If you are building a direct to consumer brand in 2025, TikTok is not just an awareness channel anymore, it is a full funnel sales engine. Global TikTok Shop gross merchandise value reached about 33.2 billion dollars in 2024, and the United States surged to roughly 9 billion dollars in GMV in its first full year, according to the Momentum Works and Tabcut report covered by TechNode Global. The recap highlights 398,000 US shops, 11 million creators, 17 million videos, and 4 million live streams, with creators driving 60 percent of GMV through content and live shopping. That scale is why a focused 30 day build can set your store up for meaningful revenue.

TikTok is also winning on attention. eMarketer’s analysis shows TikTok already beat Instagram in total minutes per day for US adults and is forecast to pass Facebook in 2025. This attention translates to shopping behavior. TikTok’s own Catalog Ads page cites that 64 percent of users have made a purchase from ads or shoppable content on the platform, and three in four shoppers agree TikTok is the go to place to discover new brands and products. Your job in the next 30 days is to capture a share of that intent with a clean catalog, compelling creator content, reliable fulfillment, and a performance system for Shop Ads.

The plan below is engineered for speed without sacrificing foundation. It assumes you run a Shopify store, since the official Shopify integration makes catalog syncing and order flow simple. If you are still choosing a platform, you can launch quickly with a modern stack like Shopify and then connect TikTok Shop in a few clicks.

Why TikTok Shop now

• Momentum is real. The US became TikTok Shop’s largest market in 2024 with about 9 billion dollars GMV, a 650 percent year over year jump, as reported by Momentum Works via TechNode Global.

• Users buy what they see. TikTok’s Catalog Ads page cites that 78 percent of users are likely to purchase from a brand after seeing a Catalog Ad and three in four shoppers use TikTok for discovery.

• On platform commerce is maturing. TikTok consolidated Shopping Ads under Catalog Ads and Shop Ads, and as of July 2025 moved TikTok Shop campaigns to GMV Max campaign types for product and live selling, as the LIVE Shopping Ads guide explains.

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Your 30 day TikTok Shop launch plan

This plan breaks the month into four weekly sprints. Each sprint covers catalog and data, creators, fulfillment, and ads. Keep a simple steering doc with owners, deadlines, and a single source of truth for product IDs, creative links, and live dates.

Week 1: Foundation and catalog hygiene

1. Connect your stack and sync products

If you use Shopify, connect the official TikTok sales channel and onboard TikTok Shop inside your Shopify admin. The Shopify Help Center article on setting up TikTok Shop explains that the app syncs your catalog, inventory, fulfillment, and orders between Shopify and TikTok Shop. It also lists requirements like a verifiable address and a published returns policy. The native flow lets you register as a merchant, verify your shop, and complete document upload during onboarding.

2. Clean your product data for shopping placements

TikTok’s Catalog Ads documentation describes a catalog driven performance system. Treat it like a product feed. Start by auditing titles, images, variants, and availability. Shorten titles under 60 to 70 characters, put the primary keyword first, and add high intent attributes like size and material. Use square 1:1 images with clean backgrounds as your main image and add lifestyle secondaries for creative remixes. Add standardized pricing and ensure each variant has its own SKU and GTIN where applicable. Use Shopify metafields or tags to keep your Product Sets flexible for campaigns and creator bundles.

TikTok provides guidance on catalog match rates and diagnostics inside Ads Manager. The Catalog setup section in the Ads Help Center explains Catalog Event Match Rates and gives best practices to troubleshoot issues and improve coverage. Plan 30 minutes to review the diagnostics panel after your first sync.

3. Add your web data connections

Even if your first conversion destination is the TikTok Shop cart, you need measurement for traffic to your site too. Install the TikTok Pixel and set up the Events API. The Events API getting started guide explains the recommended dual setup, Pixel as client side and Events API as server side, along with integration options such as Shopify, CDPs, or direct API. Validate events in Events Manager and set up standard events like View Content, Add to Cart, Initiate Checkout, and Complete Payment with correct content IDs that match your catalog.

