TikTok For Business Guide: ECommerce Edition (2025)

1. Create a TikTok business account

Before you can start promoting your products, you’ll need to set up a business account to access TikTok’s marketing tools and reach the right audience from the start.

Step 1: Download and open TikTok

If you haven’t already, download the TikTok app and sign up or log in using your business email or linked social media accounts.

Step 2: Switch to a business account

Tap the profile icon at the bottom right to access your profile. To view your account settings, open the menu by tapping the three lines at the top right, then select Settings and Privacy. Under Account, tap Switch to business account and choose the Business option.

Step 3: Select your business category

Pick a category that best describes your business. This helps TikTok show your content to the most relevant users. Some common TikTok categories include:

• Clothing and accessories
• Beauty
• Arts and crafts
• Electronics
• Education and training
• Finance and investing

Once you’ve completed these steps, your TikTok business account is ready. TikTok also gives you access to built-in analytics tools to help track performance and optimize your TikTok content strategy.

2. Make your first impression count

Before you create content, make sure your business account is optimized. With 62% of TikTokers under 30 – you’ve got to think – and act – like your audience. That means everything on the TikTok app needs to be short, sharp, and engaging. This includes your profile page.

Brand your profile photo appropriately

Your TikTok profile image and business name are the first things users see, so keep them consistent with your branding across platforms. 

The profile picture should be visually related to your other social platform profiles, using the same color palette and style.

The optimal dimensions for a TikTok account photo are 200 x 200 pixels. Consider simplifying the details, so the image looks good on the small thumbnail icon.

To improve visibility and engagement, make sure your TikToks include clear video information, such as captions and descriptions.

Make your bio short and catchy

The maximum allowed TikTok bio length is 80 characters. That’s about 10 to 20 words – try to make it half that. There are two ways you can go about it:

• Describe your business – Amazon’s bio is “we’d give you five stars,” Wendy’s bio is “Sir, this is a Wendy’s TikTok,” LinkedIn’s is “Let’s Tok about your career.” If they can make it work, so can you.
• Promote upcoming campaigns – Make your bio seasonal and timely, and update it frequently. Present an upcoming sale, event, feature, and anything else you have going on. 

Link with intent

You can link directly to your eCommerce store, but that’s not always the most effective way to track performance or guide users based on your content’s intent.

If your TikTok content focuses more on increasing brand awareness or sharing business insights, consider linking to another social media platform, a short video ad, or even an article about your business.

Alternatively, if you’re using your account to spotlight products, a dedicated catalog or landing page is often a smarter choice.

3.Prepare a TikTok marketing strategy

TikTok has redefined digital advertising, favoring content that feels real over traditional product pitches. Today’s younger audiences are sharp, skeptical, and quick to spot anything that feels overly polished or salesy. 

When creating TikTok ads, lean into a less commercialized approach – one that speaks their language.

Prioritize transparency, authenticity, and content that reflects real life. That’s where genuine value – and real connection – live.

Align your strategy with your business goals

Start by identifying the type of content you’ll create for a results-driven approach. These TikTok content ideas for business can help you match each piece of content to a specific objective:

• Increase brand awareness – Share engaging content that highlights your brand’s strengths and presence in the social space.
• Build engaged communities – Connect with the TikTok community by curating content for your niche. Collaborate with like-minded creators and speak directly to your audience.
• Sell products and services – Promote your offerings with targeted content around discounts, seasonal campaigns, product launches, and sales opportunities.
• Gather audience feedback – Use prompts, questions, or comments to invite feedback on your products and services, showing you’re listening and ready to improve.
• Provide educational content – Create helpful tutorials, how-tos, and step-by-step guides to support customers and even offer tips to fellow business owners.

Select your target audience

Make sure TikTok’s audience demographics align with your target audience. 60% of app users are female, and 40% are male. Of those, 80% are between the ages of 16-34.

Contrary to popular belief, TikTok isn’t just for teens. It’s steadily gaining popularity among older age groups, making it a valuable space for a wider range of businesses and audiences.

