TikTok—it’s the social media platform that has everyone talking these days. Home to dance challenges, life hacks, beauty hauls, and other short-form content, the app has won the hearts of people all over. And that includes Amazon sellers looking to advertise their products online.
Long gone are the days of needing a hefty marketing budget. With just a smartphone and some light editing, you can create a video for what could be the next trending Amazon product on TikTok.
Keep reading to learn more about the strategies you can implement to increase your brand awareness and sales on the platform.
Organic Strategies for Promoting Amazon Products on TikTok
Sometimes, all it takes is some good old organic exposure to get your product in front of hundreds, thousands, or even millions of potential customers. Here’s what you can do to make that happen:
Create Engaging Content
Make sure that whatever you put out into the world follows what we call the three A’s:
- Authentic: Much like how friends and family can sense when we’re not being genuine, your audience can detect the same about your brand. Stay true to what your brand is about while also communicating in a way that resonates with viewers.
- Attention-grabbing: First impressions matter. And in this case, they matter fast. If you don’t have your audience hooked within the first few seconds, you’ll get scrolled past without a second thought.
- Appealing to the eye: Filming videos with your smartphone is a cost-effective and easy method for creating TikTok content. However, that doesn’t mean cheaping out on your production. Viewers can pick up on low-quality content and will tune out. Consider investing in some simple filming equipment to ensure you’re showcasing your products in the best light possible.
Increase Your Reach with Hashtags
Leveraging hashtags is another great organic tactic for those wondering how to promote Amazon products on TikTok. When done right, they can boost your discoverability and help you reach a wider audience—especially one that is interested in the type of content you post.
We recommend including three to six in your caption. They should be a mix of popular and niche hashtags that are relevant to your Amazon product.
Inspire User-Generated Content (UGC)
Never underestimate the power of the people. TikTokers have made their favorite Amazon purchases a hit with the masses through unboxing, haul-style, and simple sit-down videos talking about an item.
A prime example of UGC in action is with the GuruNanda pulling oil. Once TikTok users began sharing their positive experiences using the product, the brand took off on Amazon. Just have a look at their recent monthly sales, courtesy of Market Intelligence by Viral Launch.
From this success story alone, it’s clear that UGC can be an incredibly powerful tool to encourage user engagement and build trust. The challenge? Inspiring others to create content around your product. Fortunately, there are several strategies you can employ to get the ball rolling:
- Invite users to stitch or duet your videos. Make content that allows viewers to respond or react. Maybe you end a video with a question or challenge them to think outside the box when using your product. Regardless, having someone else share whatever you sell in their own content will help you reach their audience and improve your visibility.
- Interact with viewers on the regular. Repost UGC on your brand’s TikTok account, as well as like and comment on posts spotlighting your product. It shows your appreciation and can motivate others to film content in exchange for a quick shout out from you.
- Run contests and giveaways. A little incentive never hurts. Give people a reason to want to feature your product in their videos with the chance to win gift cards, freebies, and other prizes.
Paid TikTok Marketing Strategies for Amazon Sellers
Organic content is one side of the TikTok coin. The other side, as you might have guessed, is paid advertising and collaborations. Let’s take a closer look at what that entails.
How to Work with Affiliates & Influencers
It wouldn’t be an article about promoting on TikTok if we didn’t mention affiliate and influencer marketing for Amazon products, right? Teaming up with the social media savvy, specifically those in Amazon Associates or the Amazon Influencer Program, can be instrumental in directing traffic to your product listings.
To set yourself up for a successful partnership, we suggest following these tips:
- Research which influencer or Amazon Associate on TikTok you want to collaborate with. They should be someone who aligns with your brand’s values and consistently posts content within your niche. Bonus points if this person has their Amazon storefront or Amazon affiliate links on their TikTok profile—they mean business when it comes to promoting products.
- Be personable but professional when reaching out to the influencer or affiliate. Kick things off by introducing yourself and your brand before getting into why you think the individual would be a great fit for promoting your product.
- Come prepared to discuss and negotiate the terms of the collaboration. Work together to come up with a contract that benefits both parties.
How to Sell Amazon Products on TikTok with Ads
Advertising with TikTok for Business is one of the quickest methods to market your product within the platform. And depending on your goals and budget, you could run one ad, a few sponsored posts, or a full-blown campaign using any of the formats below.
In-Feed Ads
Driving Amazon sales from TikTok doesn’t always have to come from an in-your-face ad. There are times when a little native advertising can do the trick. Take in-feed ads, for example. This vertical-video, sound-on format blends in naturally with other organic content, enabling brands to engage with viewers as they scroll through their For You Page.
To maximize your in-feed ad’s performance, it’s best to keep the video between 9–15 seconds. Anything longer will most likely be ignored since these ads are skippable.
Spark Ads
Got organic content that you think would make a great ad for promoting your Amazon products? If so, you can turn it into a spark ad.
This native format is similar to an in-feed ad in the sense that it seamlessly integrates into a person’s For You Page. The main difference is that the post(s) you choose to boost must be from your own non-brand TikTok account or another content creator’s—with their permission, of course.
Search Ads
Product promotions on TikTok aren’t limited to the For You Page. Another place where you can advertise your Amazon products is the search results via search ads. This format targets users based on what they search, increasing your odds of reaching an interested audience.
