Welcome to TikTok Shop Affiliate program

This playbook offers an end-to-end roadmap to empower US sellers' success partnering with TikTok Shop creators. Some of the key questions being answered here:

• Holistic vision: "What are the 8 tips to a successful seller <> creator matchmaking?"
• Get started: "Which affiliate collaboration model to start with based on sellers' profile?"
• Best practices: Tailored guidance to boost sellers' Affiliate GMV on
  • Affiliate essentials (Open/Target collaborations, samples, communicating with creators...);
  • Sample strategy;
  • Creator targeting & management;
  • Operation strategy;

Tip 1 - Pick one collab model to Kick-off

Currently, there are two ways available for sellers to collaborate with creators in TikTok Shop Affiliate program: <Open collaboration> & <Target collaboration>. Once collaborations are set-up, creators can decide whether to establish collabs with sellers based on available product info such as products, commissions, samples, & so forth.

<Open collaboration> vs <Target collaboration>

		<Open collaboration>	<Target collaboration>
Seller onboarding		Newbie friendly (TikTok Shop / Creator partnership)	Recommended for experienced sellers
Creator visibility	Facing all creators	Yes	No
	Availability	All creators	Only creators invited via <Target collaboration>
	Matchmaking mechanism	"Let creators find your featured products."	"Sellers proactively search for creators to collaborate"
Commissions range		1 - 80%	1 - 80%, usually higher than <Open collaboration> commissions if same product
		Platform suggested commissions are offered upon collaboration set-up.
Sample settings	Free sample	Yes, sellers can configure free samples while setting up both collaboration models.
	Refundable sample	Yes, available	No, only available in <Open collaboration>
Products picks		Sellers may decide which products to enroll in both collaboration models.
		Sellers are suggested to enroll in all of their products as always-on campaigns to identify competitive creators & products or massive product social seeding.	Sellers are suggested to pick selected products carefully in accordance to marketing goals & cadence. Then matchmakes the products with sellers' preferred creators.
Guidance & walkthrough		Academy link	Academy link

Pro TipsRegardless of seller's experience or background, if the seller is new to TikTok Shop Affiliate Program, we suggest sellers start with <Open collaboration> to:

• Set up the affiliate essentials (products/commissions/samples/find&manage creators) before taking off.
• Trial run TikTok Shop affiliate program for creator partnerships.

Then, move forward with <Target collaborations> for more exclusive & customized creator collaborations, sellers can also have <Open collaboration> as supplements to maximize GMV/brand awareness and a way to identify high potential creators.

Tip 2 - Set up samples for your products

Setting up <Free samples> HELPS building successful creator partnerships!

• For Sellers: Significantly improve the chances of having collab invites accepted by creators.
• For Creators: Spur content creativity with full product experience via free samples.

Sellers may also leverage <Refundable sample> to lower risks on sample hustles or conduct massive social seeding among nano/micro creators with shoppable content or orders guaranteed.
*What is <Sample hustles>?Influencers fail to deliver promised content after receiving samples, causing financial loss to sellers.

