As an ecommerce entrepreneur, you might be wondering if launching your brand on TikTok makes sense. After all, isn’t the platform mainly just for fun dancing videos?
While you can certainly show off your best dance moves on the social network if you’d like, you certainly aren’t limited to this type of content!
In fact, as TikTok has exploded in popularity in recent years, brands everywhere are taking to the platform to grow awareness, expand their reach, and ultimately boost site traffic and sales.
If you don't know where to begin when it comes to incorporating this social network into your marketing strategy to get the greatest number of views possible and maximize engagement, here are 13 of the best video ideas that you’ll want to consider trying today!
1. New product teasers
Looking for a way to build anticipation for a new product launching on your ecommerce site? Give your audience a brief glimpse of your future bestseller via a fun, high-quality TikTok video!
You’ll have tons of freedom when creating this kind of content and deciding how you want to promote your online store’s products. Although TikTok videos can be up to 10 minutes long, remember that most users on this social media platform are generally used to viewing content that’s much shorter in length. For this reason, it may be best for you to aim to keep your clips announcing new products on the briefer end.
If you’re worried that you won’t be able to entice your audience with your product launch in just a few seconds, don’t be! In fact, 30 seconds or less is often more than enough time to pique viewers’ curiosity and encourage them to learn more about what you have for sale.
In this example from e.l.f. Cosmetics, for instance, the brand shows off its new Cookies and Dreams collection, highlighting various products in a 16-second clip with chill music playing in the background.
@elfyeah Introducing our new delicious Cookies and Dreams collection \ud83d\udc4f What product is catching your eye? \ud83d\udc40 @moodsandviews #cookiesanddreams \u266c original sound - elfyeah
Source: @elfyeah
2. Product demonstrations
If your product requires a bit of explanation on how to use it or has a special feature that you want to highlight, consider putting this into a fun video as a way to sell on TikTok.
How-to tutorials or videos demonstrating your product’s feature(s) are really good marketing tools and can aid in convincing on-the-fence shoppers to head to your ecommerce site, add the item in question to their carts, and finalize their purchases in no time!
Again, while you’ll have up to 10 minutes to explain your product in your video, TikTok users’ attention spans are likely to expire way before this. It’s therefore generally best to use this platform for quick demos and save longer content for other social networks or your FAQ page on your online store.
3. Behind the scenes
Behind-the-scenes content is popular across the wide spectrum of social media platforms, making it a great option whether you’re looking for Facebook post ideas, Instagram post ideas, or TikTok video ideas. This is because it allows companies to grant their audience an inside look into their brand universe. Furthermore, it can help show people the human side of a business.
In addition, this TikTok video idea can be adapted to nearly any type of online store. For example, you can show orders being packaged to be sent to your customers; give your audience a tour of your office, warehouse, or other workspace; demonstrate how you make a particular product; etc.
Don’t feel like you have to have the most expensive equipment to show off in the background of your videos or present your business in a way that doesn’t seem authentic to you. Above all, consumers crave realness. Sharing behind-the-scenes clips is simply a way to give your current and potential customers alike a peek into your world and help them feel closer to your brand.
4. Hashtag challenges
Participating in a hashtag challenge or even creating one of your own is perfect for expanding your reach on social networks like TikTok. The great thing about hashtag challenges is that there’s really something for everyone.
Whether you want to create videos that educate, entertain, or do both, you can easily find a hashtag to suit your needs and possibly cause your brand to go viral!
In this example from Adidas, the brand gets involved in the #putafingerdownchallenge and brings awareness to some of the issues that many women face while running. Although the two people in the video are sporting Adidas products, the clip itself is less about promoting a product than it is about showing support for members of the brand’s community.
@adidas How can you be an ally to your female running community? #Running #RunningTok #putafingerdownchallenge #womensrunning #runners \u266c With Women We Run - adidas
Source: @adidas
5. Q&A sessions
An excellent method for strengthening connections with your TikTok audience is to answer their questions in a video.
Begin by first creating a short video requesting that your followers send you their questions. In this clip, you can specify if you’d like people to ask questions about your products, your business, you as the owner, etc. Of course, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can also always keep it open, see what kinds of queries you get, and go from there!
After a follower sends you a question, you can simply click “Reply” and create a video that displays the question that you received and features your response. This TikTok video idea tends to work really well for brands, as it shows viewers that they care what they have to say.
6. Reactions
Another fun way to interact with your followers on TikTok is through the platform’s special Duet feature. Duets work by allowing you to record your own video as it plays alongside the video of another TikTok user. This type of content is really popular on the social network, as it offers a way to connect with other TikTokers and create a sense of community.
When it comes to ecommerce marketing, this can be used to, for instance, react to your customers’ videos showing them unboxing their orders from your online store or using your products. To help encourage your followers to share their videos featuring your products, you might opt to create a hashtag related to your brand and/or offer a code for a small discount for every video posted.
7. Trending sounds
Stuck in a creative rut regarding what types of videos to share on TikTok? Don’t worry, there’s always an endless supply of trending sounds and music that you should feel more than welcome to use for your own content!
