If I Started TikTok Shop From Scratch....

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Welcome to Rankster 👊

The weekly TikTok Shop newsletter that’s focussed one ONE THING…. taking power back from Amazon

In today’s issue:

• 🔥 DEEP DIVE: What I'd Do If I Started TikTok Shop From Scratch

• TikTok’s makeover….. M2?

• The future of TikTok Shop

• Why TikTok is the best platform for ‘Brand Awareness’

🔽 Let’s get started

BEST LINKS

What Caught My Eye This Week

🚀 Seller News….. News you need to know

• TikTok's Red, White & Blue Makeover

• TikTok Shops: 2024 Was Great, 2025 Might Not Exist

• The Discovery Zone Your Bank Account Fears

• Your House Called - It Needs More Clutter

DEEP DIVE

What I'd Do If I Started TikTok Shop From Scratch

And You're on Amazon

You know what's wild?

I've watched 80+ Amazon brands try to crack TikTok Shop.

Most of them are printing money on Amazon – we're talking 7, 8, even 9-figure sellers. Smart people. Experienced teams.

But they all face-plant on TikTok Shop.

Here's the thing: they treat TikTok Shop like Amazon's weird little cousin. Spoiler alert: it's not.

The "Oh Shit" Moment

Last month, I had coffee with an 8 figure Amazon brand. They'd been trying TikTok Shop for 8 months. Total sales? $1k.

One. Thousand. Dollars.

That's like... one good hour on Amazon for them.

So I asked: "What's your strategy?"

"Well, we have our Amazon team managing it. They're great with PPC, so we figured..."

I spat out my coffee.

That's like asking your Ferrari mechanic to fix your Tesla. Sure, they're both cars, but...

Here's What I'd Actually Do (The Real Strategy)

If I had to start over on TikTok Shop tomorrow – with my Amazon listings already optimized and ready to roll – here's my exact playbook:

Step 1: Go Full Savage on Affiliates

Most brands tip-toe into affiliate outreach. Wrong move.

I'd use Euka (or whatever tool automates this) and contact every. single. affiliate. I can find.

Profit is not the strategy….. brand awareness is.

It’s about getting as much content as possible….today is the cheapest it will ever be (one affiliate video = cost of a sample….. this won’t last long…… affiliates are now requesting commission and up front payment).

Budget for samples? I'd go borderline reckless. At least 40 samples a week, minimum.

Commission rates? More aggressive than a used car salesman.

Why? Because here's the harsh truth: Big brands dominate TikTok Shop because they have the budget to spam affiliates. It's not pretty, but it works.

(Most agencies will tell you they have a "curated list of top affiliates." Translation: they send your product to 50 people instead of 500 and charge you 3x for the privilege.)

Step 2: The Flywheel Magic

Once content starts rolling in – and trust me, it will – I'd immediately set up GMV Max ad campaigns.

This is where most people screw up. They think TikTok Shop ads work like Amazon PPC. Nope.

These are AI-driven campaigns. You make ONE change every few days, then sit on your hands and watch.

I know, I know. It goes against every Amazon seller's instinct to optimise daily. But here's the thing: every time you fiddle with the settings, you're basically telling the algorithm to start over.

The real magic? Good affiliate content makes your ads perform better. Better ad performance attracts more affiliates. More affiliates create more content.

It's a beautiful flywheel. (Affiliates get more views and commission and your brand gets more sales…… One of the few win-win situations in ecom, tbh.)

Step 3: Rinse, Repeat, Scale

More affiliates. Optimise ads (sparingly). Send more samples.

We follow this strategy for ALL of our brands…. there are more strategies and promotions, but only implement them once your affiliates and ads are fully optimised.

Oh, and flash sales. Always be on sale. Strike-through pricing is your best friend.

Flash Sales only take 30 seconds to setup:

That's it. That's the whole strategy.

Why Everyone Gets This Wrong

Myth #1: "Agencies know best"

Reality check: NO agency knows what works. They just know there's a better chance of success by throwing spaghetti at the wall (aka sending products to tons of affiliates).

But they'll package it as some proprietary method with a "curated affiliate network."

I ‘cold email’ 1,000 affiliates per day to join my community, but you never hear me bragging about it…..

Myth #2: "Our Amazon team can handle this"

I've literally never seen an in-house Amazon team successfully navigate TikTok Shop. Not once. Out of 80+ brands.

It's like asking your basketball coach to train your swimming team. Different game, different rules.

Myth #3: "Affiliates can read"

Truth bomb: Most affiliates need to be spoon-fed everything.

In my team, one person's entire job is just replying to affiliates. Another person's only job is reminding them to post…. that’s a full time job.

(I swear some of these creators struggle to read. How hard is it to follow a brief?……… As a former teacher, I am entitled to that opinion)

Myth #4: "Optimize ads daily"

This is where Amazon sellers shoot themselves in the foot. TikTok's algorithm isn't Amazon's algorithm. Stop treating it like one.

The Real Numbers Nobody Talks About

Here's what actually happens when you send out 500 samples:

• 500 affiliate videos get created

• Maybe 10-20 will earn more than $1

• Those 10-20 become your affiliate army

That's it. 480 videos will basically flop. But those 20 winners? They'll carry your entire TikTok Shop strategy.

Put those winners on retainer. Give them exclusive deals. Treat them like the golden geese they are.

Bottom Line

TikTok Shop isn't Amazon 2.0. It's its own beast.

The brands winning are the ones willing to play by TikTok's rules: content volume, aggressive affiliate outreach, and AI-driven ads that you barely touch.

Everyone else is trying to force their Amazon playbook onto a completely different platform.

Spoiler alert: it doesn't work.

That's it for this week 👊

But I need to ask a favour...

Thanks for reading.

- Paul 👊

P.S. – If you're thinking "but TikTok Shop sounds expensive and chaotic"... you're right. That's exactly why most brands fail. They want TikTok Shop results with Amazon efficiency. Pick one.

P.P.S. – Still think your Amazon team can crack this? Good luck with that. Email me in 6 months and let me know how it goes. (Hint: it won't.)

P.P.P.S. – This week I setup Claude MCP…. if you have not done it you are missing out. Took me 15 min to setup (here is a tutorial, thank me later)

 P.P.P.P.S. – Even though I use AI in all our strategies and workflows….. this newsletter is all me 👊 Pic to prove the doubters wrong: