How to Promote Products on TikTok: 18 Post Ideas That Work

With over one billion monthly users, TikTok is busy. That's an understatement!

And so new products and brands go viral on the platform all the time.

Good news, right?

The problem is that many businesses on TikTok don’t know what they should be posting. That's actually part of why brands turn to influencers to pick up the slack when it comes to creating content. 

Still, brands should have a pulse on trends and types of content that shoppers want to see on TikTok.

Below are eighteen (!) TikTok promotion ideas and examples to inspire your own content. These ideas are likewise fair game for any influencers that you're working with.

Promoting Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Products on TikTok

Fun fact: there’s no such thing as a “niche” product on TikTok. From #CleanTok to #FoodTok and beyond, there are shoppers of all shapes and sizes on the platform. 

As a result, TikTok has emerged as a prime place for CPG brands to sell products of all shapes and sizes. Let’s look at the types of videos they’re posting to make it happen.

1. “Go Shopping With Me” Videos

No surprises here! This trend involves documenting the process of making an in-store purchase. These videos take viewers on a playful journey that shows off your products.

Like most TikToks, these videos are more effective when customers film and narrate them.

Here’s an example of an awesome shopping TikTok from a creator partnering with soda brand Poppi. The video is playful and off-the-cuff while still informative about Poppi's product.

Source: @sammypur

Day-in-the-life style content is super popular among creators promoting products on TikTok. Also, this post illustrates how TikTok helps brands strengthen their retail partnerships.

2. “How-To” Hacks and Recipe Videos

Food-focused posts are always popping off on TikTok. 

From recipes to recommendations, TikTokkers love to share and learn new food tips. That’s why asking content creators to feature products in a recipe video is a great way for food brands to get noticed.

This post for Gatsby Chocolate highlights how a Statusphere creator used one of the brand’s bars to create her “frozen hot chocolate.” Mouth-watering, right? 

Source: @mostdefnotmads

This example finds a brilliant balance between entertainment and showing off the product. Authenticity allows creators to promote products on TikTok without feeling “salesy.”

Note: These posts involve a lot of quick cuts to hold your viewers’ attention. Remember: you don’t need to show the entire process of making a recipe. Instead, offer a snappy sneak peek of the steps.

3. Taste Tests and Reaction Videos

Reaction videos are a tried-and-tested way to get TikTokers talking. This is especially true if you’re taste-testing a unique food or drink.

Done right, you can actually create a taste-test trend that drives people to try your product themselves.  Below is an example of a Statusphere member trying Torani’s salted egg yolk syrup for the first time. Note how she managed to earn over 18k “Likes” in the process.

Source: @cydoesthings

This is a shining example of how a TikTok product promotion can capture a creator’s authenticity and personality. These videos don’t require any fancy editing or effects, either. So much of figuring out how to promote products on TikTok is finding ways to inject entertainment value into your content.

Note: for this format, make sure to instruct creators to show the label of your product! This detail should be front-and-center in your influencer creative brief.

4. “Lifehack” Videos

From daily life tips to “Did You Know?”-style content, TikTokers love to learn new things.

In fact, nearly half of all searches on TikTok are made to help people “discover something new.”

For CPG brands in the cleaning space, this might mean showing off a cleaning hack. The #CleanTok community is constantly discussing and reviewing new products. This also includes oddly satisfying “clean with me” videos like the one below.

Source: @livecomposed

This video offers tips on cleaning often-neglected nooks and crannies in your home. Meanwhile, the creator highlights how Crocodile Cloth does all the heavy lifting.  Lifehack videos make it easy to educate your audience and show off products at the same time.

Promoting Gadgets and Tech Products on TikTok

The tech community is booming with over 14 billion views on the #TechTok tag alone.

There’s no shortage of TikTokers sharing their favorite gadgets, gizmos and impulse buys. Below is a snapshot of how to promote tech products on TikTok and stand out from the crowd.

5. Product-in-Action Videos

If your product is innovative and exciting, let it speak for itself!

Many tech brands have the benefit of promoting products that really "wow” people. In some cases, simply showing your product in action makes for top-tier TikTok content.

The key is framing the process as something that doesn’t feel promotional. You can do this by telling a story or highlighting how customers can use your product themselves.

This post from Friendship Lamp is an awesome example. The video highlights how a couple uses the lamp to send messages to each other. Adorable!

Source: @friendshiplamp

This shows people how the product works, sure. More importantly, the video allows people to imagine the product in their own hands. The human element of this video is also compelling. 