4. Align on policy and products you will list

US sellers must comply with TikTok Shop product rules. Shopify’s setup guide links directly to the US Prohibited Products Policy so you can check categories that are banned or restricted. If you have products in restricted categories like certain cosmetics or supplements, review documentation requirements before listing. A fast way to avoid headaches is to seed TikTok Shop with your simplest 10 to 20 SKUs that are well within policy and that ship fast.

5. Set your fee expectations and pricing rules

Fees impact your margin on platform. Webgility’s deep dive on TikTok Shop fees explains that US referral fees increased to 6 percent per order for most categories starting April 1, 2024, with some jewelry at 5 percent. There is also a transaction fee and optional flash sale service fees. Build a margin calculator that adds product cost, pick and pack, outbound shipping, the 6 percent referral fee, transaction fees, and expected affiliate commissions. Use this to set floors for discounting and affiliate rates.

Week 2: Creator engine and open affiliate

1. Turn on Affiliate and set commission rates

TikTok Shop’s affiliate system lets creators pick your products and earn a commission you define. The Seller Center documentation explains how affiliate commissions are paid after orders settle and that creators need to meet eligibility such as being 18 plus and having minimum followers. Create one open plan for your core products with baseline commission and one hero plan for a few high LTV SKUs with a higher commission. Early stage brands commonly set 10 to 20 percent to seed content velocity, then normalize based on CAC and margin.

The TikTok Ads Help Center’s page about affiliate creatives for TikTok Shop Ads explains how to authorize affiliate posts for use in Shop Ads. People call this mass authorization or video code workflows. Flip this on to reuse creator posts in ads later.

2. Build a clear creator brief

Creators move fast when your instructions do too. In one page, specify audience, problem, promise, and proof. Share three example hooks, two must say benefits, and one offer CTA. Add a brand kit, shipping timeline for samples, and the do not say list for compliance. Include how to add product anchors to videos. The Ads Help Center guide on adding product links shows the process for creators to anchor your product to the video.

3. Recruit in two ways

• Open discovery. With an open affiliate plan and solid commission, creators will pick your products. Check your Seller Center inbox daily and approve relevant creators. Ship samples within 24 hours.

• Targeted outreach. Build a list of 50 micro creators who already make content in your niche and who fit your target buyer. DM a simple message with social proof and an offer to ship a sample plus an affiliate commission through the TikTok Shop Affiliate program. Your goal is 10 creators posting within the next 10 days.

4. Seed organic content from your brand account

Post four to six short videos that do not look like ads. Think TikTok first narratives. Show before and after, solve a problem in public, stitch a trending question, and demo your most viral use case. Use comments to answer questions about sizing, ingredients, or shipping. When your shop is connected, add product anchors to these posts to collect early clicks and conversions in the Shopping Center and search.

5. Prepare to boost winning creator content

Once you see a creator post driving clicks or sales, get authorization for that video as an affiliate creative. The Ads Help Center page on authorizing affiliate videos for Shop Ads shows the steps. Save links to add into Shop Ads or Video Shopping Ads during Week 3.

Week 3: Fulfillment you can scale and customer promises

1. Lock your fulfillment path

You have two realistic paths for the first 90 days. Ship from your own warehouse or 3PL, or use Fulfilled by TikTok where eligible. ShipBob’s 2025 guide explains that FBT handles storage, pick, pack, and shipping for TikTok Shop orders. Influencer Marketing Hub’s analysis outlines how FBT fees like pick and pack and storage factor into your net payout. Whether you choose in house or FBT, define your service levels in writing: pick and pack cutoff, carrier classes, and return handling.

2. Meet TikTok’s shipping and return expectations

TikTok Shop policies require valid tracking within the dispatch service level agreement and discourage any form of marketplace arbitrage. Seller Center’s shipping policy notes the need for valid tracking within the SLA, and the returns guide explains that TikTok Shop automatically accepts return requests for returnable items and that customers typically have 30 days to ship back. If you sell in categories with hygiene or safety rules, set clear final sale flags in your policy.

3. Package for content and cost

Your unboxing is your first retention ad. Keep it lightweight to protect margins but add one delightful detail that photographs well. A single card with a creator challenge or stacking offer works. Make sure barcode placement does not cover key branding and that packaging is durable enough to survive two trips in case of returns.

