26 Mar TikTok Live Shopping: The Ultimate Guide
Summary
What Is TikTok Live?
Source: Bark
TikTok Live is the ultimate hub for brands, creators, and users to authentically interact in real-time. As described by TikTok, brands and creators on TikTok Live have special access to features like effects, multi-guest hosting, moderation, and LIVE Gifts. Users joining TikTok Lives can engage with hosts by “subscribing to their LIVE communities, participating in the chat, reacting to their LIVE with virtual Gifts, and more,” according to TikTok. Whether creators want to just chat or share their favorite recent finds, TikTok Live is a staple for platform engagement and community building.
TikTok Live Benefits for Brands
Going live on TikTok offers brands several benefits for sustaining growth and engagement. Some key benefits of TikTok Live for brands, as outlined by streamlabs, include the the following:
- Increases Real-Time Engagement: TikTok live streaming empowers brands to engage with their audience in real time, offering instant feedback and interaction. Unlike pre-recorded videos, TikTok livestreams allow brands to respond to comments, answer product-related questions, and acknowledge fans as they join, creating a more personal and engaging experience.
- Builds a Stronger Community: Going live on TikTok also supports brands in building more loyal and engaged communities by creating a space for followers to connect with both brand representatives and other fans. Addressing viewers by name or responding to their comments are common tips for brand hosts to better foster a sense of belonging with their TikTok community.
- Helps Gain New, Engaged Followers: TikTok Lives are extra beneficial for brands looking to broaden their audience and reach. Since TikTok Lives are shown in the For You feed, they are exposed to new users within relevant niches who may ultimately become new followers.
- Presents Unique Way to Probe Your Audience Interests: Going live on TikTok allows brands to take a more relaxed and organic approach to testing new content ideas and styles with followers. By gauging their audiences’ current interests and needs during livestreams, brands can offer real-time advice and recommendations while planning for future content and products.
- Builds Credibility and Authority: Hosting frequent TikTok Lives helps brands build credibility and authority within their niche by offering valuable, high-quality content and engaging directly with their audience. Additionally, real-time interactions and authentic discussions foster trust and recognition among consumers, strengthening a brand’s reputation and influence over time.
Key TikTok & Livestreaming Statistics
Grow your community with TikTok Live!
TikTok previously conducted a survey in partnership with Ipsos to analyze user behavior and the success of TikTok Live. Some key findings for brands and creators are as follows:
- 1 in 5 livestreaming users watch TikTok Lives, and of that group, more than 62% tune into livestreams on a daily basis.
- 1 in 3 TikTok users named TikTok as their go-to live platform to connect with brands.
- Data revealed that TikTok users were 50% more interested in branded live content in comparison to non-TikTok users.
- TikTok users are 1.6 times more likely to watch branded livestreams to discover products. Similarly, TikTok users are also 1.7 times more likely to purchase products from livestreams.
- More than 50% of TikTok users have purchased a product from a livestream in-app.
- TikTok users are more than 2 times more likely to say that TikTok Live is most trustworthy compared to other platforms and channels for shopping.
- Product releases (78%), in-depth product reviews (77%), and product sales (72%) are among the top favorite livestreaming topics for TikTok users.
Live Shopping on TikTok
Earn and engage your audience with live shopping! (TikTok)
TikTok Shop Live Integration
TikTok Shop livestreaming enables brands to showcase their latest product releases and promotions through real-time video while engaging with viewers. With built-in e-commerce features, customers can seamlessly purchase their favorite products from livestreams while remaining in-app. Creators or brand ambassadors can also tag TikTok Shop products in their livestreams to drive sales and commissions. TikTok previously reported that while TikTok users enjoy branded livestreams, they also enjoy lives hosted by creators (77%), celebrities (72%), and brand ambassadors (68%). Regardless of the host, TikTok users have proven to be active participants in branded livestreams, informing their purchasing decisions and inspiring them to try new products.
Live Shopping Features
Purchase flow for products on TikTok Live (TikTok)
When hosting social commerce livestreams on TikTok, hosts and users have access to several product features. Brands showcasing items may do so via a Pinned Product placement on their lives, which showcases its name, price, and any available discounts. Users may tap on the Pinned Product to access the Product Detail Page with a more in-depth look at the item, including images, detailed descriptions, and reviews. If users then want to buy the product, they may access the Selection Page to choose their preferred color, size, quantity, and other necessary factors before confirming their purchase. Brands oftentimes utilize live shopping events on TikTok to promote flash sales or exclusive live offers to encourage more sales. Not only does this method boost revenue for brands, but it also creates an insider value and exclusive shopping experience for loyal fans.
