TikTok eCommerce: 40 Brilliant Ideas (With Examples) For 2024

If you’ve been looking to go from viewers to customers on TikTok, we have just what you need.

Here are 40 trending content and marketing ideas for eCommerce brands on TikTok. 

40 Trending Marketing/Content Ideas For eCommerce Brands (for TikTok)

Your TikTok content needs to stay on top of the pulse (and out of the ‘salesy’ vibe).

So, here’s how you take on TikTok content and bring in customers:

Trending Content Ideas

1. Do a “What’s In _______”

Ever wondered what people carry in their purses/cars/bags?

Well, so do a million other people on TikTok—and, this is how Coach and Emi Jay jump on it:

You can do this in three ways:

• You can show your audience what you have in your car/bag/purse/wallet/refrigerator etc.
• Partner up with influencers like @hhhhaleema to showcase your products
• Find content that features you/a competitor of yours, and comment on those videos

Quick Tip: Do a quick search to check for related topics (as well as the best-performing ones), and the view count:

2. Show Your Support towards a Cause

Want more sales out of your TikTok marketing strategy? 

Showcase exactly what you offer when it comes to sustainability or any other cause. 

Note how Popsockets does it with their video:

Here’s what you need to keep in mind:

• Share visuals of how you’ve implemented the cause within your brand—Popsockets shows that its products and packaging are sustainable:

• Use the correct hashtags that correspond to your cause

Quick Tip: Keep your sustainability initiatives as a callback in every other video script, caption, and hashtag.

3. Callback to a TV Show

This strategy works especially well if you’re a brand establishing themselves. 

@thingsmembroidered casually showcases their behind-the-scenes in every other video–

—This time, they drop in a Gilmore Girls (along with a Gilmore Girls product), and go viral:

Here’s how you can apply this TikTok content idea for your brand:

• Use TikTok analytics to assess your “most viewed” audience segments and check their ages
• Search for era-defining TV shows and come up with captions/limited products based on them
• Shoot content/recreate iconic moments from those shows

Quick Tip: Use the text element to drive subliminal messages that will ultimately drive sales (like the “pov: you’ve been…tiktokshop” text). 

Also Read: 26 eCommerce Sales Strategies That Actually Work (Updated 2024)

4. Do an Interview

All social media algorithms love this format and thus, it remains evergreen. 

Other than that, the interview format is a fantastic way to generate social proof:

Here’s how you can apply this TikTok content idea:

• Partner with creators who are popular in your country for this format
• Or conduct an interview yourself/through your employees—conduct a giveaway alongside

Quick Tip: Ensure you use your interview data within your store too—for example: “98% of customers agree {x} lasts for {x} days (see the results here).”

Also Read: 15 EASY ways to get customer reviews and boost sales

5. Do a “What would you ______”

Want to build relatability and get some product videos?

Use your products to inspire your customers (and learn a bit more about them), as Michael’s Craft Store does:

How do you create a TikTok video like this?

• Analyze the ways your products can be used, and create a list of projects that you can showcase
• Start off by shooting and creating videos in steps with a partner creator
• Always end with a CTA make your caption inspire & drive action)

Remember, you can always use these videos within your product pages to serve as inspiration.

Quick Tip: You can also try experimenting with an “of course, I/we are {insert hobby/profession}” narrative to make your pitch resonate more.

6. Correct a Paper

Most brands on TikTok tend to go overboard when showcasing their products.

This trending content shows a teacher correcting a student’s paper who has written Beis product names:

So, why does this TikTok strategy work?

• Positions your brand in a playful way along with subtle product placement
• Brings participation from creators who haven’t interacted with the brand before

Quick Tip: Ensure you capture the sounds really well because this format works as an ASMR video too.

7. Show a Sneak Peek

When Oatly launched their TikTok account, their first video showcased multiple short clips from their entire content line:

Here’s how you can make this TikTok content strategy work for your brand:

• Repurpose and re-edit existing content, such as YouTube videos, advertisements, or product videos
• Produce half of your upcoming month’s content calendar—build a trailer out of the videos
• Avoid shooting every video in the same format (like showing your face in every video)
• Showcase bloopers, BTS, quick clips from your videos etc
• Create a teaser to show what’s ahead

Quick Tip: Remember that this video is a trailer for your brand—showcase your brand’s personality but be high on relatability. 

8. Mention a Brand

We’ve all heard about brand collabs and takeovers. But, those run expensive. 

