Last week, I sat down with Zain, founder of Zainith Agency, a specialized TikTok Shop agency, to dig into how the platform really works. The conversation wasn’t just for content, it was also a chance for me to learn how my brand can leverage TikTok Shop firsthand.

I can’t share every learning here (would be a very long email), but I pulled out a few key questions and takeaways to give you a clearer picture of how TikTok Shop functions, and what you can take away from it.

Q: What does my brand need to have to get started on TikTok Shop?

Zain: At a bare minimum, 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 "established" 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, which hurts brand credibility. The good news is that moderation has 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 and retail sales that same day/week. 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? What's our strategy to get started?

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 is 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. Having a network of creators you can tap is helpful, and part of what we do for clients. P.S If you’re reaching out to a bunch of creators to send free product check out the Influencer Gift Form tool. It saves teams 5-10 hours a week automating the process.

Q: I hear a lot about TikTok live. 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: 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.

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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. And if you want to work with Zain, get on a call with him, here.

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-Ashwinn

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