See Higher Conversion Rates with Live Shopping on TikTok
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Brands seeking higher conversion rates on TikTok Shop may want to consider hosting more live shopping events in-app. According to TikTok, “conversion rates from live stream shopping can be up to 10x higher compared to traditional e-commerce.” TikTok will continue to push live content with TikTok shop in 2025, given its remarkable success, according to a recent report from EMARKETER. EMARKETER reported that TikTok is working on more specialized tools for brands and ambassadors to make livestreaming easier. Some tools catered to longer, more high-quality livestreams include AI script generators and “exploring the possibility of incorporating ‘gimmicks’ to encourage impulse buying.” Additionally, data from a survey conducted by EMARKETER revealed that Gen Z users were more than twice as likely (51.2%) to make a purchase via TikTok Shop than Millennials. Given this data, brands may also tailor their livestream shopping events on TikTok to cater more to younger audiences who are more engaged and likely to make a purchase.
TikTok Live Shopping Success Stories
Canvas Beauty
Canvas Beauty breaks record as the first brand to generate $1M in sales on TikTok Live.
Canvas Beauty made headlines last summer as the first brand to generate $1 million in sales on TikTok Live. Marketplace Pulse reported that the viral beauty brand hit the groundbreaking milestone on June 8th with its 6-hour livestream shopping event. Stormi Steele, CEO of Canvas Beauty, hosted the broadcast from the official Canvas Beauty warehouse in Alabama, with the event peaking at over 10,000 concurrent viewers. The day prior, cosmetics brand Simply Mandys surpassed the then-record of $730,000, and Jeffree Star hosted a $665,000 livestream two weeks earlier.
Puma
Not only is TikTok a hub for sports-related content, but it is also a central marketplace for legacy sports brands like Puma. This past summer, Puma celebrated sales success on TikTok thanks to platform features like TikTok Live. TikTok shared in a report that, “737% revenue increase in ONE week by embracing TikTok’s suite of e-commerce solutions, including LIVE shopping and TikTok’s creator affiliate program to reach new audiences.” Puma launched on TikTok shop with select performance gear and accessories earlier in 2024, according to TikTok, and strategized to capitalize on the “summer of sport” with an exclusive one-week deals campaign intended to boost sales and brand awareness. TikTok star Dawn Love joined Puma to promote its hero product, the Mayze Trainer, among other items in five shoppable livestreams. Brands looking to amplify their visibility and social commerce sales can employ a similar influencer strategy with the help of agencies like The Influencer Marketing Factory.
Made by Mitchell
UK beauty brand Made by Mitchell is one of the best-selling brands on TikTok Shop leveraging live shopping on the platform. Beauty influencer and celebrity makeup artist Mitchell Halliday founded the coveted brand in 2020 and has since taken its success to new heights on TikTok. In 2024, Made by Mitchell earned over $1,000,000 in sales over 12 hours, thanks to its innovative live-selling events. TikTok also shared a case study on Made by Mitchell’s success, revealing that the brand’s consistent livestreaming and influencer collaborations contributed to 10.5 million impressions and an increased brand following by four times. “Interacting with a LIVE on TikTok Shop feels less like watching a sales pitch and more like chatting with a friend,” Halliday told TikTok.
P.Louise
P.Louise sets the record as the first brand to generate $2M in sales on TikTok Live.
You may know P.Louise for its gorgeous influencer PR kits and themed makeup collections. P.Louise, founded by Paige Williams, is another UK cosmetics brand taking over TikTok Live shopping. Back in July, P.Louise hosted a 12-hour livestream marathon, which garnered over $2 million in sales, creating a new record for the platform, according to Cosmetics Business. P.Louise celebrated the success of its livestream with fans, sharing that more than 96,000 units of beauty products were sold, an average of two per second. “My goal was to create the most engaging, exciting and rewarding experience that our community had ever seen,” Williams told TheIndustry.beauty. “We gave away luxury items every 30 minutes as a thanks to the customers that joined us on LIVE and provided significant discounts on both our newly launched and bestselling items.”
BK Beauty
BK Beauty is another pillar in the TikTok Shop beauty community. Last August, BK Beauty hosted its first 8-hour TikTok Shop livestream with a GMV goal of $20,000. What started as a simple livestream hosted at the BK Beauty headquarters in Austin, Texas, turned into a bustling hit, according to Modern Retail. BK Beauty’s livestream was so successful that it surpassed five times its original GMV goal, and TikTok Shop invited the brand to its professional studio in Los Angeles to host another live. TikTok paired BK Beauty with a five-person production team equipped with professional recording and production tools, resulting in an extended 10-hour livestream session. BK Beauty ultimately decided to continue its live-focused social commerce strategy and now employs strategies such as “pre-heating,” in which the brand shares a series of videos promoting products and exclusive deals leading up to its exciting live events.
