Significantly, the hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt has over 8 billion views and is growing every day. As a result, if your small business is not on TikTok yet, you may be missing out on some huge opportunities. To that end, check out these small businesses that broke out in a big way on TikTok. Plus, some tips to help your business be the next viral sensation.
6 Small Businesses That Blew Up on TikTok
DBL Jewelry
First up, a jewelry business that started at home. “Story time” is a notoriously popular genre on TikTok and Liv Portillo has one heck of a story. When Liv was 16 years old she spent $40 to start making jewelry. At the time, she wanted to raise money to help her parents and family in the Philippines. Soon, her handmade necklaces were a hit on TikTok. Her initial designs were personalized name necklaces crafted from a single piece of wire. Fans loved watching her work. Soon, followers started suggesting challenging or unique names for her to try. In turn, Liv posted video responses.
In 2021, her company, DBL Jewelry, went viral. The viral video has Liv telling the story of a customer who ordered a specific piece in order to confront her cheating boyfriend. Now, Liv is a 21-year-old CEO and one of Forbes “30 Under 30”. Impressively, DBL sales are projected to pass $10 million in 2022.
Sani Sisters
The Sani Sisters’ first viral video appeared in March 2020. It shared their small business journey using a beautiful video montage. Their stunning lehenga caught the eyes of nearly 4 million TikTok users. Today, the Sani Sisters’ account continues to create watchable, relatable content by tapping into pop culture trends. (Take, for example, this “Emily In Paris” parody that got almost 40,000 views.)
Street Brew Coffee
Caitlin Campbell’s positivity is a trademark of her Street Brew Coffee videos. Notably, the coffee roaster’s videos are not heavily filtered or overproduced. The effect? Viewers feel like they too can make an iced KitKat latte or the perfect cup of pour-over coffee. Although her videos may be shot simply, she’s committed to quality content and consistency. Her relatable videos also answer questions about all things caffeinated. For instance, one explains the difference between espresso beans and regular beans. Today, Street Brew Coffee has customers all over the world and over half a million TikTok followers.
Designs by Felicia
The small business community is all about supporting one another. Creators like @designsbyfelicias share behind-the-scenes clips. Showing things like packing and shipping processes performs well, in part, because of the interest from other small business owners. Felicia’s audience loves her simple aesthetic and seeing her process from beginning to end. Her content includes everything from packing orders to an ASMR unboxing of a new printer for her shop. The takeaway? You never know what people will enjoy watching! So don’t be afraid to experiment with different formats and types of content.
Sider’s Woodcrafting
Another extremely popular motif on TikTok is capturing extreme before-and-after changes. Users love the satisfaction of dramatic cleanings or hair transformations. Perhaps this can help explain why watching Bruce Graybill turn a fallen tree into a gorgeous cutting board is so captivating. Bruce’s followers don’t only tune in to see his work though. He’s also conversational and honest, popping in the comments to answer questions. Take, for example, this one where he admits to being flummoxed by a new machine. (A very relatable experience for most small business owners.) Take a tip from Bruce and share your most dramatic before-and-afters. Then, consider sharing the messy in-between steps, too!
Vessi
Finally, TikTok giveaways are also a great way to grow a small business. (That is, assuming you have the inventory to cover one.) The Canadian sneaker brand Vessi was founded in 2017. Their shoes are fully waterproof. Part of their success on TikTok comes from encouraging Vessi fans to share visual proof of its effectiveness. It’s a win-win for Vessi and leads to marketing gold: user-generated content (UGC). UGC is considered more trustworthy by consumers and leads to higher click-through rates. Duetting UGC videos on TikTok is a great strategy to gain views and customer trust. In 2020, Vessi held a giveaway for teachers and healthcare professionals to claim free shoes. This, in turn, encouraged tagging and sharing of Vessi’s content and all for a good cause.
TikTok Small Business Resources
We hope you feel inspired by these TikTok small business success stories! Ready to start promoting your small business on TikTok? Check out these Hello Alice guides to maximize your success:
Get Started on TikTok
Create Scroll-Stopping Content on TikTok
Boost Your Results with TikTok Tools
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