To get started, you’ll need to turn on the Search Ad Toggle. An ad marked as “sponsored” will then be created from your existing ad content and displayed in the same manner as organic search results.
Carousel Ads
We’ve all heard the saying “a picture speaks a thousand words.” So why not say what you want about your Amazon products with a series of images? Cue the carousel ad. With this format, viewers swipe through a series of photos at their own pace.
TikTok offers two types of carousel ads:
| Video Shopping Ad (VSA) Carousel | Standard Carousel |
 Source: TikTok – For product sales objectives – Contains 2–20 product images per ad – Each image is tagged with a clickable link that takes users to individual product pages |  Source: TikTok – For traffic, app promotion, or web conversions objectives – Contains 2–35 product- or brand-focused images per ad – Images are not clickable; only the CTA and final swipe-left image will direct users to a landing page |
Branded Effects
You can never go wrong with interactive stickers, filters, and other special effects to promote your product offering. They can be used by TikTokers in their own content, which can lead to greater brand awareness and engagement.
Branded Hashtag Challenge
Nothing beats an entertaining TikTok challenge, whether it be for a dance, trying new foods, or even flipping a bottle. This type of post is usually paired with a hashtag so users can easily find and join in on the fun.
For Amazon sellers, it can help create buzz around a product organically. But if you’re willing to put some ad dollars behind the sponsored version, here’s what to know:
- Branded hashtag challenges can be found in two locations within the app: (1) as your standard in-feed ad and (2) on a Brand Challenge page that explains the challenge, outlines the rules, and provides a link to the brand’s website.
- Don’t be afraid to get creative. This is the perfect opportunity to incorporate branded effects, trending sounds, and other elements to make your challenge as engaging as possible.
- The more people you get to participate and make UGC about the items you sell, the more likely you’ll be able to drive conversions. In fact, your product could very well be the next #AmazonFind.
Source: TikTok
TopView
This full-screen, sound-on ad type grants you prime digital real estate on TikTok. It’s the first piece of content people see when they open the app and is designed to capture attention quickly. You’ll know a TopView ad when you see one due to the immersive experience it provides. The video will take over your entire screen for three seconds before transitioning into an in-feed ad.
Because of the high visibility and impressions you can get from them, these ads typically involve substantial costs, making them more commonly used by prominent brands.
Best Practices for Creating Effective TikTok Video Ads
Although there are no hard and fast rules to promoting Amazon products on TikTok, you can apply these guidelines to help you achieve favorable results.
Get the Basics Down
They may seem simple and straightforward, but these steps can significantly improve the quality of your final video:
- Add sound, music, and captions
- Shoot in at least 720P resolution
- Film vertically at a 9:16 aspect ratio
- Ensure content stays within the UI safe zone as per the advertising specifications
Keep It Interesting
Your ads must stand out in order to quickly capture fleeting attention spans. So, generate interest and engagement with this tried-and-true content framework:
- Include a captivating hook within the first six seconds of your video to boost viewer retention and engagement.
- Highlight what sets your product apart from the competition in an entertaining, but authentic fashion. You could use transitions, on-screen graphics, or just plain old humor as long as it resonates with your target audience.
- End the video with a clear CTA that directs viewers to your Amazon links. Remember, the end goal is to convert people into customers!
Use Diversified Ad Groups & Creative Variations
TikTok generally recommends having between 5–10 different creatives per ad group and 3–5 diversified ad groups per campaign. Doing so will allow you to test and determine which ads perform the best.
Track Your Results & Optimize Accordingly
Monitor key performance metrics and results to better understand what type of content works for advertising your product. That way, you can replicate your successes and refresh ads that aren’t yielding results.
How to Measure Your Success on TikTok
The final piece to mastering how to promote Amazon products on TikTok is evaluating the effectiveness of your ads. You can easily do so with the data available on TikTok Ads Manager:
- Dashboard page: Get a quick snapshot of how your campaigns are performing with the latest information on ad spend, status updates, and more. You’ll also be able to view insights on your top videos and audiences reached by cost, click, conversions, impressions, and other metrics.
Source: TikTok
- Campaign page: Dive into the details of specific ads, ad groups, and campaigns using the filtering and customizing features. This will save you the hassle of having to manually sort through data, enabling you to focus only on the campaigns you wish to see.
Source: TikTok
- Reporting page: This is where you can generate custom reports to view, organize, and interpret a campaign’s data. Once exported, you’ll receive a comprehensive breakdown of the information in tables and charts to help visualize results and uncover noteworthy trends.
Source: TikTok
Closing Thoughts: Should You Promote on TikTok?
There’s no denying the impact that platforms like TikTok have had on e-commerce sales in recent years. It comes as no surprise, then, that more and more Amazon sellers have begun using the app for advertising their products.
If and when you decide to get on TikTok (you should!), remember to keep these things in mind:
- Abide by the three A’s. Make sure your content is authentic to your brand, attention-grabbing, and appealing to the eye.
- Use a mix of paid and organic efforts. This is the foundation of a strong content strategy—you can’t expect long-term results without leveraging both.
- Track and optimize. Promoting your Amazon store on the platform isn’t a one-and-done type of deal. What was in today might be out tomorrow, so be ready to make refinements to your videos as needed.
The most successful of the bunch have implemented the above, and you can too. Happy creating!