1. Sample features offered on TikTok Shop Affiliate

Free samples

		Free samples
		Manually managed samples	Auto-Optimized samples	Auto approve requests
Availabilities	Seller eligibility	Available to all sellers	Available to all US sellers based on TTS product inventory (> 10 units)	Available to all sellers
	Collab model supported	<Open collaboration> & <Target collaboration> Known as <Manually review requests> in <Target collaboration>	<Open collaboration> only	<Target collaboration> only
	Cross-sample compatibility	Can set up with <Refundable sample> in <Open collaboration> Offer <free samples> to preferred creators or creators fulfilling targeted ROI as an additional partnership incentive. Offer <refundable samples> to nano/micro creators for massive social seeding meanwhile with Shoppable content or orders guaranteed.		Not applicable
	Value proposition	Great for customizing sellers' creators <> sample matching strategy on products with low sample volumes	Great for saving sellers' manpower approving samples on high volume products (eg. your popular/hero products) & matchmaking creators for sellers' <Open collaboration>	Great for saving your manpower approving samples requests & offering more exposure to your <Target collaboration> invites
		Access to tailored content & long term creator partnerships: With offered samples, creators can generate content based on hands-on feelings on top of their creativity. Also leverage this opportunity to establish long term collaborations with those high performing creators that fit your brand/product strategies. Gain first-hand feedback on your products: Get a signal on how your product performs from creators' trial & their follower's feedback, therefore informs your overall selling strategy on TikTok	Let automation take burden off your shoulder: Have it all automated while promoting your popular/hero products, including automated sample workflow, eligible product enrollment, sample inventory management, creator matchmaking, sample request approval Enjoy flexibility between ROI/orders and contents: Sellers can adjust enrolled products' target ROI value to optimize for more content output in exchange for a lower target ROI value. Meaning, in most cases, if you set up a higher ROI, risks of having a sample distributed creator content with no orders will be reduced. A lower targeted ROI, will bring more creator content to your products. Have our sample risk under control: Decreased risk with predictable order output. Creators need to deliver (content/orders) before fully owning that free sample.	Automatically approved: Every sample request will be approved immediately. If a product includes different variations, sample requests for every variation will also be approved automatically. More exposure: <Target collaboration> invites with auto-approve requests will be featured as <Recommended> at collab invites page, Meaning it will be more likely to be checked by your preferred creators.
Operations	Manpower required	High	Low	Low
	Sample approval required	Yes	No	No
Creator actions	Post sample approval	Creators need to post content within 14 days of receiving sample
	Who can request samples?	GMV restrictions dictate how many free samples creators can request.	Qualified creators are algorithmically selected based on Seller's target ROI value Creators' ability to generate sufficient GMV to achieve target ROI Creators' sample posting fulfillment rate	Creators chosen in the corresponding <Target collaboration> invite.

Refundable samples

		Refundable Samples
Availabilities	Seller eligibility	Available to all sellers
	Collab model supported	<Open collaboration> only
	Cross-sample compatibility	Can set up with <Refundable sample> in <Open collaboration>
	Value proposition	Great for exploring potential partnerships with creators with low followers count or ones newly joined with great potential. Applicable to all kinds of products across your product shelves.
		Hustle-free sample process: Creators pay for samples upfront and are only reimbursed when they've met sellers' criteria. If they don’t meet criteria, it’s an order. Free up manpower on sample approval: No need to deal with sample approvals - refundable sample purchases are viewable in <Sample Requests>. Panning for the <Hidden Gems> creators: Give rising creators who may not meet your free sample criteria a chance to present their creativities & initiate your first collaborations.
Operations	Manpower required	Low
	Sample approval required	No
Creator actions	Post sample approval	Creators need to meet sellers’ refund criteria within 120 days of receiving sample - otherwise, it’s a purchase. Supported criteria includes Generate orders (max for 3)
	Who can request samples?	All creators can purchase refundable samples.

2. Seller sample use cases

All use cases below are mocked examples for sellers' better understandings.

<1> Tips for newbie sellers

Keywords: Newbie seller, Cost-efficient, Guaranteed creator content/order, New product launch, Creator strategy exploration
Seller profile

• Business & product status
  • Recently joined TikTok Shop;
  • Hero product exploration in progress, selling growing steadily;
• Operations on TikTok Shop
  • Dedicated manpower for stock monitoring & sample approvals;
  • Limited experience in creator collaboration;
  • Creator strategy in each product exploration in progress;
• Creator partnerships
  • Aims to icebreak on TikTok Shop creator partnerships to generate more GMV/orders;
  • Limited creator partnership experiences with
    • Have trouble connecting with top tier creators due to brand awareness & limited selling records;
    • Worried about the sample-cost or no-content/order delivery from lower tier creators.