Again, this is why it’s so important to partner with creators who already know how to promote products on TikTok and understand the best practices to put brands in the best light possible.

6. Unboxing Videos

Unboxing videos are popular among techies on TikTok.

Again, anything you can do to make people imagine your product in their hands is a plus. 

But with unboxing videos, you’re helping them literally imagine it in their hands! 

Brands like Divoom have mastered the art of unboxing videos. Many of their TikToks document the unboxing and setup process of their light-up products.

Source: @Divoom

The cute desk setups featured in these videos reflect the spaces of the brand’s target audience. Simple but effective.

Promoting Beauty, Skincare and Haircare Products on TikTok

You’re spoiled for choice when it comes to TikTok campaign ideas in the beauty space. 

It’s not hard to see that beauty brands have practically taken over TikTok. Thing is, this makes breaking into the space tough for brands new to the platform.

Let’s look at a few promotional ideas and examples to put you on the right track.

7. GRWM (“Get Ready With Me”) Videos

We’ll say it again: day-in-the-life user-generated content performs well on TikTok. 

Like, really well.

For example, the #morningroutine hashtag has 2.3 billion views alone. This explains why “Get ready with me” videos are among the most popular types of videos for beauty brands.

The concept here is simple. Simply document a morning routine where your product is in the mix. 

This is yet another example of a TikTok promotion idea that humanizes your brand. Not to mention these videos show how your product can become part of someone’s everyday life.

Below is a GRWM video from Lime Crime that nails it.

Source: @limecrime

By the way, these videos don’t have to only be for morning routines. We’ve seen creators make GRWM videos for work, school, concerts and even job interviews. The possibilities are endless here.

8. Before & After Videos

You’ve probably been disappointed by a personal care product in the past, right?

Think about how the same applies to your own customers. People want to be reassured that what they’re purchasing will produce the results they want. This is especially important if they’re buying from a brand for the first time.

Before-and-after content is compelling because it provides proof that your products deliver results. Check out this TikTok post from Sephora featuring a testimonial for Fola.

Source: @sephora

The creator acknowledges the vulnerability of showing the progress of their skincare journey. This highlights the power of authentic content where people speak directly to viewers. 

9. Ingredient Explainer Videos

For skincare and makeup brands, ingredient explainers educate customers and help them understand what they’re putting on their body. These videos might explain:

• Key ingredients of your product (and how they work)
• Why those key ingredients produce results
• What irritants viewers should avoid in their skincare routines

For example, many people might not understand the benefits of kale or spinach for their skin. This post from Krave Beauty clues potential customers in on what they need to know:

Source: @kravebeauty

Remember: TikTokers love to learn. Make sure to brainstorm marketing ideas for TikTok that educate your target audience.

Promoting Fashion Products on TikTok

For fashion brands, TikTok is the birthplace of countless crazes and trends. Style suggestions and interactive posts are popular in the clothing space right now. Let’s dive into some examples below.

10. “This or That?” Videos

If you want to drive audience engagement while promoting products on TikTok, try these!

“This or That?” videos involve comparing different outfit combinations and asking your audience which they prefer. Each combo is numbered so commenters can respond quickly with “1” or “2.”

These posts give you a chance to promote multiple products in a single video. Beyond that, they allow you to pick your audience’s brains and learn more about what products they like. Here's an example from an influencer who partnered with Primark.

Source: @vivacioushoney

Like many of our TikTok campaign ideas, there are tons of creative variations to play with. For example, we’ve seen “Help me pick my outfit” videos for occasions like date nights or the first day of school.

11. Try-On Haul Videos

Hauls are a great way to show your audience what your products look like off the rack.

Start by filming a few of your products in their original packaging. Then, conduct an at-home runway show to highlight what each item looks like IRL. Creators who film these videos often provide compliments or commentary for each item.

These types of videos are particularly valuable to ecommerce brands. That's because your potential customers might be hesitant about how your items fit. If you work with creators, you can display products on actual people to ease viewers' minds. That’s social proof at work!

Check out the example below from Shopcider. Beyond the haul itself, the video also highlights how the brand is size-inclusive.

Source: shopcider

12. “How to Style” Videos

For social shoppers, TikTok is a go-to spot for fashion advice. 

We’ve said it a few times already but TikTokers are eager to learn. Styling tips and inspiration are totally fair game for fashion brands. For example, you can teach people how to dress up or down a certain look. These videos are a low-hanging opportunity to promote fashion products on TikTok.

