TikTok Shop first launched in 2021, aiming to merge entertainment with Ecommerce to revolutionise the online marketplace model. Over the last two years, its growth trajectory has accelerated, rapidly maturing into a powerful Ecommerce engine in a number of global markets.
While TikTok itself has been tight-lipped around the launch of TikTok Shop in Australia, we suspect the launch to happen in the next 12 months or so. Now is the time for brands to strategise and prepare for arguably the biggest change to online shopping this decade.
The TikTok Shop Trajectory
What was once considered a platform purely for Gen Z dancing videos, TikTok has emerged as a titan for brands looking to connect authentically with their consumer. Today, it merges seamless video content with embedded shopping, enabling users to “see it, click it, buy it” without ever leaving the app. TikTok Shop now allows shoppable videos, shop tabs, live shopping, and affiliate campaigns, all integrated within the TikTok platform, with purchases made directly on the site.
Preparing for the launch of TikTok Shop in Australia
As TikTok continues evolving, sellers must accurately understand and match the platform’s discovery mechanics to stand out. We’ve compiled our five best tips for success to ensure your brand has a robust TikTok Shop content and creator strategy in place ahead of the launch in Australia.
1. Product listing best practices (titles, descriptions)
Craft click-worthy product titles that are clear, keyword-rich, and scannable. We recommend using relevant search terms under 60 characters and avoiding fluff, as this will drive your visibility within the platform and help you rank in wider search results.
2: Video-first
If you haven’t already, start building a content bank of short-form, native-style videos that are unpolished in style and appear authentic to the platform. Prioritise a strong hook. According to TikTok, “90% of ad recall impact is captured within the first six seconds,” so communicate the value proposition of your ad early and keep your audience’s attention with exciting hooks like suspense, surprise, and emotion.
Content focuses:
- Product demos
- Before & after reveals
- Behind the scenes
- User-generated content (UGC)
- Customer reviews
3. TikTok Creators
Leveraging creators for TikTok Shop will increase product visibility, trust, and sales. TikTok’s algorithm favours authentic, engaging content, and creators are the key to tapping into that.
Letting creators promote your product is a fast way to expand your reach.
- Offer competitive commission rates: 10% – 30% is recommended (with TikTok taking between 5% – 8% of revenue)
- Provide free samples to micro-creators
- Respond to creator inquiries quickly
This taps into TikTok’s native culture of recommendations, making your product part of the content ecosystem. Micro-influencers often perform better than big names, and nurturing relationships with emerging creators can mean positive brand associations as their accounts grow.
4. Scale your Affiliates
TikTok Shop’s in-platform Affiliate Dashboard allows brands to track which creators drive the most sales, top-converting videos or product links, and how your commission rate affects overall results.
Based on this data, brands can scale partnerships with top-performing creators or adjust their structure. This also offers an opportunity to engage in Spark Ads, where your brand can amplify creator content as if it came from them, not you, often leading to higher conversions as it is content native to the platform.
5. Promoting TikTok-exclusive SKUs
TikTok-exclusive SKUs are product variants or entire product lines that are only available for sale through TikTok Shop and not through other channels like your website, Amazon, or physical retail. This is sometimes created specifically for the TikTok audience and often bundled, priced, or marketed differently than your regular products, with lower-priced or sale items typically performing stronger on this platform.
Advertising content as “Only on TikTok” increases urgency and intrigue, adding value for the customer and driving impulse buys.
What does this mean for your brand?
It’s never too early to get started. The opportunities are tenfold with TikTok Shop, but in order to succeed from the get-go, brands need to be prepared.
Audit your product listings, revamp your metadata, refresh hashtags, build a creator list and plot out content focuses.
It’s about being discoverable, blending content, commerce, and creator culture to perfectly position yourself to ride the next wave of Ecommerce.
Plan ahead for TikTok Shop in Australia with Pattern
Pattern has already launched over 50 brands on TikTok Shop across the US and UK, with over $100M in forecasted revenue through the platform in the next 12 months. With TikTok Shop set to launch in Australia, our team is ready to help local brands hit the ground running from day one.
Want to be first on TikTok Shop AU? Contact us to start planning your launch.