Luxe Collective
UK brands looking to elevate their TikTok Live shopping strategies to the next level can look to leaders like Luxe Collective for inspiring case studies. Luxe Collective is a UK-based resale platform specializing in pre-owned luxury fashion. Since Luxe Collective launched on TikTok Shop, TikTok reports that the brand garnered a 20% increase in revenue and built a stronger online community through livestream shopping. TikTok also reported that more than 36% of Luxe Collective’s gross sales can be attributed to its fun and engaging livestream shopping events. Connecting with international influencer marketing agencies like The Influencer Marketing Factory may also help brands refine their live shopping strategy and connect with a wider audience on TikTok.
TikTok Shop’s Holiday Push
Top celebrities and influencers like the D’Amelio Family joined TikTok’s 2024 holiday shopping push.
Holiday Shopping Stats
TikTok Shop made its biggest holiday push yet with the power of livestreaming in 2024. In mid-November, TikTok shared a report forecasting that the 2024 Christmas shopping season will mark its “biggest retail moment yet” due to an “unprecedented surge” in livestream shopping on the platform. TikTok also projected a “58% year-on-year increase in ad spend revenue from retail and e-commerce clients on TikTok for the festive period in the UK.” The number of UK live shopping events increased by over 64% in twelve months as of November 2024, according to the report, and TikTok highlighted the revenue potential of shoppable livestreams as a key factor in the number of active UK businesses doubling on the platform. TikTok’s 2024 Black Friday and Cyber Monday holiday shopping season ultimately resulted in over $100M in sales, triple that of the U.S. TikTok Shop sales in 2024, according to Yahoo! Finance. The key to this monumental holiday shopping push: livestream shopping.
Celebrity-Hosted Streams
TikTok shared its extensive holiday shopping strategy via a November Newsroom post, including celebrity-hosted shoppable livestreams. As described by TikTok, “Some of the platform’s record-breaking creators are hosting TikTok LIVE shopping events, sharing products from their brands and others they love in real-time, to get their audiences excited about holiday shopping.” TikTok superstars like the D’Amelio Family and Stormi Steele took centerstage to promote their businesses, D’Amelio Footwear and Canvas Beauty, respectively, in fun livestreams with can’t-miss holiday deals. The Queen of Rap Nicki Minaj, also wooed fans and TikTok users in a Black Friday livestream event to promote her brand Pink Friday Nails. With the power of record-breaking creators and beloved celebrities, these star-studded TikTok Lives contributed to the millions of dollars in sales seen during TikTok’s holiday shopping season.
How to Go Live on TikTok
Your TikTok livestreaming journey from Pre-Live to Post-Live.
Going live on TikTok is simple, but there are so many exciting features for brands to customize their shoppable streaming experience for viewers. The following are steps on how to go live on TikTok, as outlined by Shopify.
- Basic Livestreaming Qualifications: In general, anyone looking to host a livestream on TikTok must be 18 years or older with at least 1,000 followers on the platform.
- Access the Creator Tool: Once in-app, access the Creator Tool (large plus sign) at the center of your navigation bar. You will see options for AI Self, Post, Templates, and Live. Scroll left, select the Live option, and queue the live set-up menu.
- Prepare Your TikTok Live: The live step-up menu includes several customizable factors for your livestream including options to edit your profile photo, set a livestream title, choose a stream topic, or set a goal for Live Gifts. An icon menu is also displayed with options to add Effects, Enhancements, Polls, and other features to your livestream. The Shop icon prompts hosts to add products to their lives for a shoppable experience, but these can also be interchanged throughout the duration of the live. A settings menu is also available for hosts to disable gifts, limit their audience, and add moderators to manage comments.
- Start Streaming: Tap the Go Live button to start your livestream. Note that a countdown will appear before your camera goes live and your followers are notified that your stream has begun. Don’t forget to engage with viewers by answering questions and comments for a more enjoyable livestream experience.
- End Your Livestream: When you are ready to conclude your livestream, select the X button in the top right-hand corner of your screen. This action will prompt a summary of your livestream, including the length of your stream and the total number of viewers.
