Last week, Father Ashwinn sat down with Zain, founder of Zainith Agency — a specialized TikTok Shop agency — to dig into how the platform really works. While the conversation doubled as content for you all, it was also a chance for him to learn how his brand Sun Powder can leverage TikTok Shop firsthand.
We can’t share every leaning here (you’d be reading for three hours), but we pulled out a few key questions and takeaways to give you a clearer picture of how TikTok Shop functions and what you, as a marketer or brand, can learn from it.
Q: What does my brand need to have to get started on TikTok Shop?
Zain: Bare minimum, have a working DTC setup. TikTok Shop expects fast fulfillment (think 1–2 days out the door), so if you’re retail-only or just getting started, you’ll struggle. Price also matters: sub-$60 works best, but the sweet spot is really $20–$30, especially with younger shoppers and impulse-friendly products.
Q: How much should a brand budget, and for how long, before judging the channel?
Zain: Plan to send 100–300 samples per month and set aside a solid budget for ads. It’ll vary brand to brand, but give it ~3 months before expecting profit. If you need to be in the black immediately, TikTok Shop probably isn’t a fit.
Q: Why don't I see more big brands on TikTok Shop?
Zain: The #1 pushback is control. TikTok Shop isn’t built for pre-approving every affiliate video because creators can buy the product and post on their own. Big brands dislike this because people sometimes make outlandish claims that are misleading or false, which hurts brand credibility. The good news is moderation’s gotten much stricter. TikTok’s governance team and AI now remove faulty claim videos much faster than before.
Q: Explain the “halo effect.” Why might breaking even on TTS still be a win?
Zain: A viral TikTok can spike Amazon sales the same day and even help hold retail shelves. Think of TikTok Shop as demand creation that bleeds into Amazon’s much larger daily volume. Those off-platform searches improve ranking and velocity. Many brands only break even (or lose a bit) on TTS but see major upside on Amazon and retail from the awareness lift.
Q: My brand Sun Powder is $48. Can that work and what’s the opening play?
Zain: You’re in a strong category (health/beauty), but $48 feels “luxury” on TikTok Shop. Start with timed Flash Sales to bring the price into the mid-$30s, then taper discounts as velocity builds. TikTok’s Flash Sale UI (with countdowns) adds urgency, which is especially powerful early on.
Q: How much content do we need?
Zain: A lot. The platform’s more competitive now. Many creators post 10 videos a day. To give yourself a real shot, aim for 200–300 videos per month across creators. To hit ~$1M/month on TTS, I see brands closer to 1,000+ videos monthly. TikTok’s own decks show a near straight-line between video volume and GMV.
Q: How do we find and recruit creators at scale?
Zain: Use outreach bots to send Target Collaborations on TTS, but expect a 1–2% hit rate. To land ~200 creators, you may need to message ~2,000, and new brands are capped around 2,000/week.
ps. If you’re reaching out to a bunch of creators to send free product check out Ashwinn’s Influencer Gift Form tool. It saves teams 5-10 hours a week automating the process.
Q: I hear a lot about TikTok Lives. Should we do this too?
Zain: Across my clients, ~13% of sales come from Lives today. They matter, but start by nailing short-form. If Lives work, scale them, just know they require more (studios, hosts, longer runtime) and have a steeper skill curve.
Q: Any quick tactical upgrades most brands miss?
Zain: Two: First, re-incentivize your top 10% of creators (they’ll drive ~90% of revenue). Don’t just bot-DM and ghost them like you might with lower performers. Second, use FastMoss to spot creators who’ve already sold at your price point in your category.
Hopefully these give you a quick glimpse into just how powerful TikTok Shop can be. If you want the full breakdown, check out the podcast where Zain and I dive deeper into everything above (and more). It’s 50 minutes of pure insight from someone who lives and breathes this platform every day.
Blessings,
The Brandfathers