How to promote products on TikTok with no followers: The 6 steps for beginners

TikTok has quickly become a dominant platform for marketers, and even without subscribers, it represents a golden opportunity to sell products. TikTok has become the most downloaded mobile app since 2021, now everyone has it, even your mom! It’s a huge platform with diverse content and millions of users worldwide!

Have you already imagined how many potential customers there are out there? One smart strategy that is often neglected by newbies is buying a TikTok account with an existing subscriber base. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the key steps to successfully promote your own and affiliate products on TikTok, from choosing the right affiliate offer to why investing in a ready-made account can give you a competitive advantage.

Why TikTok is ideal for product promotion

TikTok’s algorithm works in such a way that even aspiring authors can gain immediate exposure. It prioritizes engaging and creative content, no matter how big (or small) your audience is. The secret is to choose the right product or offer that resonates with TikTok’s audience – often younger and highly engaged – and utilize existing accounts to give your campaigns a head start.

Step 1: Choosing the right offer

The foundation of any successful advertising campaign is choosing the right product or affiliate offer to promote. The trick is to find offers that have high engagement potential, are visually appealing, and target TikTok users.

How to choose the best offers:

Choosing the right offer is half the success, so take this important step seriously. It’s best to choose in a niche that you know or are interested in, you need to understand what problems the offer solves in order to seek out your target audience.

1. Focus on niche products – TikTok thrives on trends and niche communities. Whether it’s a quirky gadget or a fashion trend, offers that target specific interests work better.
2. Visual appeal – make sure your product can be demonstrated visually. Products such as fitness products, beauty products or creative gadgets usually sell well.
3. High-quality offers from reliable networks – partner with affiliate networks that offer competitive commissions and high-conversion products. Look for networks like ShareASale, Awin or PartnerStack that offer a variety of physical and digital products.
4. Consider recurring commissions – SaaS products or subscription boxes are great for TikTok because they often have higher long-term returns. Promoting a fitness app or fashion subscription service can lead to recurring revenue.

Step 2: Create a funnel to increase profits

Once you have selected an offer, you will need to create a funnel to collect email addresses and create a landing page for your offer. When a visitor makes a purchase through your link, you will receive a commission.

Your visitors’ email addresses will be needed to further promote similar or other offers! You catch two birds with one stone.

Have you noticed that when you do something, it’s more pleasant and faster to work with good and right tools, in affiliate marketing it’s the same when everything you need to build a sales funnel, collect and send emails in one place – so we recommend using ClickFunnels.

So you’ve chosen an offer and built your funnel, now we need buyers, that is attracting targeted traffic.

Step 3: Buy a ready-made account to get instant traffic

Instead of starting from scratch, buying a TikTok account with an existing subscriber base can accelerate your success. Many marketplaces and services offer TikTok accounts in a variety of niches. Here’s why it’s a smart move:

1. Instant access to your target audience – A ready-made account already has subscribers who are interested in the niche you’re promoting. This means you can start promoting offers to a warm audience right away, rather than waiting for one to form.
2. Improved engagement rates – TikTok’s algorithm rewards accounts with higher engagement rates. By having an existing account, you start with better metrics, which gives your posts a better chance of going viral.
3. Credibility and Social Proof – A TikTok account with followers looks more credible to potential customers. If your account has thousands of followers, users are more likely to trust your recommendations and make a purchase.

Where to buy TikTok accounts:

In the first step, we have chosen a niche and now we need to find TikTok accounts that create content on similar topics: sports, proper nutrition, making money online and many others. Choose an account with a large number of subscribers there:

• Fameswap is a popular marketplace for buying and selling social media accounts. It allows you to filter accounts by niche, number of followers and engagement metrics.
• Z2U is another platform where you can find ready-made accounts. Be sure to check the engagement metrics and authenticity of the subscribers.

Now that we have purchased the right account, we can start promoting our offer right away, without the long pumping and searching for subscribers!

If you couldn’t decide on a niche right away, first see what accounts you can buy and then make a selection of the right offer under the main topic of the video on the channel. Your ad should be relevant and as native as possible so that followers stay loyal and click on your links.

Step 4: Create engaging content

Once you have a suitable offer and an established TikTok account, a content creation strategy is very important. Here’s how to create engaging videos that drive conversions:

1. Use trends to your advantage
Keep an eye out for trending issues, sounds, and hashtags. Incorporating these trends into your promotions will make your videos more relatable.

Example: If you’re advertising a beauty product, pay attention to the currently popular trends in makeup or skincare treatments. By picking up on these trends, you will make your content relevant and engaging.

2. Show, not tell
TikTok users respond better to visual demonstrations than lengthy explanations. If you’re promoting a product, show how it’s being used, how it solves a problem, or the conversions it offers.

Example: For fitness equipment, create a quick workout that demonstrates the effectiveness of the product. Use quick snippets and upbeat music to keep the video energetic.

3. Leveraging influencers
Even if you have an account with a large number of followers, partnering with influencers can expand your reach. Partnering with micro-influencers (those with 10-50k followers) allows you to reach a niche audience at a lower cost than working with celebrities.

Step 5: Increase engagement with paid advertising

TikTok offers many ad formats that can increase reach and drive sales, even if you’re starting with a small account. Here are a few effective ad formats to consider:

Ads in the feed
These ads appear right in a user’s feed as they scroll through TikTok. They blend seamlessly with organic content, making them a great way to introduce products.

Campaign tip: Target a high-interest audience based on TikTok’s interest categories, such as fashion, fitness, or home decor. Test different creative formats to see what will resonate with your target group.

Branded challenges with hashtags
This ad format invites users to participate in a contest promoting your product. It’s a great way to get viral and reach a massive audience organically.

Example: A fitness brand can create a challenge dedicated to a specific workout and invite users to post their videos using a branded hashtag.

Spark Ads
Spark Ads allows you to promote organic posts and content that has already performed well on TikTok. If one of your videos is gaining momentum, you can increase its visibility by running it as a Spark Ad.

Step 6: Experiment with A/B testing

Testing is crucial to determining what works best for your audience. Here are a few A/B testing strategies you can employ:

1. Test different creative styles – Create two versions of the same video: one with a voiceover explaining the product and one without a voiceover, with just music and text on the screen. See which format delivers higher engagement and conversion rates.
2. Test different calls to action (CTAs) – Try using different CTAs in your video, such as “Swipe up for more” or “Get yours now.” Subtle differences in wording can make a big difference in conversion rates.

Conclusion: My secret to success in TikTok

My journey in promoting TikTok products started with buying an account in the technology niche. By choosing a high-priced offer and utilizing TikTok’s trends and promotional tools, I immediately saw an increase in traffic and sales. The secret is combining the right product and the right audience, and nothing speeds up this process like buying an account with subscribers already interested in your niche. Once I did that, I was able to create interesting content, capitalize on viral trends, and use TikTok ads effectively without even starting from scratch.

If you’re serious about succeeding on TikTok, don’t hesitate to start with an existing account. It’s the fastest way to build momentum, and combined with a great product offering, you’ll be well on your way to TikTok marketing success.