There’s a better (and a more convincing way) to do that—note how Bando does it:

Here’s how you can apply this trending TikTok strategy to your brand:

• Find brands that align with your products (for example, Bando’s glasses have reached out to Poppi and Dr Pepper)
• Purchase those partner products and leave a review of those products while showing your product
• Lastly, don’t forget to tag the brand in your caption (and comments)

Quick Tip: This format works for products that don’t align as well. For example, if you’re a pet care brand, you can set up a hidden treat challenge—show a pet finding the hidden treats on an action camera. 

9. Show How To Do It (With a Punch of Humour)

Humor may be subjective, but your goal as a brand is to connect to your community.

Fortnine, a motorsports equipment brand builds videos interlaced with humor, which results in hilarity (and engagement):

Here’s how you can apply this TikTok strategy for your brand:

• Don’t try to be funny (if your brand tone doesn’t support it)
• That being said, gags like products falling off (or a simple exasperated look) can complete the job
• Humor shouldn’t be the goal—being conversational should be

Quick Tip: Feature quotes and hilarious comments on your product types from various videos on TikTok and forums on Reddit.

10. Include Seasonality In Challenges

Do this if you struggle with finding inspiration when it comes to challenges:

Here’s how you can make this TikTok format work for you:

• Tag influencers who are trending for this hashtag (ask them for quick advice)
• This is an elaborate before-after video to showcase your products in an elaborate setting
• Experiment with video transitions and effects to make the best impact
• Use the correct hashtags (or come up with a unique one that includes the seasonal aspect, like “springtok”)

Quick Tip: You can also use this format to show off sustainability initiatives in your workplace/products.

Also Read: 17 Underrated Easter and Spring Marketing Ideas (eCommerce)

11. Harness The ‘Fan’ Inside

People were already asking what the G.O.A.T. was wearing—Duracell went ahead and answered it.

However, they don’t hire 3 C-Suite executives to do it. 

It’s a fan (and employee) exclaiming, “OMG!!! IT’S THE GOAT IN A DURACELL VEST!!!!”

Want to apply this trending TikTok content idea to your brand?

• Use A.I. to mock up a celebrity’s likeness with your product (or Photoshop it)
• Do a commentary on how great the celebrity is (and how your product would just fit right)
• Alternatively, you can also launch a custom collection for a celebrity-inspired product (think Baublebar’s Taylor Swift bracelets)

Quick Tip: Ensure that it doesn’t look too real—the goal is to tag the celebrity and ask them, “wouldn’t you just love this?”

12. Show a Day In The Life

The ‘a day in the life’ format is (and will be) forever evergreen. It showcases your product in use by someone to whom your audience can relate:

Here’s how you can apply this TikTok strategy to your brand:

• After you’ve posted a few initial videos, check the audiences TikTok is showing your videos to
• Research professions within your audience, through a post (or on your post-purchase drip)
• Partner up with creators, or invite customers from various professions to be a part
• Consider showing some helpful tips (related to the profession) within your ‘day in life’ videos

Quick Tip: Use your video thumbnail with a visual hook (that teases the product)—note how the following video cover evokes curiosity:

Also Read: eCommerce copywriting: 22 inspiring examples from the US

13. Do a Mystery Product Launch

Got a new product launch coming up? 

Keep your users coming back for more with a mystery unboxing, as @nanoleafofficial does:

Here’s how you can apply this TikTok strategy to your brand:

• Tease your product in at least 6 to 7 videos before it launches
• At the end of every video, drop an Easter egg—for example, Nanoleaf showed this box in their previous 3 videos
• Encourage comments from users (and make sure to reply)

Quick Tip: Consider a giveaway for users who’ve guessed correctly. 

14. Send Them a Gift

Instead of doing a random giveaway or spending wayyy too much on ads, Beyond Yoga, a DTC brand, chooses comments and awards them:

Here’s how you can apply this TikTok strategy to your brand:

• Create a weekly format where you feature the winners and what they won
• Frame a post, where you ask users to comment on a topic (and the best comment wins)
• Or you can start off by selecting a comment from your previous videos, as Beyond Yoga did:

Quick Tip: If you have no comments (just yet), ask friends and family to comment, keeping the product in focus. 

15. Unbox It (with ASMR)

Blue Bottle Coffee, yet another DTC brand, is onto the fact that ASMR + Unboxing = Evergreen.

Here’s how you can apply this TikTok strategy to your brand:

• Shoot your video in both vertical and horizontal formats for YouTube and TikTok
• Add in hashtags that are trending on TikTok for ASMR videos
• Include these videos within your product display as well

Quick Tip: Do a twist on unboxing videos, by adding unexpected elements (like cats/strangers/babies) opening your package.