Sample Strategy

Sample strategy recommendations
Strategy deep-dive	Manually managed sample Also known as <Manually review requests> in <Target collaboration>	Auto optimized sample	Refundable sample	Auto approve requests
New Products // Hero products in exploration(+) Use <Manually managed samples> via <open/target collaboration> to target launch new products to High quality creators or those with collaboration records on your products previously (not limited to TikTok Shop)(+) Use <Refundable sample> to explore new & high potential TikTok creators with guaranteed orders/content delivery;For newbie sellersWe recommend setting NO creator thresholds on free sample applications to ensure sufficient creator coverage & incoming sample requests. You may pick preferred creators while approving sample requests. For margin constrained sellersWe recommend setting up a higher <Refundable sample> criteria to amplify sample & GMV impacts as much as possible with every sample order. Eg. <Refundable sample> criteria before -> after: Generate orders: 1 -> 3 OR Post shoppable content: 1 -> 3 This will require creators' more dedicated contributions to orders & shoppable contents, therefore improving seller's ROI across platform.	✅		✅

<2> Tips for experienced sellers

Keywords: Experienced seller, Sample Automation & Manpower efficiency, Hero product growth, New product seeding, Creator community management
Seller profile

• Business & product status
  • Experienced in TikTok Shop operations;
  • Hero products identified with good selling records while launching new products on TikTok Shop;
• Operations on platform
  • Short in manpower for stock monitoring & sample approvals due to high order counts;
  • Launched creator collaborations & have been popular among creators & customers;
  • Have clear creator strategies with managed creator communities on TikTok;
• Creator partnerships
  • Wanna strengthen hero products selling while keep introducing new products to TikTok Shop.
  • Experienced in collaborating with creators on TikTok or other platforms
    • Target collaborates with top/high performing creators while open for mini creators to promote product seeding & brand awareness.

Sample strategy

Sample strategy recommendations
Strategy deep-dive	Manually managed sample Also known as <Manually review requests> in <Target collaboration>	Auto optimized sample	Refundable sample	Auto approve requests
Hero products:(+) Due to the popularity of the products, medium/high sample volumes are expected. Use <Auto-optimized samples> in <Open collaboration> to free up sample approval manpower with a controlable balance between orders/ROI & creator contents delivery; Use <Auto approve requests> to feature your <Target collaboration> invite as <Recommended> among targeted creators' <Collab invites>; (+) Use <Refundable sample> in <Open collaboration> to explore new & high potential TikTok creators with guaranteed orders/content delivery;New product(+) Use <Manually managed samples> via open/target collaboration to target launch new products to Quality creators (eg. mega/macro or mid-tier creators) or those with collaboration records on your products. (+) Leverage <Refundable sample> in <Open collaboration> to promote with guaranteed orders/massive social seeding;(-) <Auto-optimized samples> may not yet be available due to low product selling record; With more selling records made, transition from <Free sample - manual> to <Auto-optimized sample> to release manpower;	✅	✅	✅	✅

Tip 3 - Source more creators

Sellers may identify leads or proactively search for quality TikTok Shop creators via the following ways:

1. Within TikTok Shop-Affiliate Center [Recommended] Tactic #1 Search & filter all eligible TikTok Shop creators via <Find creators> in Affiliate center *How-to: <Find creators> allows sellers to locate your preferred creators at TikTok Shop creator community through

• Proactive searching: Search by creator name, products, hashtags, keywords;
• Holistic filters: Filter by creator profile & performances & follower demographics;

At <Find creators>, Sellers may also send out <Target collaboration> invites or add preferred creators to <Manage creators>.

2. Within TikTok App

Tactic #1 Search product keywords in TikTok for creators with relevant contents posted.

Pick creators with

• Products featured in showcases or video shopping cart
• Good content performances & engagements (video views/likes/comments/shares)

Tactic #2 Optimize TikTok for more relevant creator recommendations

Scroll contents in FYP, follow below actions when seeing matching contents

• Stay longer & finish the video;
• Follow/like/favorite/comment/share/...

Tactic #3 Identify shoppable contents & creators by checking viral music tab.

*Not all music is available to be featured in a shoppable content.