Source: @tammytmai

These videos drive home the trend of helping people visualize themselves with your products.

13. Outfit Inspo Videos

There are more fashion trends and “aesthetics” on TikTok than we can count.

#Fairycore. #Cottagecore. #Y2kFashion. That doesn’t even scratch the surface.

Tapping into smaller fashion communities is a smart move for brands promoting products on TikTok. If there’s a specific aesthetic that’s of interest to your audience, post about how your pieces can help them achieve the look.

For example, check out this post promoting Aeropostale. The influencer here gets creative to show off a variety of #Cottagecore looks.

Source: @ellianawalmsley

Even if your brand isn’t dedicated to a fashion subgenre, chances are there are TikTok trends that you can tap into. If you don’t know what those trends are, consider that you can work with fashion influencers that do.

Promoting Health and Wellness Products on TikTok

Educational content is a safe bet for wellness brands promoting products on TikTok. The platform’s entertaining formats are a huge plus for health brands. Examples below!

14. Product Explainer Videos

Explainer videos are crucial for health and wellness brands. Much like skincare ingredient explainers, these videos can both “wow” and educate potential customers at the same time.

With TikTok, you can take complex concepts and make them simple and engaging. For example, check out how Lucky Iron Fish addresses FAQs in the comments of their posts via TikTok.

Source: @luckyironfish

TikTok videos empower health brands to create concise, engaging videos to explain how products work. This is a welcome alternative to lengthy articles or studies that might otherwise bore people.

Note: consider pinning a post to the top of your TikTok page that directly explains how to use your product. This can serve as a 101 video for folks finding you for the first time. 

15. Problem-Solving Videos

Effective TikTok promotions speak to your audience and the problems they face. This is a big deal for brands promoting health-focused products.

That’s because your products might literally solve your viewers’ pain points.

Discussing symptoms can help you get the attention of your TikTok audience. If your product offers relief or a solution to a problem viewers struggle with, you can relate to them.

This TikTok ad for EverlyWell’s at-home lab tests is a great example. The video lists signs of a hormonal balance to help viewers understand if it’s an issue they’re dealing with. After listing symptoms in bullet points, the spokesperson explains how EverlyWell works.

Source: @everlywell

Books and Publishers

The boom of #BookTok is one of the platform’s biggest surprises. In fact, the popularity of TikTok’s reading community contributed to record-breaking book sales last year. To wrap things up, let’s look at how people are promoting their favorite #BookTok finds.

17. Teaser Videos

Consider how you can create a bite-sized trailer for your book by reading a small excerpt on TikTok. 

Of course, we recommend getting your books into the hands of creators. That's because they can really show their enthusiasm and speak to your target readership. In fact, one of our own Statusphere creators earned millions of views with an entertaining book teaser for There Are Moms Way Worse Than You.

Source: @aleximacee

This video highlights the importance of promoting products on TikTok to the right audience. In this case, #MomTok absolutely loved the creator’s narration and the book’s sense of humor.

18. Recommendation Videos

Rabid readers on TikTok are always on the hunt for their next favorite novel. As a result, recommendation videos are a smart move for publishing companies.

Below is an example of a creator partnering with the publishing company Gollancz. In the video, the creator displays a list of popular mainstream titles alongside the publisher’s next big release. She dives into tropes like dark magic and morally gray characters to draw in readers who’ve enjoyed similar books in the past.

Source: @katsbooks

Product recommendations are huge on TikTok and books are no exception.

How to Promote Products on TikTok with Influencer Content at Scale

Whew! Hopefully our ideas and examples can inspire you to level up your TikTok marketing strategy.

The key takeaway from all of this, though? Product posts on TikTok perform best when they’re relatable and authentic. 

That's why brands are going all-in on influencer marketing on the app.

Of course, scaling influencer campaigns to maximize reach and ROI is easier said than done. From growing your pool of talented creators to managing product fulfillment, optimizing campaigns DIY is a time-sink. This is especially true if your goal is to earn hundreds of posts from creators.

That's where Statusphere can help.

Our micro-influencer marketing platform is built specifically to streamline your campaigns. Statusphere's software optimizes everything from matchmaking and fulfillment to reporting and getting content rights. 

As a result, our brands eliminate 98% of the work involved with managing campaigns in-house.

Want to learn more about how our platform works? Get in touch with one of our experts to see how we can scale your influencer marketing efforts in a fraction of the time.

This article was first published in October 2021. It was last updated June 10, 2023.