16. Solve a Pain-Point (Like Returns)

However, the crux of a converting (and viral) video is an informative video, like Coach’s:

Here’s how you can apply this TikTok strategy to your brand:

• Explain how your return policy/any other policy works
• Use a quick but informative hook (note the text and the background video)
• Say the most important things within the first 3 seconds
• Show how your policy helps them (and adds to a grander scheme of things, like sustainability)

Quick Tip: Ensure your captions reflect where users can go for more information—consider using a link shortener with a dedicated landing page.

Also Read: 9 Proven Ways to "Prevent" eCommerce Returns (+ Smart Handling ideas)

17. Support a Cause (and you just may go viral)

The TikTok algorithm matches users to videos that they have watched (and looks at how much of a video is watched).

Which is why this particular video from Black Rifle Coffee, a veteran-founded brand, went viral:

So, what had worked for Black Rifle Coffee?

• The cause here was “showing up and doing good”

• It started with @mrstoombs’s viral video, in which she tagged @blackriflecoffee for a reply to her son’s appreciation letter to BRC:

• @mrstoombs’s video went viral—hundreds of existing customers (and users) sent out the letter to Black Rifle Coffee
• So when Black Rifle Coffee showed up at her doorstep to surprise her son, what ensued was delight (and virality)
• BRC leveraged continuity, collaboration, and above all, warmth—with good ol’ storytelling (and an unexpected partnership)

Quick Tip: Show off your TikTok on your website too (and give them a preview of what they can expect):

Also Read: 19 Customer Retention Strategies that Actually Work (for eCommerce)

18. Create a Series

The best way to show consistent results is to simply take users through your processes. 

Golden Hive Mead takes wacky recipes that tie to pop/gamer/TV culture (take this Mountain Dew for an example):

How do they make this TikTok strategy work for themselves?

• Every recipe follows a series of steps: creating, checking, updating, and packing
• Every video offers actionable tips to show users, “you can do it too” 
• The goal is to cement Golden Hive Mead as the experts they are (and foster mead-making in their community)
• And if they ever feel, they’re falling short of content, they simply go through user comments

Quick Tip: Add an actionable CTA at the end of every video—Golden Hive Mead’s uses “if you do make this yourself, let me know how it turns out—and, be sure to check out my other recipes and enjoy your mead.”

19. Do a Limited Edition Back-In-Stock Video

Apart from the memes and the “give me a free Displate” jokes, Displate knows how to amp up and bring back products. 

So, how does this video go viral (that too, instantly)? Exclusivity along with a set of orchestrated events. 

Here’s how they perfected their TikTok content:

• Changed their bio link to their custom collection:

• Announced their exclusive limited-edition “Cyberpunk 2077” collection on TikTok only, 2 days before the back-in-stock video
• Ran a flash sale email for email subscribers to ensure items on-site do sell out
• Ensured that they maintained the product content fit

‍Quick Tip: If you find yourself struggling with product content fit, take inspiration from how Displate does it through:

• Gift guides for occasions
• How-to-use
• Setup inspiration
• Best fits by birthdays
• Employees
• Artist collabs
• Limited editions

Also Read: Limited-Time Offer: 18 Compelling Examples + How To Copy Them

20. Show off a Funny Product Feature

Here’s the scoop: Monica + Andy wasn’t growing fast enough when they first posted on TikTok. 

Here’s the video, that helped them take off:

Here’s how they did it:

• A trending audio + a short video + a quirky product description + visuals to match
• Ensured that they replied to every comment
• Recorded the product as a customer would see it in-store—which helped keep the video under 10 seconds (and maximized the full watch time)

Quick Tip: Remember to tease ‘what’s in the video’ with your video cover—check how Monica+Andy does it:

21. Pack a Product

Going viral takes a little magic (and a lot of consistency)—this is what @houseofwandcraft’s video proves:

House of Wandcraft is an Etsy store that has been thriving solely off a mix of TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.

So, how does @houseofwandcraft do it:

• Stick to product demonstrations through consistent behind-the-scenes videos of packing and manufacturing
• Show off social proof as well as engage—which makes users feel that they’re being catered to
• Experiment with video length, hashtags, and audio, for the best effect
• Pin the most relevant videos for new users at the top:

Quick Tip: Show how you handle returns and other FAQs, through playlists—note how House of Wandcraft does it:

⭕> Playlists are available to creators with over 10k followers. Learn more about TikTok playlists.

