In an age where social media can make or break a brand, TikTok Shop is proving to be a game-changer for entrepreneurs. From skyrocketing sales to life-changing career shifts, the platform is helping businesses of all sizes to connect with consumers in ways never seen before.
When it first launched in the UK in May 2023, it was met with a fair bit of scepticism as creators felt it was shifting from its tradition of mobile-friendly video content to an e-commerce platform. Some even referred to it as a glorified TV shopping channel... Continue reading here ▶
But more than a year later, creators and businesses are earning millions of pounds thanks to the help of the app that launched in 2016. One of those creators who saw success was Daisy Kelly, 25.
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With her career in musical theatre derailed by lockdown, she turned her focus to a new passion: creating a hormone-free lash growth serum. The idea was to offer an affordable and natural alternative to high-end products on the market.
But it wasn’t until Daisy embraced TikTok Shop that her business truly took off. Speaking to the Mirror, she says: “When I was in drama school, I started picking out my eyelashes due to the stressful environment I was in.
“In lockdown, I looked in the mirror and realised I wanted to change the way my lashes looked. That’s where the idea came from.
“Very quickly and early on in that journey, I discovered TikTok. I started using it first as just a normal user, and then I realised there was an opportunity to expose my business.
“I was quite comfortable with the idea of filming myself and being part of that content creator space. So I started posting the journey on TikTok initially, including my own lash growth journey from using the product, showcasing my results and the journey I was going on and we quickly gained a following.”
Thanks to her savvy use of the platform and its Black Friday sales event, Daisy’s business is now valued at over £1million and is now sold on major retailer BeautyBay. Her viral videos, featuring before-and-after clips of her customers’ impressive lash transformations, resonated with TikTok’s beauty-obsessed audience and propelled her product to the top of shopping carts nationwide.
“I would like to think that if TikTok Shop wasn’t around, we would have eventually got there, but I think it would have taken five to ten years,” she says. “The initial impact in the virality you can have through the platform is incredible and also the way you can interact so directly with your community.
“We go live daily. We post three to four times a day and the lives are a great way to have a FaceTime directly with your customer.”
Moe Ghashim, 42, is another entrepreneur who came to the UK in 2016 after seeking refuge from the conflict in Syria. Recognising a gap in the market for authentic cultural foods, Moe launched MyJam in 2020.
Moe Ghashim moved to the UK in 2016 after fleeing Syria
Initially, his business catered to a loyal base of local customers in White City, London. But that all changed when he joined TikTok Shop earlier this year.
“I was looking for Rose Petal Jam when I moved here, which is very popular in Syria and I couldn’t afford it,” he says. “So that’s how I got the business idea.
“When I first started, we began tapping into the local community and working with local shops. It was a pretty small community. It stayed like that from 2020 until late 2023.
“When we started to discover the videos of people promoting products on TikTok, I was like, ‘okay, maybe that is something that can take me from beyond just a small niche’. We started to see some engagement and then we realised there are people who are interested in earning commission and talking about the products.”
It’s not just businesses that can benefit from the platform, with content creators also able to earn commission for promoting products that are sold via the Shop function. One viral video showcasing Moe’s best-selling jam flavors turned his small business into a thriving online enterprise.
Overnight, orders went from a trickle to a flood, with hundreds of new customers discovering his store through TikTok’s powerful algorithm. “Now we have a corner in the warehouse where anyone can go and film a quick video. You just never know what will stick.”
Luke Cameron, 35, is no stranger to TikTok success as a content creator. Known on the platform as Lopwert Loves, he built a following by reviewing popular products from major brands like L’Oréal and Dyson.
These partnerships were lucrative, earning him up to £180,000 annually. But Luke wanted more than just sponsorship deals – he wanted to build his own brand.
“As a big creative myself that has grown to over 1.2 million followers, I’m able to utilise my channel and my network first and foremost to launch my own brand of my own products. But as you grow and as more people come on TikTok, a lot of top creators and a lot of creators get to know each other.
“So you build a big community and there’s such a great and vibrant community on TikTok Shop.” Leveraging his loyal fanbase and understanding of the creator side of TikTok, Luke launched Yass Clean, his own line of cleaning products, last month.
His fans quickly rallied behind him, with one of his cleaning sprays becoming a bestseller after a single TikTok demonstration went viral. But it wasn’t all glitz and glamour for Luke, as he had to make the difficult decision to quit his full time job to pursue a career on TikTok.
“I have gone from working a 9 to 5 job to running a business that employs seven people,” he says. “I’ve done that in three years. And it has been life changing for me.”
And according to the Head of TikTok Shop, it has changed hundreds of creators’ lives. Jan Wilk says: “Joining TikTok Shop unlocks a world of possibilities for businesses and creators alike. With low barriers to entry, anyone can dive in and connect with the platform’s vast, highly engaged audience.
“The beauty of TikTok is that it recommends content based on what you like, rather than who you follow. This creates unparalleled opportunities for sellers and individuals to be discovered, and we’ve seen businesses and creators across the UK transform their lives in ways no other platform can match.”
When asked what their advice would be for a creator or business wanting to get involved in TikTok Shop, Daisy, Moe and Luke all agreed that their number one tip would be to “just start”. Daisy adds: “I would say if you give the platform your all, you’ll start to see the most out of it.”
Source: Mirror