TikTok Live Shopping: Do’s and Don’ts for Brands
Here are some of our TikTok Live shopping Do’s and Don’ts for brands featuring insights from TikTok’s guide on live shopping:
| Brand Do’s | Brand Don’ts |
| 💪 Leverage Influencer Collaborations: Seamlessly invite talented creators and influencers to your brand’s livestream as co-hosts or guests mid-stream. Not only do influencers introduce fresh perspectives and broadened reach, but they also attract their engaged followings and add authenticity to the shoppable livestreams. | 🚫 Don’t Over-Promote: Avoid turning your brand’s livestream into a non-stop sales pitch. Make sure to actively engage with your audience through conversations and other authentic interactions on TikTok Live. Try building connections with viewers on shared interests and needs, then naturally integrate products they may find useful from your brand. |
| 📊 Poll Viewers in Real-Time: TikTok Live’s built-in polling stickers let you quickly gather feedback from your viewers during your stream. Make your viewers feel heard and appreciated with tools such as the TikTok Live Q&A stickers, which allow viewers to easily submit questions without the hassle of commenting. | 💬 Don’t Ignore Your Viewers’ Comments: Hosts who fail to acknowledge their viewers’ comments may cause them to feel overlooked and less likely to engage during your live. Make sure to intentionally read through comments, answer questions, and even shout-out loyal viewers to keep up the engagement and positive livestreaming experience. |
| 🎁 Drive Excitement with Giveaways: Looking to boost engagement with your shoppable livestream? Drive excitement with your viewers by hosting surprise giveaways and fun contests. As per TikTok, “free gifts or deep discounts for viewers can incentivize purchases.” | ✅ Don’t Stream Without a Plan: TikTok’s guide on livestreaming for brands greatly details the importance of creating a clear structure and goals for your live. Before streaming, make sure to outline your brand’s key talking points, the products to present, and ideas for viewer interactions for a smoother experience. |
| 🎉 Showcase Customer Success Stories: Integrate testimonials from satisfied customers into your livestream to leverage social proof with your viewers. By showcasing customer success stories, you can more effectively build brand trust and credibility with your audience. | ✨ Don’t Overuse Effects and Filters: Excessive use of beauty filters and other effects may distract viewers and derail their attention from the purpose of your livestream. Although effects can be an engaging feature for your live, keep them to a minimum and only use them when relevant to your stream. |
| 👀 Preview New Arrivals: Build hype and a sense of urgency for your brand by sharing exclusive previews of new arrivals on TikTok Live. “When crafted thoughtfully, interactive live streams feel like a fun insider experience that turns audiences into loyal brand advocates who can’t help but engage and buy,” TikTok shares. | 💡 Don’t Ignore the Technical Quality of Your Live: Proper lighting, clear camera quality, and undisrupted audio and visual features are essential for a high-quality livestream shopping experience. Make sure to check that your streaming equipment is prepped and tested beforehand so that you don’t run into any challenges during your livestream. |
TikTok Live Shopping FAQ’s
- What is TikTok Live?
TikTok Live is the ultimate hub for brands, creators, and users to authentically interact in real time. As described by TikTok, brands and creators on TikTok Live have special access to features like effects, multi-guest hosting, moderation, and LIVE Gifts. Whether creators want to just chat or share their favorite recent finds, TikTok Live is a staple for platform engagement and community building.
- How can I sell products on TikTok Live?
Brands and creators can easily sell products on TikTok Live via its seamless TikTok Shop integration. Hosts can simply tag products from TikTok Shop when preparing their live, as described in step three of our How to Go Live on TikTok section, or tag them interchangeably mid-stream.
- Why should brands utilize TikTok Live?
Going live on TikTok offers brands several benefits for sustaining growth and engagement. Some key benefits of TikTok Live for brands, as outline
Going live on TikTok offers brands several benefits for sustaining growth and engagement. Some key benefits of TikTok Live for brands, as outlined by streamlabs, include the following:
- Increases Real-Time Engagement: TikTok livestreaming empowers brands to engage with their audience in real-time by responding to comments, answering product-related questions, and acknowledging fans as they join, creating a more personal and engaging experience.
- Builds a Stronger Community: Going live on TikTok also supports brands in building more loyal and engaged communities by creating a space for followers to connect with both brand representatives and other fans.
- Helps Gain New, Engaged Followers: Since TikTok Lives are shown in the For You feed, they are exposed to new users within relevant niches who may ultimately become new followers.
- Presents Unique Way to Probe Your Audience Interests: Going live on TikTok allows brands to test new content ideas and styles organically while offering real-time advice and recommendations.
- Builds Credibility and Authority: Hosting frequent TikTok Lives with high-quality content and engagement helps brands build credibility and authority within their niche, while real-time interactions and authentic discussions foster trust and recognition among consumers.
Amplify your reach with TikTok experts
Partner with The Influencer Marketing Factory to leverage our extensive network of premium influencers. Streamline your campaign management from inception to conclusion, and attract your desired audience with compelling and engaging content.