22. Show Them The Steps / Offer Tips

In this video, Lovevery offers actionable tips:

So, what made this Lovevery video perform well?

• As we’ve mentioned before—TikTok’s algorithm loves it when a video gets watched over and over
• This video offers advice that makes users think
• The background shows their advice in action (instant proof)
• This led the video to be saved (which is yet another factor)

Quick Tip:  Use color contrast to drive anchoring (fixating on the first provided information).

23. Reply To Them (With a Video)

TikTok live streams aren’t the only way to engage with your audience, note how Burt’s Bees does it:

Here’s why doing this helps:

• Generates solid product videos (which helps you in the long run)
• Increases your reach to the mentioned user’s followers

Quick Tip: Audit your commenter’s social stats (ideally, you should look for active profiles). This will help increase your chances of getting a reply and in turn, reach newer audiences.

24. Show Off Your Reviews

One review ❎ Series of Reviews ✅

TikTok is all about breaking the formality (and showcasing the human side), and JLab shows that:

Here’s how you can apply this TikTok strategy to your brand:

• Before you publish reviews, publish a series of videos that prove your product’s effectiveness (for example, testing noise cancellation in front of a lawn mower)
• Ensure every review video, highlights the pain points of the reviewer, along with how your product solves it

Quick Tip: Consider publishing review videos every week, especially after a product launch, and before a sale.

25. Do a Giveaway (With a Solid Cause)

Wouldn’t you like to get rid of your ex (from your gym)?

Rxbar takes the cue, and creates a value proposition no one can resist—they create a contest where a follower can win a year’s worth of RXBars and new gym equipment. 

While their ex gets a gift card to sign up for a different gym:

So, what made it go viral?

• They amped up the urgency of their original giveaway (which didn’t get the reach)
• Included trending audio + hashtags + showcased the unboxing (along with a Stanley)
• They included a custom landing page for the giveaway (in the video):

Quick Tip: Don’t forget to add the landing page’s plain URL within the caption, (as RxBar has). 

Trending Marketing Ideas

26. Optimize with Audio

Most TikTok marketing strategies ask you to simply use trending audio for your videos.

However, how do you find one?

Simply head over to TikTok’s Creative Center to find top trending audios:

How do you use this?

• Use the filters to find the latest trending songs (keep it within 30 days for better results):

• Click on the “See analytics” tab to check top-performing videos, audience demographics, interests, and related songs:

Quick Tip: Use the breakout tab to find songs that have skyrocketed in popularity:

27. Optimize your profile well 

A well-optimized TikTok profile means:

• A verified badge that sets you apart as a brand
• Bio that helps users find the most relevant and converting information, like coupon codes:

• LinkTree links that lead to FAQs and your brand’s impact—note Boxed Water’s Linktree:

28. Use TikTok advertising Wisely – Remarketing & More

Want to bring down your TikTok ad spend?

Consider starting with remarketing and a lookalike audience. 

A lookalike audience (like Facebook) finds customers on TikTok who match your existing audience:

Before proceeding with one, you have to ensure you have custom audiences set up—which in turn requires you to have a TikTok Pixel set up with a proper configuration.

Also, proceed once you’ve posted a few videos and have garnered engagement.

When building your campaign, create 2 custom audiences from:

• “Website Traffic”: helps you build a custom audience base from visitors, who’ve visited your site (increase the audience lookback window to 30 days with auto-refresh)
• “Engagement”: Choose every kind of viewer who has engaged/viewed your TikTok profile, content, ads, and Live Videos
• “Customer File”: You can choose this option, if you have an email list, you’d like to upload to TikTok

Quick Tip: TikTok custom audiences need a minimum of 1000 members—if you don’t qualify, consider running ads on behavior-based targeting to broaden your audience:

29. Brand Your Hashtags 

The best way to get your own space on TikTok (without paying for a branded hashtag campaign)?

Ensure every post that goes out uses your brand name (and ensure every creator does the same too):

Ensure you feature a call to action on your website, like “tag us by using #brandname on TikTok and get a chance to win x/get featured”, as Clare does:

P.S.: Practicing this helps with your SEO as well. 

30. Offer Excellent Support Through Comments

Comments can be used to cement your brand’s authenticity (as well as decrease returns and maximize your CLTV).

