Sleigh your holiday sales: A guide to TikTok for WooCommerce 

Include two or three (or more!) creatives and run campaigns for at least seven days before optimizing. If you have a TikTok Business Account, use Spark Ads, and consider using Web Traffic Custom Audiences after your first campaigns.

These holiday trends show that TikTok is the perfect place to capture early shoppers. From #BlackFriday to #Christmas and beyond, seasonal and holiday-specific hashtags drive tons of engagement:

On TikTok, it’s all about entertaining, authentic, and relatable content. So how can your WooCommerce store stand out in this ocean of content? 

TikTok weaves a diverse cultural tapestry, embracing and celebrating an array of traditions during the holiday season. In 2023, #Hanukkah had a 12.5% engagement rate, #Kwanzaa a 9.8% engagement rate, and #NocheBuena an 8.4% engagement rate. 

Build your first ad

*Source: TikTok Marketing Science US, Commerce Landscape Study 2024, commissioned by TikTok in collaboration with Ipsos

We’ve covered the basics, now we’ll dig into maximizing your TikTok efforts for the busiest shopping season.

• Massive reach: You’re tapping into a highly active user base, with an average of 58 minutes spent per day on the app, meaning multiple chances for your products to be discovered.
• Discovery that converts: TikTok surfaces the right content to the right audience, even if you don’t have a huge following. 64% of shoppers on TikTok have made a purchase after seeing an ad or shoppable content on the platform.*
• Ecommerce-first: From product tags to native shopping features, TikTok has made it easy for WooCommerce merchants to turn content into sales. On Black Friday last year, TikTok Shop hit over $100M in sales.

Connect the TikTok for WooCommerce extension

Start by downloading the TikTok app, setting up a business account, and optimizing your profile. Make sure your bio is sharp, your profile photo is your store’s logo, and that there’s a clear link to your WooCommerce store.

Use Website Conversions Objective, optimize for Complete Payment (or your desired outcome), start with a recommended ad group budget, and use Broad or Balanced targeting.

1. Create a TikTok Business Account

Follow these step by step instructions to set up your Ads Manager account and Pixel and start creating ads.

2. Post content that clicks

• Be authentic and entertaining: Prioritize humor, storytelling, or behind-the-scenes content over direct sales pitches. Think of showing your holiday packaging process or how your products are made, and show off your brand’s personality.
• Leverage user-generated content (UGC): Encourage your customers to create content with your products. Create a Branded Mission (which can help you crowd source content) or team up with micro-influencers via the TikTok One Creator Marketplace for organic, creative shout-outs.
• Keep posting: TikTok thrives on quantity just as much as quality. Posting regularly (even daily!) increases your chances of going viral. Your content doesn’t have to be perfect; it just needs to be consistent and engaging.

3. Develop a sparkling ad strategy

Don’t need to hear any more? Get started on the TikTok for WooCommerce extension — and if you’re new to TikTok advertising you might be eligible to tap into ,000 USD ad credit (terms and conditions apply). 

• In-feed Ads: Blend seamlessly into users’ feeds — just like regular TikToks, but with a clear call-to-action.
• Spark Ads: Promote existing organic posts (yours or someone else’s) and leverage TikTok’s engagement culture.
• Smart+ Web Campaigns: Leverage your WooCommerce product catalog through this AI-powered solution to run Smart+ Catalog Ads and find the shoppers most likely to convert.
• TikTok One: Creative Center: Find trending holiday content and top-performing videos for inspiration.

4. Let customers check out on the spot with TikTok Shop

Creators on TikTok are your secret weapon to boost holiday sales. These content creators have built credibility and trust with your target audience, making their product recommendations highly persuasive. Get started by:

With over one billion monthly active users, TikTok is the place to be. It’s a powerful commerce platform where your products can reach highly engaged buyers who are looking for the perfect gift (or a little something for themselves). Here’s why TikTok should be at the top of your holiday marketing list:

5. Partner with creators

Let’s get (nut) cracking.

• Setting a budget for influencer partnerships, and seek out creators who align with your brand’s voice and values.
• Finding creators through discovery or the TikTok One Creator Marketplace, which connects you with influencers, showcasing their engagement reach, views, and demographics. You can register for an account and then search for influencers and contact them directly. 
• Keeping it authentic. TikTok users love organic, natural mentions of products. A subtle product placement in a cooking tutorial, for instance, will often work better than a flashy sales pitch.