Tactic #4 Check trending hashtags for shoppable contents & creators inspirations

Such as #igotitfromTikTok, #TikTokmademebuyit

Tip 4 - Filter & manage creators

1. Screen & select for the right creators

PRO tips

• Select then perfect: start creator pool with relevant creators in your product category then shortlist creators who stand-out & establish long-term collaborations.
• Diligence & content performance matters: these are critical signals to identify creators for collaborations. Check out creator's post rate, video views, follower cnt & demographics & more for reference.
• Don't miss out the 'Hidden Gems': Initiating collaborations with Maga/macro creators could be difficult & acceptance might be low due to ongoing collabs & high collab fees. Instead, diligent creators with quality content could be a better option to consider, even with less followers.

Tactic #1 - Pick creators with high product relevancy

• Creators who have generated GMV or featured in showcase with products in your category.
• Creators who specialize in making shoppable contents seller preferred (short video/LIVE).

& Here's how to implement this tip via <Find creators> in TikTok Shop Affiliate Center<1> Choose the right category

• When corresponding product category is selected, Creators who generated GMV or who added relevant products to showcase in that category will show up in search results.
• Try choosing the product category that your product falls into.

<2> "Short video or LIVE?"

• The <content type filter> can highlight creators who used to promote products in the last 30 days, including short videos or Live.
• Try filtering the content type you'd like to invest/promote in - Short video or LIVE.

Tactic #2 - Pick creators with good e-commerce experiences

• Creators who have GMV generated or item sold in the past 30 days.
• Creators who have featured e-comm related keywords in bio.
  • Such as TikTok Shop, & other e-commerce platforms.
• Creators who also have presence on other social platforms, meanwhile with brand partnership contents.
• Creators who have collaborated with sellers in your product category previously.

& Here's how to implement this tip via <Find creators> in TikTok Shop Affiliate Center<1> Follow GMV & selling record

• The <GMV> & <Items sold> filter indicates the revenue generated by creators from LIVE, shoppable video or showcase in the last 30 days.
• Try filtering via GMV & items-sold tiers to shortlist competitive creators search results.

❗️However, please do NOT use GMV/items-sold as the ONLY benchmark, as

• Don't miss out the "hidden gems": Even with unique content style & quality, high potential creators are still on the rise & remain in the lower GMV/items-sold tier. Plus, seller's <Target collaboration> invites are more likely to get accepted among these creators compared to those sent to Mega/Macro creators.
• High performers might be overloaded: As mega/macro creators are popular among sellers & may have already been overbooked with affiliate orders, low response rate, longer content turnaround or high commissions could be expected.

<2> Check the ✅ <Fast growing> creators

• Try picking creators featured with <Fast Growing> tag. This will bring those creators with growing talent into your attention.

Q: Who will be labeled as <Fast Growing>The top 10% of creators with the greatest increase in transactions, revenue, shoppable videos, LIVE views, or followers in the last 30 days.
<3> Benchmark with competitors

• Through the <Brand collaboration> filter, Brands that creators have promoted and sold in the last 30 days through shoppable videos, showcase, or LIVE will show in the filter.
• Try searching for the brand name in <Brand collaborations> filter to benchmark your competitors' picks

Tactic #3 - Pick creators with good diligence & content performance

• Creators who have produced shoppable contents diligently.
• Creators who have high video views & engagement rates in posted shoppable contents.
• Creators who have produced quality contents with strong & diversified styles.

& Here's how to implement this tip via <Find creators> in TikTok Shop Affiliate Center<1> Go with high average view per video/LIVE

• Through the <Average view per video/LIVE> filter, Sellers can locate creators creators who constantly deliver high performing videos/LIVE or have the potential to make things go viral.
• Sellers can also filter out metrics with shoppable contents only.

<2> Go with high engagement rate

• High engagement rate indicates a high level of affection among audiences & they are echoing back to the content through actions such as likes, shares & comments.
• Try filtering creators who have high engagement rates (10% ~20%+).

<3> Go with high est. post rate

• Creators with high est. post rate have proved their diligence in content creation after receiving samples-indicating, creators with high est. post rate have higher rates of posting content after receiving samples.
• Try filtering creators based on est. post rates of Ok, Good and Better, which depends on sample fulfillment rate. Sellers can filter creators with <Good/Better> post rate to lower risk of delay in content delivery.

Tactic #4 - Pick creators with a matching follower demographic

• Creators whose follow demographic matches with sellers' products.

& Here's how to implement this tip via <Find creators> in TikTok Shop Affiliate Center<1> Filter for matching followers demographic:

• Through the <Follower> filter, sellers can capture creators with a matching follower demographic.
• Sellers may select from follower age groups & gender.

2. Establish sellers' creator portfolio

Creator spectrum

While searching & filtering creators, sellers may find creators falling into the below categories.

	Mega/Macro creators:	Mid-tier/micro creators	Nano creators
Demographics	Creators who are well-known in their verticals, have strong followers stickiness along with unique content styles;	Creators who have accumulated some follower base & can generate viral content from time to time.	Limited content creation capability but could deliver relatable content with true, contagious meanwhile folksy tone.
Acceptance rate	Relatively low	Moderate	High

Sellers may pick creators from below categories to following their own own creator strategy. Be sure to align product choices & stages of products in accordance with creators' audience & acceptance rate. Here are some use cases.

Tactic #1 - build creator strategy by stages of products

Amount of creators in portfolio: Add-on < Secondary < Main

Stages of products: Newly launched -> Growing -> Matured;

Product stage 1: Newly launched

• Strategy: Promote product reviews & seeding
  • Leverage nano creators' empathetic/folksy content style to review products. Proactively conduct mass-scale social seeding.
• Creator portfolio:
  • Main: Nano creators;
  • Add-on: Mid-tier/Micro creators;

Product stage 2: Growing

• Strategy: Strengthen awareness
  • Leverage vertical Mid-tier/Micro creators to promote/review products through a professional tone. Targeted approach to consumers while expanding brand/product awareness;
• Creator portfolio:
  • Main: Mid-tier/Micro creators;
  • Secondary: Nano creators;
  • Add-on: Mega/Macro creators;

Product stage 3: Matured

• Strategy: Bring more conversions
  • Leverage Mega/Macro creators to quickly promote app-wise product popularity.
  • Leverage Nano creators to drive more genuine post order feedback, therefore promote more conversions via in-app search from potential customers.
• Creator portfolio:
  • Main: Nano creators;
  • Secondary: Mid-tier/Micro creators + Mega/Macro creators;

Tactic #2- build creator strategy by product unit price

Amount of creators in portfolio: Add-on < Secondary < Main
Low unit price products

• Example: CPGs / Consumables (Eg. Household goods, beauty supplies etc.);
• Strategy: Given low unit price, promote awareness in exchange for more conversions
  • Leverage Nano creators to drive more genuine post order feedback across platform, therefore promote more conversions via in-app search.
  • Leverage Mid-tier/Micro creators to promote brand/product awareness & walk through key product functionalities
• Creator portfolio
  • Main: Nano creators
  • Add-on: Mid-tier/Micro creators

High unit price products

• Example: Electronics;
• Strategy:
  • Leverage Mega/Macro creators to unblock brand awareness;
  • Leverage Mid-tier/Micro creators for detailed walkthroughs on product functionality, performance & use cases.
• Creator portfolio
  • Main: Mid-tier/Micro creators
  • Add-on: Mega/Macro creators

3. Suggest including creators under <Manage creators>

Once identified preferred creators through selection, have them under managed efficiently using <Manage creators> in TikTok Affiliate center.
<Manage creators> allows sellers to import, organize, track & connect with creators individually or by batches

• Import: Upload lists of creators you've collaborated to TikTok Shop;
• Organize: Create customized tags and label creators;
• Track: View collaborated creators' performance on your products;
• Connect: Send <Target collaboration> invites or IM messages to creators;

Practices recommendations

• Design & customize your tags: Don't forget to customize your own tag name that aligns with your marketing cadence or goals. Names such as <New product lauch> or <Holiday promotion> could help you group & locate creators easily while launching a <Target collaboration>. Therefore, this may lead to enhanced matchmaking efficiency.
• Tag your creators: Once tags are created, tag preferred creators in <Manage creators>. This could make seller's <Target collaboration> more expedited & efficient, with invites sent only a few clicks away.
• Update your creator portfolio
  • Refresh added creators: Proactively track creators' performances with offered filters. Sellers can remove creators that are under performing or have failed to deliver from sellers' personalized creator portfolio.
  • Add more to <Manage creators>: keep amplifying collaborated creator list by searching via <Find creators, identified via <Open collaboration> or manually uploaded by sellers.

Tip 5 - Connect with creators to collab!

1. Invite creators to collab via <Target collaboration> [Recommended]

<Target collaboration> allows sellers to invite & collaborate with preferred creators on product promotion.

• What products are available for promotion: Only products selected by sellers;
• Who's eligible to promote: Only creators who received seller's invitation;

Kick-off <Target collaboration> invites via various entry points:

• Entry 1: <Target collaboration>

• Entry 2: <Find creators>

• Entry 3: <Manage creators>

• Entry 4: <Creator detail page>

• Entry 5: <IM>

• Entry 6: <Open collaboration> - <Creator sharing product>

Add featured products & creators to <Target collaboration>

<1> Tactic 1: Bump up product commissions

• In the case when seller would like to launch a <Target collaboration> with a product that is also available in <Open collaboration>, a higher commission in <Target collaboration> is suggested to help lift invite's acceptance rate.
• Once settled with a higher commission, sellers will see a "higher commission/⬆️" badge during the <Target collaboration> set-up process.

Creator commission rate priorityCreator A is invited to promote Product A at a <Target collaboration> with A% commission, while Product A has already been featured in the creator's showcase/shoppable video through <Open collaboration> with a commission rate B%. Then,

• When <Target collaboration> remains active, A% commission applies to both <Target collaboration> & <Open collaboration> orders on Product A.
• Once <Target collaboration> expired, commission for <Open collaboration> rates will return back to B%.

<2> Tactic 2: Set up samplesSellers may set up a <Target collaboration> sample based on estimated sample volume.

• <Manually review requests>: requires manual approval on samples. Ideal for products with low est. sample volume.
• <Auto approve requests>: saves manpower approving sample requests. Ideal for products with medium & high sample volume.

Invites with <Auto approve requests> will be featured as <Recommended> in creator's <Collab invites>. Get creator's first glance when checking for potential collaborations.
Seller sideCreator side<3> Tactic 3: Polish product listings

• Follow product optimization guidelines to touch up product pictures & descriptions via product optimizer at seller center. (Product link / how to)
• Ensure your products stand-out among others in the category for creator collaboration.

Launch <Target collaboration> with creators

<1> At initial reach-outCustomize greetings to creators

• Under the message section, sellers are suggested to customize greetings to show how much you value the targeted creators as a seller:
  • Such as - Mention every targeted creator's handle by clicking the <insert creator's name> tab. This tab will capture each invited creator's handle automatically.

Establish strong engagement with creators. Some tips to establish strong engagements with creators:

• Build initial trust: kick off your connections with creators based on your background/brand image or past collaborated creators.
• Express respect & empathy: compliment creators on their past viral video , unique content styles or one successful collaboration in the past.
• Pitch your product: showcase your products based on product selling points, advantages, and usage scenarios
• Creator's interest: further impress creators by setting up & mentioning free samples & competitive commissions.

<2> How creators see the launched <Target collaboration> invites?Upon sellers' initial reach-out via <Target collaboration>, Creators may review, accept or 'Not interested' seller's invites under <Collab invites> at TikTok App. PRO tipsIn most cases, after receiving brands' initial reach-out, creators will search brands directly through search engines or different social platforms.
A well-established official website, SEO optimization, and official accounts with salable products could help to improve response rate from creators reached-out.
<3> Follow up - if creators interested in potential collab