While you won’t want to create clips incorporating trending sounds exclusively, jumping on a trend is a great way to connect with other TikTok users, get more views, and grow your reach on the platform.
For example, GoPro products can be used for a wide range of activities, everything from snowboarding to mountain biking and beyond. In this particular TikTok video, though, the brand uses the popular “I’m just a baby” sound clip that’s gone viral to play on people’s love for cuteness and show one of their products being used to get a closer look at some adorable red pandas.
@gopro No, they aren’t stuffed animals \ud83e\uddf8 Shot by Enliang Wang #gopro #justababy #baby #cute #cubs #animals #panda \u266c original sound - Jordan
Source: @gopro
8. Live-stream purchases
Although TikTok is generally known for its super-short clips, the social network recently began offering its live-shopping feature, which gives merchants the opportunity to engage with shoppers in real time via live sessions.
With this feature, brands can highlight their products in a live stream, no matter what time of day. This allows them to better connect with their audiences, as viewers are able to ask questions, learn more about the products available, and make purchases.
While this TikTok video idea will require a bit more preparation and work on your end, it can really help to attract your target market’s attention and boost conversions for your ecommerce business.
9. Team introductions
Similar to videos featuring behind-the-scenes content, clips that highlight you or one of your team members can help your followers feel more connected to your brand. Posting a TikTok video introducing yourself or interviewing somebody else on your team can give your business a human touch that your audience is sure to appreciate.
Besides posting introductions, you can also film yourself or other people working for your company giving quick recommendations, such as how to choose a product from a specific collection, or answering fun questions, like what their favorite dog breed is and why.
10. Quick tips
As with any other kind of content marketing and social media platform you choose, if you want to boost your brand authority and thus increase site traffic and sales, the videos you share on TikTok should serve to benefit your audience in some way or another. Highlight your expertise in your particular field by offering a few simple tips or helpful advice that can be easily shared in a TikTok video.
Note that this type of TikTok video idea doesn’t have to directly involve your products, though it can certainly be related to what you sell. For example, say that your online store sells high-quality silk scarves. You might create a video detailing the best way to wash delicate fabrics or how to properly store small silk items to keep them in good condition for years to come.
Check out this example from Levi’s, for instance, which helps viewers determine how to identify vintage clothing from the brand during their thrifting adventures.
@levis Save this video for the next time you go thrifting \ud83d\udccc #vintagelevis #vintagedenim #buybetterwearlonger \u266c original sound - Levi’s
Source: @levis
11. Giveaways
Whether it’s to help spark more interest in your brand or show your loyal customers your appreciation, hosting a fun giveaway or contest on TikTok is a win-win for both your business and your followers!
Encourage your audience to create videos showcasing your products, answering questions such as what product they’d like your ecommerce site to offer next, suggesting a name for the newest item in one of your collections, etc. To further expand your reach on the platform with the context, you might ask that participants tag a friend for an extra entry.
In terms of the prize you provide, that’s totally up to you!
While the items that people can win can be big or small, you’ll definitely want to make it worth your audience’s while to participate. You could, for example, offer a generous discount on their next purchase, but a free product is probably going to generate the most interest.
12. Sale announcements
If you’re thinking about launching a major sale on your online store, why not give shoppers a heads-up and increase anticipation before the event by announcing the sale on TikTok?
Feel free to let your creativity roam free with this type of video—alerting your audience about an upcoming sale can be done in all kinds of ways. Your TikTok video can be as simple or as extravagant as you wish!
Regardless of the clip’s format, be sure to include all the relevant information, such as the amount of the discount, the day the sale begins and the day it ends, and any special exceptions, so that everything is clear to your followers and they know exactly what to expect.
13. Milestone celebrations
Highlighting important events for your company is a great way to help draw people into your community and build brand loyalty, one of the many roles of social media in ecommerce. For this type of TikTok video, you can commemorate any exciting achievement or milestone for your business that’s important to you!
For instance, you might opt to celebrate anniversaries or other special moments such as your 100th sale, 100th customer, etc. You can even choose to create a giveaway to say thanks to your customers for their support
In the example below, Chewy celebrates its 10th year in business with this video that describes how the company partnered with an artist to create a mural that featured the pets of some of Chewy’s first customers.
@chewy How are we 10!? \ud83d\udc41\ud83d\udc44 \ud83d\udc41 #PetsBringUsTogether #wynwoodwalls #art #wynwoodmiami #chewydelivery #mural #fyp #fypシ \u266c original sound - Chewy
Source: @chewy
Depending on your target market, TikTok can provide an excellent opportunity for you to connect with current and potential customers and grow your ecommerce business. If you aren’t already using it in your social media marketing strategy, you’ll definitely want to consider adding it ASAP!
As you can see, there are lots of different ways to go about the content you create on TikTok. While the ideas in this list are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the types of videos you can post, hopefully we’ve given you some helpful inspiration to aid you in getting started!