6. Use analytics to guide your strategy

Source: TikTok internal hashtag data, 2023

Use TikTok’s analytics to track the performance of your content and ads. Look at engagement metrics like views, likes, comments, shares, and click-through rates to understand what works best. Refine your content strategy based on insights from your most successful posts and ads.

*Source: TikTok Marketing Science US 2024 Holiday Survey via AYTM, June 2024. Base: TikTok Monthly Users 18+ who celebrate Q4 holidays (n=1000)

These are the six most popular types of content that business owners post on TikTok during the holiday season, and the percent of TikTok holiday shoppers that engage with these content types.

If you’re new to TikTok, there are a few fundamentals you need to get right to unlock your full potential. Check out the TikTok for Woo setup guide for the full details. It covers how to:

• Gifting for others: Showcase products that fit different budgets or create gift guide series for niche audiences.
• Self-gifting splurge: With 87% of users buying for themselves during holiday sales, lean into this trend with incentives or deals on must-have items (source: TikTok Marketing Science US Holiday Research 2022 conducted by Material).

TikTok is the perfect place for WooCommerce merchants to connect with eager gift-givers and holiday lovers this holiday season. It’s where brands can spark joy and boost sales, as shoppers look for the perfect gifts and must-have holiday items.

#Thanksgiving 824K user videos published 12.5% engagement rate	#BlackFriday 193K user videos published 6.6% engagement rate
#CyberMonday 51K user videos published 4.8% engagement rate	#Christmas 2.9M user videos published 11.8% engagement rate

Run your first campaign

About

A GMV Max campaign can be a great way to grow your TikTok Shop. It’s an automated ecommerce solution that optimizes return on investment (ROI) and gross merchandise value (GMV) across all of your ad placements. GMV Max campaigns can be set up under your Shop Ads tab.

Content type	TikTok holiday shopper engagement*
Deals and discounts	45%
Product reviews	44%
Tutorials	38%
Hacks	33%
Unboxings	28%
Product close-ups	25%

TikTok Shop, currently available in select markets, lets users discover products directly from videos and complete their purchase without leaving the app. If you haven’t set it up yet, now is the time. You can turn viral content into instant sales — ideal for capitalizing on the holiday rush.

Here are some festive content concepts to use on your store’s account:

1. Festive product showcases: Show off your products in short, fun videos — add holiday music and filters for extra cheer!
2. Behind-the-scenes: Give sneak peeks of your team prepping for the holidays, or spotlight your limited-edition holiday packaging.
3. Gift Guides: Organize your products into categories — “Gifts under $50” or “Stocking stuffers for tech lovers” — and share them as bite-sized TikTok videos.
4. UGC campaigns: Encourage customers to post videos of your products in holiday settings using a branded hashtag (think #YourBrandHolidayJoy). Offer prizes for the best submissions.
5. Holiday hacks: Share quick tips using your products, whether it’s decking out a space with home decor or cooking up a holiday feast with your kitchenware.

Connect your store catalog to TikTok through the TikTok for WooCommerce extension — and now’s a good time to take advantage of the ,000 USD ad credit offer for your first campaign (terms and conditions apply). 

Nurture and optimize

This guide aims to provide you with practical, actionable insights on how to leverage TikTok to boost your WooCommerce store’s performance during the critical holiday shopping period.

If you’ve been eyeing TikTok as the next channel to get your WooCommerce store in front of new customers, but feeling a bit lost in navigating the content and viral trends, here’s an early gift. 

Mahrie Boyle

In 2023, there was a 190% increase in #holidayshopping videos from the week before Halloween to the week after (source: TikTok internal hashtag data, US, week 43 vs week 45, 2023). This means there’s a golden window for engaging shoppers before the rush even begins.

And there you have it, folks! You’re now armed with everything you need to turn TikTok into your personal holiday sales machine. Remember, the key to TikTok success is being authentic, creative, riding the waves of popular content, and we hope you have fun doing it.

Creating the perfect blend of organic and paid content can be tricky, but is worth the effort. If you need a few ideas some help to kick start your ad strategy, here are a few tools and formats to consider:

Mahrie leads integrated marketing at Woo, where she bridges growth, product, partnerships, and demand gen to drive platform growth across merchants, builders, agencies, and tech partners. She’s spent her career across SaaS, ecommerce, hosting, and open source. Outside of Woo, you’ll find her biking, hiking, or liking… various dishes from restaurants around Toronto.

Creating for TikTok is different, not difficult. Use our AI-Powered Creative Assistant for personalized creative solutions and CapCut for Businessʼ ad creative templates for a pro-looking finish.

Here’s a fun fact: Holiday shopping on TikTok starts early.