• Tailor content brief by creator tiers: Some tips to tailor your content brief based on creators' collaboration experience & content styles
  • For Mega/Macro creators
    • Profile:Creators who are well-known in their verticals, have strong followers stickiness along with unique content styles.
    • Brief recommendation: focus on necessities (eg. product selling points/key product message) that would like deliver, and let creators take care of the rest.
  • For Mid-tier/Micro creators
    • Profile: Creators who have accumulated some follower base & can generate viral content from time to time.
    • Brief recommendation: offer a content framework along with key product messages while granting creators enough space to spur their creativity.
  • For Nano creators
    • Profile: Limited content creation capability but could deliver empathetic content with true, contagious meanwhile folksy tone.
    • Brief recommendation: Give nano creators something simple & clear so they can go straight to content creation without any further elaboration needed.
• Guide for the next steps: Sellers are suggested to guide creators on how to accept invites & apply for samples with TikTok's official guide to save time doing Q&A
  • Article - How creators can request samples?
  • Article - Where to find <Collab invites>?
• Guide creator on content production: Sellers are suggested to guide your creators on tips generating 'High-quality videos' based on provided brief.
  • Article - Creating Quality TikTok Shop Videos" Suggestions!
• Follow up wisely: Another tip - don't forget to follow up with creators through IM (Creator messages) at selected key moments to ensure content delivery & establish potential long-term collaborations.
  • Eg. A kind reminder or a celebration/thank you note could move a needle on creator partnerships!
  • Sample key moments
    • Promote content delivery: Samples shipped, 7 days before content delivery DDL, creator content published;
    • Establish long-term collaboration: first affiliate order made, $xx GMV milestone, post one round of <Target collaboration> campaign.

3. Connect offline

While highly recommended using <Target collaboration> , sellers may also connect & invite creators offline through e-mail if it's available under creator's TikTok profile page.

• Get creators' e-mail from their TikTok profile
• Check-out creators' other social platforms for e-mail

Tip 6 - Ship samples & monitor creators' fulfillment

Once engaged with creators, sellers may pay attention to the following throughout the sample shipping process.

Before sample shipping

• Double-check the sample quantity, specifications, color ,sizes before shipping.
• Double-check on creators/receivers' info (name, address, phone number) before shipping.

In-between sample shipment

• Share the tracking number with creators once shipped.
• Remind creators to get ready for delivery when the samples are arriving.

Post sample delivery

• Remind creators to complete content production post 7 days receiving samples.

Creators have a total of 14 days to produce contents post receiving samples.

• Offer quality shoppable contents from other creators as reference during content production.

Tip 7 - Monitor creator performances

Post launching collaboration campaigns, sellers may also track campaign or creator level performances through <Analytics> in Affiliate center. Leverage data driven insights to optimize next-step strategies in TikTok Shop Affiliate program.

Tip 8 - Boost GMV with ads

Sellers can also leverage the affiliate creatives creators generated for their TikTok Shop Ads campaigns.

Intro

• Article - Affiliate Creatives for Ads (ACA) - Creating Ads
• One pager

Case studies

• MySmile

Love & Pebble

Milestone - Celebrate your first affiliate order

🎉 Congratulations, by now, with all the dedicated efforts, you most likely have made your first affiliate order & officially settled in TikTok Shop Affiliate Program.
What's next - Continue launching collaboration campaigns & strengthen your partnerships with TikTok Shop creator communities. We hope to celebrate more milestones together here at TikTok Shop! 🚀
🪂 For those who are still struggling to icebreak with TikTok shop creators, we got you covered too! Refer below for troubleshooting guidance.

Q&A

1. Why do I receive 0 affiliate orders post 14 days on the TikTok Affiliate Program?

Don't worry - it happens. But silverlining is just around the corner. Let's walk through a few items to help you troubleshootFor sellers with <Open collaboration>Checkpoint 1: Is there enough stock for added products in Open Collaboration? Is the product status indicated <Available>?A: If there's 0 stock available for your products - creators will not be able to apply for samples or promote it.Make sure there is enough stock for all your products with a status <Available>Checkpoint 2: Have you added enough products with samples set up to <Open collaboration>?A: It may take time for your products to stand out among TikTok Shop creators. Try adding more products to <Open collaboration> meanwhile setting up each product with samples!

• By offering <Manually managed samples>, This will help your product stand-out as well while creators are shopping for the next promotional product.

