and Showcase store: your brand anchor
Finally, any brand that opens a TikTok Shop automatically creates a showcase profile. Once the shop is linked to the brand’s TikTok page, a Shop tab appears on the profile, alongside the published videos. Here you’ll find all the products available for sale, sorted according to collections or new releases.
This is sometimes referred to as the Showcase Shop: it enables a user, attracted by a video or live campaign, to easily find all your offers.
Opinion of our Tiktok Shop experts: This store is essential for building your credibility, but it doesn’t play a driving role in acquisition. It’s more about conversion or reassurance.
Summary: focus on content first
The bottom line: content is the lifeblood of TikTok Shop. Shoppable videos and live shopping must form the core of your launch strategy. The Shop Tab and Showcase Shop are useful complements, but cannot replace the creation of a link with your audience through engaging content.
| Type of presence | Main role | Impact on sales | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shoppable video | Acquisition + direct conversion | Very high | Priority |
| Live shopping | Engagement + event sales | High | Priority |
| Shop Tab | Passive visibility | Moderate | Complementary |
| Showcase | Reassurance + brand image | Low to moderate | Secondary |
Who produces the content for Tiktok Shop?
If you are a brand, you have several options:
- Create your own videos using your team or an in-house studio
- Collaborate with content creators (influencers) via affiliate marketing campaigns or paid partnerships
- Use specialized TikTok Shop agencies, such as Effinity, to produce high-performance content and manage your sales.
Whichever option you choose, the watchword remains the same: don’t just be present. Be active, creative and embodied. Launching on TikTok Shop isn’t just about opening a store: it’s about entering an ecosystem where the product lives through the content. Successful brands are those that integrate TikTok into their overall strategy, master the platform’s codes and produce content with regularity and authenticity.
Effinity, a TikTok Shop Partner agency, can support you at every stage of your presence on TikTok Shop.