4. Build a service playbook for live and comments

During LIVE sessions and viral posts, your comment volume increases. Create 10 canned responses for sizing, shipping times, allergy questions, care instructions, and refund policy. Assign one owner to reply in real time during your first LIVE tests next week. Pin the best Q and A beneath the video.

5. Connect your shop to your ad account correctly

The LIVE Shopping Ads article shows you must connect ad accounts to your shop in Seller Center and request shop access in Business Center. Do this now so there is no scramble on ad day. Also check that product IDs, taxes, and shipping templates are correct for Shop Ads.

Week 4: Shop Ads launch, LIVE tests, and scale rules

TikTok consolidated shopping formats into Catalog Ads and TikTok Shop Ads. Catalog Ads promote website or app sales with catalog powered units. Shop Ads sell inside TikTok’s Shopping Center and feed placements. As of July 2025, TikTok Shop Ads run under GMV Max campaign types for product and live goals, as the LIVE Shopping Ads page explains.

1. Launch Catalog Ads for website conversions

Use Catalog Ads to retarget site visitors and to prospect with your product feed. The Catalog Ads page describes always on sales and personalized experiences driven by your catalog. Start two campaigns:

• Retargeting. Single Video or Catalog Video format, optimized for conversions, with 7 day click attribution, and product sets filtered to top sellers. Use short creator style videos that show the product in use. Add clear price and offer. Expect the first purchases to come here.

• Prospecting. Smart plus Catalog Ads if available, or manual ad groups segmented by broad interest clusters. Target fairly broad and let creative do the targeting. Use three to five videos per ad group.

2. Launch TikTok Shop Ads under GMV Max

Create a Product GMV Max campaign to drive on platform conversions. Use a mix of your brand videos with product anchors and authorized affiliate creatives. The Shop Ads attribution guide explains that TikTok attributes orders to the last ad touch with a 7 day click and 1 day view window, and that attribution happens at the Shop ID level. That means an ad for one product can get credit for another product bought from your shop within the window.

3. Schedule your first LIVE Shopping session and promote it

Plan one 60 to 90 minute show this week. Use a LIVE GMV Max campaign to drive attendance. The LIVE Shopping Ads guide explains setup, including choosing your identity, setting a fair broad audience, and aligning schedule and bids around the live start time. Prepare five segments to keep energy high: a quick demo, customer stories, rapid fire Q and A, bundle reveal, and limited quantity offer. Keep your top offer pinned in chat and use product pins to cycle through items.

4. Use creator content inside Shop Ads

The affiliate creatives help page shows how to use authorized creator posts in Shop Ads. Start with your top two affiliate videos, one how to and one reaction style. In Ads Manager, pick those videos as the source for Shop Ads, then select product sets that match what is shown. This pairing often improves engagement and conversion since the creative already has native proof.

5. Measure, learn, and scale with simple rules

• Attribution and reporting. The Shop Ads attribution article lays out the 7 day click and 1 day view rules. Read product level reports in Ads Manager and cross check Ads Manager with Seller Center because Seller Center reports sales on the day while Ads Manager reports within its attribution window.

• Creative testing. Keep a rolling roster of five to seven active videos per ad set. Replace the laggard every three to four days. Mine comments for objections and turn them into next week’s hooks.

• Budget. Start with one to three hundred dollars per day across Catalog Ads and Shop Ads, then scale winners by 20 to 30 percent every two to three days when CPA or ROAS holds. Protect a slice of budget for new creative every week so you never stall.

Practical details that prevent headaches

• Product anchors and showcase. The Shop Ads documentation covers adding product links to videos and using Showcase. Set this up so every organic and creator post can drive to your product cards.

• Shop Tab placements. TikTok’s guide on onsite placements explains that Shop Ads can appear in the Shop Tab under Recommended for you and Search results, plus standard feed placements. Optimize thumbnails and first two seconds for those surfaces.

• Data hygiene. Catalog Ads rely on clean data connections. If you use URL parameters for web campaigns, follow TikTok’s instructions for building URL parameters for Catalog Ads so you preserve UTM tracking.

