TikTok Dropshipping in 2025: How to start with Step-by-Step

Do you want to start an online business but have no capital? TikTok dropshipping is the perfect solution to help you earn hundreds of millions a month without investing in importing goods or worrying about warehouses and shipping issues. NextSky will share 9 steps to optimize product marketing effectiveness in this article.

What is TikTok Dropshipping?

Dropshipping on TikTok is a business model where retailers do not need to worry about storing or managing inventory. Instead, you will cooperate with trusted suppliers or manufacturers to sell products directly to customers through the TikTok platform. The profit comes from the difference between the import and selling prices (after deducting shipping costs), and the person who operates this process is called a Dropshipper.

Read more: What is Dropshipping? Everything You Need to Know in 2025

Should you start dropshipping on TikTok?

Getting specific figures on how many people use TikTok for dropshipping is challenging, as there is no official research to publish this information. However, it is possible to rely on the overview data to evaluate the potential of TikTok as an effective platform for dropshippers. Here are some notable statistics about TikTok as of 2025:

• TikTok has approximately 1.59 billion monthly active users worldwide (Source: Demandsage, 2025).
• The average time spent on TikTok daily ranges from 50 to over 90 minutes, indicating a very high level of user engagement. (Source: Exploding Topics, 2025).
• Rapid growth and strong popularity among young people and modern consumers.

The above data shows that TikTok is still maintaining a strong position and has excellent potential in the future. This means businesses will have many opportunities to reach customers quickly and effectively.

Read more: Is Dropshipping Worth It? A Comprehensive Beginner's Guide 2025

Pros and Cons of TikTok Dropshipping

Dropshipping through TikTok Shop offers many opportunities but also many challenges. Understanding the pros and cons will help you make the right decision before starting.

Pros

• Low start-up costs: No need for inventory or significant initial investments makes starting a business easy.
• Large potential customer base: With over 150 million users in the US, TikTok is an ideal place to reach customers naturally and quickly.
• Diverse marketing methods: TikTok allows you to promote products in many creative ways and easily integrates with other platforms to expand your marketing strategy.

Cons

• Conversions aren’t guaranteed: High views do not mean revenue without an effective promotion strategy.
• Fierce competition: Many dropshipping sellers exploit the same platform, so you must be different to stand out.
• Support limitations: TikTok's customer support service is still lacking, which can easily cause difficulties when problems occur.

>>> Before you start, it's important to understand is dropshipping legal in your country to avoid compliance issues.

Instructions on how to Dropship on TikTok from A to Z

Researching an Attractive Niche Market

From the first step, you should clearly define the product or niche market you want to target when starting dropshipping on TikTok. Instead of spreading yourself too thin across many categories, focus on a specific product line to increase your chances of reaching the right audience. Choosing the right niche will help you create a strong and memorable impression on your viewers.

To find the right product, you should follow these steps:

• Study your competitors: See what they’re selling, how they create content, and how they interact with customers.
• Analyze trends: Watch TikTok ads and Google search data to spot trending products.
• Communicate with Suppliers: Partner with suppliers who offer best-selling products to stay on top of trends.

Additionally, follow popular trends, ads, and hashtags on TikTok to guide your product strategy and optimize your business effectiveness.

Finding the right products

To run a successful business on TikTok, staying updated and actively searching for trending products is essential. When a product goes viral, reaching potential customers and boosting your conversion rates becomes easier. Here are some ways to find dropshipping products on TikTok:

• Choose products from suppliers: Leverage the variety of products available from suppliers, carefully analyze them to select items that match your target audience.
• Search for products directly on TikTok:
  • Explore trends: Look for a rapid increase in video views to identify products gaining attention.
  • Follow KOLs/KOCs/Influencers: They often create shopping trends through viral videos.
  • Use keywords and hashtags: Search for industry names or keywords like "product + hot trend" to filter out trending products.
  • Check the "Top Products" section: Visit this dashboard to track trending products and related metrics.
  • Join dropshipping communities: Social media groups and forums are great places to keep up with trends and find quality products.

Suggesting hot products suitable for dropshipping on TikTok Shop

• Casual dresses
• Fragrances
• Skin care
• Hair & scalp care
• Makeup
• Beauty tools
• Sunglasses & glasses
• Electronic accessories
• Sweatshirts
• Jeans
• Bodysuits
• Headphones
• Hygiene items
• Jewelry
• Tooth treatments
• Cleaning supplies
• Water bottles
• Handy kitchen gadgets
• Sweets & candy
• Stuffed toys
• Manicure & pedicure tools
• Leggings

Find a reliable dropshipping supplier

After successfully identifying a potential business product, the next step is establishing a relationship with a supplier. This is a key decision that directly affects the success of your business.

