Why you should be demanding more than brand awareness from your TikTok strategy

Many brands still see TikTok as just a social platform—a space to build brand awareness. But that mindset is outdated.

TikTok's platform has transformed into a powerful eCommerce engine thanks to TikTok Shop, enabling brands to drive direct sales without users leaving the app. Early adopters that embrace TikTok Shop are already reaping the rewards and giving themselves a competitive edge as social commerce reshapes the online shopping landscape.

The case for early adoption of TikTok Shop

Where do you turn first when shopping online? While Google and Amazon have long been the default, TikTok is revolutionizing product discovery, especially among younger generations. Over a third of Gen Z and younger Millennials now consider TikTok a primary shopping platform, highlighting a major shift in consumer behavior.

With a highly engaged, youthful audience and minimal competition, TikTok Shop presents a unique opportunity for early adopters. Brands that act now gain an edge with increased discoverability and a chance to establish dominance before the platform becomes saturated.

How smart brands are approaching TikTok Shop

Influencer marketing is the cornerstone of sales success on TikTok Shop. Today's shoppers are  increasingly turning to trusted content creators for product recommendations, reviews, and inspiration. These creators have a clear understanding of their highly engaged audiences and excel at crafting authentic, high-performing content that drives both engagement and conversions.

When it comes to influencer marketing on TikTok, brands typically adopt one of two key strategies:

• TikTok affiliate network: leveraging affiliates is a requirement for brands looking to achieve sustained success on TikTok Shop. With the TikTok affiliate network, content creators earn commissions based on the sales they generate, creating a win-win scenario that encourages a focus on driving conversions. These content creators often have smaller but highly engaged audiences, making their content feel personal and relatable, which enhances purchase intent.

• Paid creator outreach: To generate demand from affiliates who are only paid when sales are generated, brands have to get the ball rolling on TikTok Shop by partnering with creators who have established loyal followings.  In these collaborations, creators are paid upfront to generate shoppable videos, leveraging their credibility to expand a brand’s reach. Once that paid content starts to resonate with consumers, affiliates are more likely to work with a brand.  

Authenticity is a key factor in content success on TikTok. It’s important creators and brands looking to collaborate align seamlessly—products should integrate naturally into the creator’s style, values, and content.  

To build lasting loyalty and encourage repeat purchases, brands need to be willing to embrace the style of transactional content that works on this platform. No one understands what drives engagement from their audience better than the creators themselves. That’s why it is important that brands allow creators to take over building content on their behalf.  

Practical advice for getting started on TikTok Shop

If you haven’t started exploring TikTok Shop, now is the perfect time to jump in.  

1. Begin by selecting a few key products that are likely to perform well on the platform

When launching on TikTok Shop, give users a reason to buy on the platform. A limited time offer or a unique product bundle is a good place to start. Test a limited product offering, measure your results, and expand based on what works. Not every product is a fit for TikTok Shop, which is why it's helpful to have guidance from an experienced partner like Flywheel. We have the deep retail expertise that enables us to pinpoint optimal products for TikTok Shop success through comprehensive market analysis. We’ll help you strategically showcase these products in a way that drives sales and maximizes profitability.

2. Engage a qualified TikTok Shop partner to take care of time-consuming tasks and set you up for success

As an official TikTok Shop partner, Flywheel brings insider knowledge and exclusive strategies that help you stay ahead of the curve. From pinpointing winning approaches to managing time-consuming tasks like creator outreach, we handle the details that drive success on TikTok Shop—so you can focus on scaling efficiently.

3. Closely monitor and track your TikTok Shop performance and adjust accordingly

Like with any new platform, performance measurement is essential for growth. Track key metrics like conversion rates, average order value (AOV), cost per acquisition (CPA), and return on ad spend (ROAS) to understand what’s working. Pair these with engagement insights—such as video views, click-through rates (CTR), and audience retention—to fine-tune your content and drive better results.

Don’t ignore qualitative feedback, either. Customer comments and creator insights can highlight opportunities or pinpoint challenges you might miss in the data. These valuable signals can also guide product adjustments and messaging improvements.

Move beyond awareness and start driving real results through TikTok Shop

TikTok has evolved far beyond a platform for brand awareness—it’s now a thriving eCommerce powerhouse. By leveraging TikTok Shop, brands can not only capture the attention of a highly engaged audience but also drive measurable sales and build lasting customer loyalty. The key is to approach TikTok Shop strategically: start focused, collaborate authentically with creators, and continuously optimize based on performance data.

Early adopters who embrace this opportunity position themselves as leaders in the next wave of social commerce. The time to move beyond awareness and start driving real results through TikTok Shop is now. By adopting a sales-first mindset and partnering with experts like Flywheel, your brand can unlock the full potential of TikTok Shop and create a sustainable path to growth in this rapidly evolving digital landscape.