• Policy bumps. If you get a product rejection, appeal through the Enhanced Catalog Review process in Ads Manager. Most rejections come from missing attributes, misleading claims, or image violations like text overlays that look like price spam.

• Broken links. Test every product link from every placement before you scale budget. Nothing kills ROAS like a 404. If you want to see what a bad experience looks like, click a site’s 404 page and imagine a buyer hitting that on a flash sale.

Creative that sells on TikTok Shop

Treat every video as a mini product page. The first three seconds buy you the next seven, the next seven buy you the next fifteen. A practical pattern that works across categories looks like this.

• Open on the problem or big promise. “Your kitchen sponge is dirtier than your toilet seat. Here is how I fix it in 3 minutes.”

• Show the transformation. A clear before and after or a live demo where the viewer can see the product do its job.

• Add social proof and specifics. Show real comments, quick UGC cuts, or a simple stat like number of five star reviews for the exact SKU.

• Close with urgency. A limited time bundle for live, or a new buyer voucher inside TikTok Shop.

Catalog Ads can remix this same idea using product images or short video packages. TikTok’s Catalog Ads documentation also highlights formats like Single Video and Carousel. Pick the format that best mirrors your landing experience.

Budget and offers that stack the deck

• Commission seeding. For the first 30 days, run a hero affiliate plan at a higher commission level on two to three SKUs you can keep in stock. Wind this down to a sustainable baseline once you have creator velocity and reviews published.

• New buyer vouchers. Create a first purchase offer inside TikTok Shop and advertise it in your creative. Use seller funded vouchers with clear minimums so you protect margin.

• Bundles for live. Offer one anchor bundle that delivers a compelling price per unit and a fast shelf life, something a creator can build a show around for ten minutes without repeating themselves.

• Free shipping thresholds. If you ship yourself, simplify costs with a threshold reasonably close to your average order value. This will increase AOV and smooth pick and pack operations.

Measurement checklist for the month

• Web events. Verify Pixel and Events API with proper content IDs and deduplication before you run Catalog Ads. TikTok’s Events API guide recommends using both channels together for better signal quality.

• Onsite attribution. Read the TikTok Shop Ads attribution help article so your team understands the 7 day click and 1 day view windows and Shop ID level rules. Train them not to compare Seller Center and Ads Manager on the same date without adjusting for attribution windows.

• Product level reporting. Use product level reports in Ads Manager to find SKUs with high ROAS so you can expand inventory and creative around them.

Troubleshooting your first 30 days

• SKU not showing in ads. Check Product Sets, product approval status, and catalog diagnostics. If you mapped products from Shopify and changed handles or variants, refresh the feed and confirm content IDs match in your Pixel events.

• Creators not finding your products. Ensure your Affiliate plan is open, your commission is competitive, and your samples ship same day. Post from your own account with product anchors to increase discovery in the Shopping Center.

• Live turnout is low. Use a LIVE GMV Max campaign and schedule ads to begin at least 15 minutes before you go live. Prime the audience with a short teaser post the day before.

• Orders spiking but returns rising. Audit your product page copy and live claims against what is delivered. TikTok Shop’s returns documentation notes automatic acceptance for returnable items, so set accurate expectations on size, color, and materials to reduce remorse returns.

Make this launch easier with StoreAcquire

This 30 day plan puts the right pieces in motion. You have a clean catalog and data connections, a repeatable creator engine, a fulfillment promise you can keep, and an ad system tuned to TikTok’s formats. If you want fast, practical playbooks like this every week, subscribe to the free StoreAcquire newsletter at StoreAcquire. You will get curated insights, case studies, and step by step frameworks from operators and marketers who build for conversions. After you subscribe, you will land on the site’s Thank You page and then your first issue arrives next week. If you are still picking an ecommerce platform, get moving today with Shopify and connect TikTok Shop in minutes.

Key sources used in this playbook include Shopify’s official guide for setting up TikTok Shop, TikTok Ads Help Center articles on Catalog Ads, LIVE Shopping Ads and Shop attribution, TikTok’s Web measurement and Events API documentation, and Market insights from eMarketer and Momentum Works. Their documentation and research are linked throughout so your team can go deeper where needed.