By offering <refundable samples>, you can acquire guaranteed orders/contents with each sample reimbursed, otherwise, it's your first order on TikTok Shop Affiliate program!Don't forget to keep you <Auto-add-products> ON to ensure your <Open collaboration> product listing syncs with your product shelf in seller center.Checkpoint 3: Have you set up all product commissions with TikTok's suggested range? A: Higher commissions will help you stand out & gain more creators' attention in Product Market Place (where creators shop for the next product for promotion!)For sellers with <Target collaboration>Checkpoint 1 - Have you set up <Free samples> for your <Target collaboration>? For those samples that require manual approval, have you approved all of your sample requests?A: Setting up <Free samples> HELPS for successful creator partnerships, especially in improving the chances of having collab invites accepted by creators.

• For products with low est. sample volumes, use <Manually review requests> & don't forget to keep an eye on sample requests & approve them on time!
• For products with medium & high sample volume, use <Auto approve requests> to save manpower approving sample requests & have your request featured as <Recommended> in creator's <Collab invites>.

Checkpoint 2 - Have you set-up a competitive commission?A: A competitive commission is another lever to help unblock creator partnership in TikTok Shop Affiliate Program.
In the case when seller would like to launch a <Target collaboration> with a product that is also available in <Open collaboration>, a higher commission in <Target collaboration> is suggested , therefore help to lift invite's acceptance rate.
Checkpoint 3 - Have you match-made your products with the right creator portfolio? A: Matchmaking your products with matching meanwhile diligent creators helps to your success in TikTok Shop Affiliate Program. Doublecheck rule for thumbs to select & filter the right creators.
Once finished, let's launch another round of <Target collaboration> with more creator reach-outs.
Checkpoint 4 - Have you picked products purposefully while sending them to creators?Be purposeful in product selections while matchmaking products <> creators with samples via <Target collaboration>. This means a lot to both sellers & creator community, as

• For sellers: Improve collaboration accept rate with "handpicked" products & competitive offers (samples/commissions).
• For creators: Spend less time window-shopping & more time on content creation for the next promoted product.

❌ Bad case - Seller AChooses 10 random products & sends invites to all of my saved creators under <Manage creators>.Then filters while approving samples.✅ Good case - Seller BPicks 1-2 products carefully in accordance to your marketing goals & cadence.Matchmakes the products with compatible creators & sends out invites via <Target collaboration>.Uses <Auto approve requests> to save manpower approving for samples & gain more exposure.For full <Target collaboration> best practices, check out 👇Tip 3 - Source more creatorsTip 4 - Filter & manage creatorsTip 5 - Invite creators to collab via <Target collaboration>Give you & your business a little more time to icebreak. We, TikTok Shop, believe in you & all sellers as much as how much you all trust us. Let's get started & aim for the first order with TikTok Shop creators! ❤️

2. How do I balance between <Open collaboration> & <Target collaboration>

<Open collaboration>

• Have <Open collaboration> as always-on campaign to supplement your marketing strategy driven by <Target collaboration>. Meanwhile, leverage <Open collaboration> to promote product seeding & identify products/creators that stood-out.
• Teleport products + creators that stood-out in <Open collaboration> to <Target collaboration>.

<Target collaboration>

• Customize your picks of creators based on promotional scenarios & stages of products
  • Promotional scenarios: Such as hero products promotion, new product launches, or holiday sales;
  • Stages of products: Newly launched -> Growing -> Matured;
• Iterate your products & creators strategy based on performances
  • Downgrade/weed-out under-performing product & creators back to <Open collaboration>.
  • Refresh product/creator portfolio w/ those stood-out in <Open collaboration>.

3. Are there companies who can manage my affiliate program on my behalf?

TikTok Shop Partners (TSPs) can help sellers at any stage of their TTS journey, including managing affiliate operations, shop management, shopping ads, content production, and more! Specifically regarding affiliate management, TSPs can help with the following:

• Creator Outreach
• Sample Management
• Creator Content Briefing
• Community Management
• Creator Strategy

To find a TSP who fits your service and budget, needs, feel free to see the directory in Seller Center: Apps & services --> Agencies & services --> Affiliate Management under Service type"