TikTok Shop Newbie Guide: The Most Complete Guide to Starting from Scratch!

As a popular short video platform in the world, TikTok has a huge user base and huge traffic dividends . Its algorithm recommendation mechanism can accurately push the products in the window to potential customers, making it the preferred platform for many cross-border sellers to go overseas. This article will teach you how to start from scratch , from preparing qualifications to finally building a high-exposure and high-conversion high-quality store.

one, TikTok Necessary Qualifications

TikTok has formulated different access policies for different sites. Before opening a store, you must check the access policies of the area you are staying in on the official site. The following are the access rules for several mainstream markets:

1. US Station:

l Business license: Must be a corporate entity in mainland China or Hong Kong (individual businesses and sole proprietorships are not allowed), with a registration time of ≥ 60 days.

l Logistics capabilities: Goods must be shipped from US overseas warehouses or FBA warehouses, and direct mail mode is completely prohibited.

2. EU Station:

l Compliance certification: You need to register for the EU VAT tax number and pass the GPSR certification.

l Warehousing capacity: Support third-party logistics or FBT mode, and provide EU local warehouse contract.

l Enterprise qualifications: Only enterprises from mainland China or Hong Kong (individual industrial and commercial households are prohibited), and the establishment time is ≥ 60 days.

3. Southeast Asia Station:

Individual business owners are allowed to settle in, and product showcases can be opened with 0 fans. A local return address must be provided (a third-party overseas warehouse can be entrusted).

4. Emerging Markets (Brazil / Japan)

l Brazil Station ( open in April ): Only Brazilian local companies are allowed to enter the market. ANVISA health certification and warehouses in São Paulo / Rio are required.

l Japan site ( open in June ): 3C categories require PSE certification, and beauty products require quasi-drug certification.

For detailed information on entry requirements, qualification review, policy interpretation, etc. for each site, you can check the official website of TikTok Shop .

two, Device selection and network setup

(one) equipment

1. cell phone:

Recommended models:

l Android devices : Mid-to-high-end models such as Xiaomi and OPPO are recommended (Huawei Honor series are not recommended due to system limitations) .

l Apple devices : US / European iPhone 12 and above are recommended . It should be noted that Apple devices require an overseas Apple ID , which can be purchased with money.

2. computer :

An ordinary office computer can be used, and an Intel i5 processor + 8GB of memory is recommended for store backend management and order processing .

(II) Key points of network environment construction

1. Choose a quality agent

Prioritize service providers that provide native residential IPs (you can get them from professional agents, such as IPFoxy ). Choosing a dedicated, clean network is the key to avoiding traffic restrictions and account locks in the future. Avoid airport nodes / public IPs/ free proxies (abnormality rates as high as 40% ).

2. Device network detection

The IP environment needs to be tested. You can use tools such as ping0 to test the purity and network characteristics. At the same time, the device must match the target country's time zone, language, and DNS (for example, the US area is set to New York time zone + English).

3. Multiple store isolation

With the help of fingerprint browser / cloud phone and independent agent, each store is bound to a dedicated static IP to avoid account blocking due to account association.

three, Product selection logic

(one) US Market

The US market is mainly characterized by high customer unit prices and functional innovation. Sellers are advised to choose the following categories of products:

1. Home daily necessities and smart home

2. Beauty and Personal Care and Men's Skin Care

3. Health products and healthy foods

4. Sports, Outdoor and Fitness Equipment

(two) European Market

European consumers place equal emphasis on quality and environmental protection. If you want to enter the European market, you can choose from the following categories:

1. Beauty, Personal Care and Eco-Friendly Makeup

2. Womenswear & Designer Brands

3. Healthy Food and Sports Nutrition

(three) Southeast Asian Market

The Southeast Asian market is mainly dominated by low-priced fast-moving consumer goods and localized demand. The following categories are recommended:

1. Beauty, Personal Care and Affordable Makeup

2. Women's clothing and Muslim fashion

3. Home fast-moving consumer goods and holiday gifts

(Four) Emerging Markets

When entering emerging markets, we must focus on product localization and make good use of policy dividends .

1. ​Brazil Station ( Open in April )

Potential categories: Carnival limited accessories (such as feather headdresses), sunscreen (essential for tropical climates), require ANVISA certification + shipping from São Paulo warehouse.

2. ​Japan Station ( Open in June )

Access requirements: 3C categories require PSE certification, beauty categories require quasi-drug certification, and it is recommended to develop anime peripherals (such as co-branded Bluetooth headsets).

Four, Operation and promotion

(one) Content creation and optimization

1. Keep up with hot topics and trends: You can increase video exposure by participating in popular challenges and using fashion elements. Combine popular topics and challenges (such as Ramadan themes and Black Friday promotions) to create relevant content and increase exposure.

2. Clever use of tags and keywords: When posting content, be sure to choose tags and keywords related to the product .

(two) User interaction and community building

1. Actively respond to user comments and private messages: pay attention to their dynamics, establish emotional connections with them, and let them feel the warmth and care of the brand.

2. Encourage user-generated content ( UGC ): You can encourage users to create and share product-related content by holding events, promotions, or challenges.

(three) Advertising and promotion

1. Advertisement format adaptation :

l Information flow advertising: suitable for the cold start of new products, combined with product pain point display (such as mosquito repellent bracelet heavy rain test) to attract clicks.

l Live shopping ads: Display hot-selling products in real time, and use limited-time discounts (such as buy one get one free ) to stimulate impulse purchases.

l Spark Ads : Promote popular videos of other accounts and piggyback on them. No original content is required. Suitable for small and medium-sized businesses.

2. Cooperate with influencers: Select influencers that match your brand positioning, establish long-term cooperative relationships, and monitor the content output data of the cooperating influencers to ensure that it is consistent with your brand image and marketing goals.

(Four) Live streaming for scene-based sales

We recommend that you plan limited-time promotions based on festivals (such as Black Friday) or user scenarios (such as home fitness). Pay attention to real-time interaction , and it is best to arrange bilingual hosts (English + local language) to answer questions and enhance user trust.

five, Settlement method selection

1. Preferred third-party payment platform: Use cross-border payment tools such as PingPong , Payoneer, GeeWallet, etc., which support US dollar settlement and have transparent rates and a simple binding process (just fill in the Routing Number and Bank Account in the background ).

2. U.S. bank account: If you have local qualifications, you can apply for a U.S. bank account to receive payments directly. The short payment cycle can also avoid the risk of exchange rate fluctuations. Remember to pay attention to the withdrawal time limit: TikTok defaults to a 7- day settlement cycle, and you need to withdraw manually before the deadline. If you are overdue, the platform will automatically settle to the default account.

six, Logistics platform selection

It is recommended that you give priority to the platform recommended solution :

1. FBT official warehouse: the first choice for small and medium-sized popular products, the platform provides "3 -day delivery " ultra-fast logistics service, fully automated operation (no manpower investment required), and enjoys the right to be exempted from liability for logistics abnormalities.

2. 4PL last-mile delivery: The platform’s key promotion plan for 2025 will integrate multiple last-mile service providers (such as FedEx and UPS ), with prices 15%-20% lower than self-operated services , making it suitable for multi- SKU merchants.

Remember not to use virtual warehouses . The new regulations require that delivery be completed within 6 working days. Due to the instability of international transportation in virtual warehouses, it is easy for the on-time delivery rate to fall short of the standard, and the store closure rate exceeds 60% .

The above is the most complete guide for beginners to open a TikTok Shop . Thank you for watching. You are welcome to discuss and share in the comment section.