• Product quality: Prioritize choosing genuine products with stable quality to meet the needs of target customers fully. Please request samples for actual evaluation.
• Reasonable price: To optimize business profits, you should cooperate with suppliers with competitive wholesale prices, attractive discount policies for large orders, and periodic promotions.
• Reputation and experience: Choose partners with many years of experience and clear capacity profiles, and receive positive feedback from cooperating customers or businesses.
• Support service: Prioritize suppliers with the ability to respond quickly, provide dedicated support, resolve complaints effectively, and provide complete information related to products, specifications, and sales policies.

Build an online store

The next step in the TikTok dropshipping process is to build your online store. This means choosing the right platform to set up your store and convert your TikTok followers into real customers. Here are some popular and trusted e-commerce platforms that many dropshippers choose:

• Shopify
• WooCommerce (based on WordPress)
• Wix
• BigCommerce
• Squarespace
• Square

👉 A solid dropshipping business plan is essential before launching your online store. 

Setting up a TikTok business account

To open a store on TikTok, you need to register a business account through the TikTok Business Center. While you can switch between personal and business accounts, choosing the right one is best.

Create your TikTok Dropshipping store

Go to seller-us.tiktok.com to register for a TikTok Shop. Provide complete information such as shop name, logo, description, product categories, contact, and policies. After approval, you need to link TikTok Shop with your TikTok account as follows:

• Step 1: Log in to TikTok Shop Seller Center
• Step 2: Go to "My Account" → "Linked TikTok Accounts"
• Step 3: Select "Link New TikTok Account", fill in account type and username
• Step 4: Send the link invitation
• Step 5: Open TikTok app → Inbox → "Monetization: New Request" → Accept Link

Note: To start a TikTok Dropshipping business, you need:

• The TikTok account is 18 years old or older
• Belong to the individual, business, or creator category
• If you are an affiliate, you need at least 1,000 followers, one recent active video, and no policy violations
• If you open TikTok Shop, you only need valid documents and a bank account, no followers or videos required

Create and post products

• Step 1: Open TikTok → Profile → Shopping cart icon → Select TikTok Shop → Import.
• Step 2: Select "Add Affiliate Product" and find the product name.
• Step 3: Click "Add" to display the product in the store.

Market your products on TikTok

TikTok is considered a “fertile land” for those who want to start an online business. With millions of users actively searching for products daily, TikTok can become a powerful sales channel if you know how to use it. Below are 3 simple but highly effective marketing strategies, even if you are a newbie.

TikTok Ads

Not all ads will generate orders, but you must identify the right target and choose the format TikTok offers. To increase brand awareness, you can try the following forms:

• In-feed Ads: The type that appears alternately in the user's feed.
• TopView Ads: This form takes the spotlight when the app is opened.
• Spark Ads: Reuse the posted video to run ads.
• Hashtag Challenge: Create a trend with your hashtag.
• Branded Effects: Create a filter with your brand's mark.

And if you want to push orders right away:

• Collection Ads: Buy directly in the video.
• Dynamic Showcase Ads: Personalize products for each user.
• TikTok Shopping Ads: Link directly to your store.

Collaborate with influencers

Instead of promoting your product from scratch, you can collaborate with people who already have a following KOC and KOL. An introduction, even just a few seconds, makes viewers pay attention and trust your product more than hundreds of advertisements. To work effectively, you need a straightforward process:

• Define the target and customers you want to reach.
• Find the right person for the industry and product value.
• Contact skillfully, no spam, no stereotypes.
• Give clear requests, but still let them be creative.
• Measure the results to know how effective they are.

Marketing in content

On TikTok, users need not advertising but the feeling of learning something interesting, concise, and close. That is why “real-life experiences” or “easy-to-apply tips” videos always have high views. To make your videos more noticeable, remember a few golden rules:

• The first 3–5 seconds must be captivating: An unexpected question, an attractive image, or trendy music can decide whether people stay or skip
• The topic goes straight to the needs: The closer it is to the “pain” or curiosity of the viewer, the easier it is to receive
• Don't forget the hashtag and trendy effects: TikTok loves content that blends into the trend.
• At the end of the video, clearly state what you want people to do: “Like”, “click to follow”, “watch the next video”, don’t be shy, because if you don’t say it, few people will take the initiative.

After a few weeks of maintaining regular content, you can increase the spread by organizing challenges, small giveaways, or creating mini-games. This is how you keep your viewers interested and turn them from strangers into loyal followers. 

Fulfilling your order

When you receive an order, you need to process it quickly and accurately. If done manually, placing an order with a supplier and copying payment information can lead to errors such as wrong products, wrong models, or mismatched information. To limit the risk, double-check each step or apply an automated process to ensure the order is processed efficiently and professionally.

>>> Not sure where to begin? Learn how to start dropshipping successfully with this full beginner guide

Why you can trust NextSky's guide

With nearly a decade of experience in the e-commerce industry, NextSky has helped more than 5,000 businesses build and grow successful dropshipping models, especially on platforms like TikTok and Shopify. This guide is a compilation of proven methods, updated with new trends, and drawn from practical experience working directly with global sellers.

Above is a summary of detailed content about TikTok Dropshipping. The above information from NextSky will be helpful for those of you who intend to start a business on the platform.