Here’s how Hydroflask does it:

• Doesn’t lose sales from out-of-stock products by acting as back-in-stock notifications:

• They provide product recommendations in the comments too:

Quick Tip: Want users to find your brand? Just go ahead, and comment on a trending video, like La Roche Posay does:

Also Read: 14 underutilized strategies for increasing customer lifetime value in eCommerce

31. Use Other Features ( Like Building Effects)

Bet, you didn’t know this, but you can build your own filter on TikTok with their AR tool, Effect House:

And the best part is, you can use those filters to showcase your products in user environments using AR.

Moreover, TikTok themselves push forward new filters based on your target audience (and intended use of filter)

Quick Tip: Use the ‘stitch’ feature to directly address certain parts of videos, you’ve been mentioned in (or viral videos).

32. Livestream Once a Week

Start off your live-stream plan by launching a live-stream ad during the first week:

• Plan events like “learn how to pair the right colors for your body” or “learn how we chrome headlights”
• Ensure you ask users to stay tuned to you for further lives
• Publish a set of TikTok stories to inform your followers that you’re going live

Also Read: Mobile Commerce: Examples, Trends, Best Practices (For 2024)

33. Go Micro

The best part of TikTok is its creator marketplace which you can use to partner with creators and influencers:

With this tool, you can collaborate with creators of any audience size, affinity, or niche. 

We recommend that you start with multiple micro-creators (5k to 30k followers). 

You can provide exclusive benefits in exchange for free samples (and a video that fits your format). 

Quick Tip: For brands with TikTok shops, TikTok Affiliate is a great option—whereas, TikTok Creator Marketplace is open to all Business accounts (with or without shops).

34. Announce Key Sales

Think you can't do outright promotions in TikTok—check how Casetify does it, with their Black Friday sale:

Your goal should be to inform, engage, and provide exclusive benefits on TikTok.

Check how @rxbar did it when they crossed 25k followers (with a coupon code):

35. Optimize Product Details

Once you set up a TikTok shop, the rules for CRO apply here as well:

• Ensure clear product title—include quantity, and abbreviate measurements (such as oz, cm, etc)
• Keep a white background with a minimum size of 800 x 800 pixels for your product photos
• Try adding in deals along with stock information
• Include a ‘what’s in the box’ photo in product images 
• Change models for various sizes of products

‍

36. Create a Solid Shop Page

TikTok in 2024, has evolved into a full-fledged social commerce site (and having a TikTok shop helps)

Here’s how you can apply this TikTok Strategy to your brand:

• Signup for TikTok shop, using your business information
• Upload your products—integrate with your CMS (Shopify, WooCommerce, etc)
• Use the shop page builder from TikTok to build your Shop Page
• Ensure a High Product Selection Score (reviews of products + brand reviews)

‍Quick Note: ⚠ TikTok doesn’t offer the Shop feature to accounts with less than 1000 followers

Also Read: Seasoned eCommerce Leaders Predict CRO Trends for 2024

37. Remain Omnichannel

We’ll say this over and over: a community builds a brand. 

This is why you should make sure that every social media platform provides followers with a consistent experience. 

Also, make sure your website visitors are aware of it:

38. Get the Basics of Video Right

While we were developing this post, we discovered that most brands fail to stick to a posting schedule. 

Even if they do stick to one, they go overboard with sales (and suck at storytelling).

TikTok is a platform that asks you to participate. Sticking to the Insta routine will not work well. 

Ensure that your users can stay connected and above all–

—Go easy on the sales—make users feel as if they have discovered something new, every time they're watching. 

Note how Bored Cow does it:

Quick Tip: Always add subtitles (through TikTok) within your videos with text overlays—adding it helps improve your video’s UX (and nudge users). 

39. Leverage Your Personal Profile

This is a marketing hack that's severely underrated. 

With this method, you can add your voice to your brand, without actively appearing on your brand’s feed. 

This is how Farsáli, a DTC beauty brand has grown through the years with its CEO’s profile:

40. Consider Local/Language Segmentation

This marketing strategy goes back to basics: Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning. 

When you create profiles based on your brand's presence in locales/languages, you build a loyal customer base. 

This provides excellent accessibility, better engagement, and customer loyalty—check how Casetify does this:

Lastly, Don’t Forget Your Website

98% of visitors who visit an eCommerce site—drop off without buying anything.

Even after perfecting your TikTok marketing strategy to the T.

Why: user experience issues that cause friction for visitors.

And this is the problem Convertcart solves.

We've helped 500+ eCommerce stores (in the US) improve user experience—and 2X their conversions.

How we can help you:

Our conversion experts can audit your site—identify UX issues, and suggest changes to improve conversions.