Thanks to TikTok’s algorithm, content is curated around niche interests: dancing, fashion, arts and crafts, cooking, fitness, and more. To make your ads resonate, think about the specific audience most likely to be interested in your content, and align your style with the formats and trends they already enjoy.

If you’re marketing to a global audience, don’t forget to factor in language preferences and cultural nuances. Tailoring your message helps you connect better with viewers around the world.

Choose relevant hashtags

Explore trending tags and use the right keywords or hashtags to help TikTok understand and promote your content to your ideal audience.

Stick to hashtags that reflect your brand and content, and avoid stuffing unrelated or overly generic ones. Strategic use of trending tags can help you gain more reach and attract new followers.

Team up with TikTok influencers

TikTok thrives as a social platform built around communities of shared interests – many of which are shaped by popular influencers.

To tap into this network, create content that interacts with well-known creators and connects your brand to the wider TikTok community. Duets, shared music clips, and trend-inspired posts are great ways to join the conversation authentically.

Alternatively, consider influencer marketing through paid collaborations to promote your products or services in a way that feels natural and resonates with their followers.

Turn comments into conversations

Engage with active TikTok users who post questions or reactions in your comments. These user interactions can provide valuable insights for improving your content.

Observe and like entertaining comments and reply to user concerns. Use the feedback to note whether your structure, prompts, or video framework needs to be optimized.

Develop a posting strategy

TikTok recommends posting content one to four times a day. This lets you test different types of content and what works best. Posting more than that risks flooding a user’s feed with too much marketing content.

Your TikTok videos must be consistent and posted according to your audience’s time zone. On weekdays, the best time to post on TikTok is early in the morning or late in the evening. For weekends, aim for the afternoon.

Plan ahead with a content calendar to stay on top of TikTok trends. 

While TikTok doesn’t allow post scheduling in-app, you can use third-party tools like Later, Hootsuite, or Metricool to schedule posts in advance and stay consistent. 

4. Engage with the target audience using relevant content

Know your target audience

Every time you open TikTok, the content magically caters to your preferences. That’s the algorithm at play. To get its attention, you need a very specific idea of your TikTok audience, what their niche is, and how you can compete with the content they already consume.

TikTok is an entertainment site first

Always consider how your marketing gets people’s attention. Unlike other social media business accounts, TikTok users expect your brand to entertain, not offer deals. Share your process of creating custom merch, bedazzle them with amazing designs, and be playful and fun without shifting from your brand voice.

Follow trends and challenges

83% of TikTokers have posted a video. TikTok will never run out of new trends you can hop onto. When a trending sound blows up, a new hashtag takes off, or a viral challenge hits the feed – move fast. Join in early and add a clever, on-brand spin that ties back to your business.

5. Start creating without overthinking video quality

TikTok tends to favor videos that feel real and unpolished over highly produced or overly edited media. Users aren’t necessarily looking for flashy formats or hard sells – they respond better to content that feels genuine, relatable, and easygoing.

To stand out on TikTok, focus on how you create high-quality content: with clear storytelling, strong relevance, and visual clarity that keeps viewers watching.

Think simple and authentic, not scripted and commercialized. Bring out your office pet, or offer a duet with a TikTok follower. Being authentic and transparent can help your brand build trust within the TikTok community and connect with users who value originality.

6. Tap into TikTok ads

TikTok offers several ad formats, including In-Feed Ads, TopView, Brand Takeovers, Branded Effects, and Hashtag Challenges. To get started, make sure you’re using a TikTok Business Account, then create a TikTok Ads Manager account, set your budget and goal, and connect your store to track conversions.

Keep your ads fun and engaging – TikTok rewards creative storytellers over hard-selling. If you plan to run ads, focus on content with replay value, a clear hook, and links in captions rather than in the video itself. 

Consider running Spark Ads, which let you boost existing organic content while retaining its original engagement metrics.