TikTok is a game changer for marketing your online reselling business. Since the pandemic, TikTok has boomed in popularity, now boasting more than 1 billion monthly active users. What started as a platform for Gen Z dance routines and challenges has now grown to a marketing tool for all kinds of businesses, from small independent creators to major fashion houses like Burberry and Dior. Jacquemus recently garnered 1.4 million likes on a TikTok video alone of giant models of their Bambino bags cruising the streets of Paris, causing a sharp rise in searches of their brand and sales of the bag. Ingenious. While you may not be able to commission a fleet of bus-sized vintage sweaters just yet, you can still use TikTok to promote your secondhand and vintage clothing business. But if you don’t know your #fyp from your #tiktokshop, here at Fleek we’ve put together a guide on how to use TikTok to promote your online reselling business and showcase your products to the world. Trust us, you’ll want to know.

1. Set up a TikTok Pro account

If you haven’t already made a TikTok account, it should be number 1 on your To Do list. TikTok can make a huge difference to your business, especially if you do it right. Your videos simply popping up on someone’s ‘For You Page’ (aka FYP) could bring in a whole host of new buyers if you play the right marketing strategies. The FYP is the main feed of TikTok, where viewers find videos algorithmically curated towards their personal interests and what’s globally trending. If you have a TikTok account already, make sure it’s set to Pro. You’ll then be able to add a link in your bio to your website or online storefront, as well as contact details and other social media accounts, so when viewers see your TikTok videos pop up on their FYP, they can quickly find your details just by clicking on your profile. Your videos can also be improved by accessing analytics info, which you can only do with a Pro account. Using analytics will help you market your brand better, as you’ll know what videos are working best and what engages viewers while scrolling their FYP. For more details on how to actually create these videos which will promote your business and make your posts pop, read on.

2. Get TikToking

The key to success on TikTok is to create engaging content that resonates with your target audience. This will depend on your business’ niche, but be aware that over 70% of TikTok’ers fall between the ages of 18-34. As the secondhand clothing demographic is a predominantly younger one, TikTok is ideal for many online resellers. Don’t fear if not, as TikTok is ever-growing but also not the only option out there (check out our Instagram marketing guide if that’s more your thing). 

TikTok is a platform where creativity reigns supreme. Creating entertaining content that plays to the interests of your target market is essential to build a strong following on the platform. Make videos that showcase your products or services, show behind-the-scenes footage, or offer tips and advice. Product drops are a great way of showing potential buyers the type of stock you offer and giving your TikTok audience a sneak peek of your next big drop. The more engaging your content is, the more likely people will follow your account and become potential customers.

Your content should be visually appealing and showcase your brand’s personality while most importantly capitalizing on current trends, as this is what really engages TikTok audiences and its algorithm. Use trending music, challenges and hashtags to increase the discoverability of your content. You don’t need a big budget or large amounts of time, as TikToks are only short videos that need to immediately grab viewers’ attention. It might seem counterintuitive, but with TikTok, the focus is really quantity rather than quality, as long as each video contains something that will hook viewers and draw them to your page. The more videos you produce, the more chances you’ll end up on a FYP and create a trending video. Who knows, with the right marketing strategy, you might even go viral. Next, we’ve got a few tips on how to make this happen.

3. Go viral!

We’ve already covered how important following the latest trends is to gain traction on TikTok. This requires a bit of research and, crucially, keeping up-to-date. TikTok is a fast-moving platform, and nothing stays trending for long. Hashtags are an essential part of managing your TikTok marketing, as they help users discover new content. Do some research on relevant hashtags to your niche or industry, and also what hashtags are trending at the time of posting. Include these hashtags in your video captions to help your content appear in front of potential customers, both those who are interested in what you offer and those who happen to see it pop up on their FYP. You can increase the chances of this by using the hashtag #fyp in your captions to get your TikToks appearing on the FYPs of users all across the world.  Be careful not to use too many hashtags though, as this can make your content look like spam. 

Using popular hashtags as well as trending topics can help you go viral. If a challenge is going viral, make the most of it and find a way to incorporate your products into the trend. Is there a particular sound trending? Use it as the background music of your product drops and GRWMs. TikTok is all about capitalizing on the latest trends to use the algorithm to your advantage and attract as many potential buyers as possible. 

Influencers are MAJOR on TikTok and can provide a powerful marketing tool for your business to reach a wider audience. Collaborate with influencers who have a large following in your niche and ask them to feature your products or services in their videos. This may be simply wearing your items and tagging your store to offering exclusive discounts on your TikTok Shop. Leveraging influencer content means you can tap into their audience, who are already interested in what you offer, and draw them to your page and store. TikTok makes this easy by offering an Influencer Marketplace, where popular influencers advertise their services in an easy-to-use marketplace. #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt is a very real thing, and influencers can help your store reach the top of this hashtag.

4. TikTok Shop

TikTok has also introduced their own in-app e-commerce feature, TikTok Shop, which makes it even easier for you to use TikTok to promote your online reselling business. Set up a TikTok Shop account by tapping on the three dots in the right hand corner of your profile page and follow the on-screen instructions to create your account. Provide some basic info and add products to your store, including details about your product. Make sure to use the high-quality photos you’d use on other social media apps or your own storefront to showcase your amazing products in the best light. You can then promote these products using TikTok videos that capitalize on the latest trends and hashtagging your items to interested buyers. You can also work with influencers to tag your products in videos that feature them wearing your items or showing off a haul, and even offer exclusive discounts that their followers can use in your TikTok Shop.

5. Promote your TikTok and use resource center

TikTok has an advertising platform that allows businesses to promote their products and services. Use this platform to target specific audiences based on demographics, interests, and behaviors. This will help you reach potential customers who are most likely to be interested in your products or services. While TikTok does have an accessible ad service, TikTok users don’t respond as well to traditional advertising. In fact, as soon as they spot an ad, they may just immediately skip before even looking at the product. Get creative instead by following our tips above to create videos that capitalize on the latest trends and bring you views without even having to pay.

Remember, TikTok is a creative platform, so be sure to have fun with your content and showcase your brand’s personality. Utilize hashtags, trending topics and sounds to get your videos viral and your business on FYPs all over the world. Don’t forget to give us a follow at @joinfleek to join the community and get some inspo!