TikTok, what is it? Many people still don't understand it. Until now, they only attend trade shows to find customers, search for clients, and send emails. Some people say that foreign trade is getting more difficult. It's not that foreign trade is harder; it's just that others know more methods. In the Internet age, knowledge and technology in the workplace are updated rapidly. You should not just rely on one strategy.
If you are not familiar with TikTok, let's talk about its domestic counterpart, Douyin. You should be familiar with that. Douyin features various content, including singing, dancing, matchmaking, selling products, news, variety shows, movies, and more. Almost everything can be sold on Douyin, from clothes, bags, and food to home goods, appliances, cars, houses, courses, and franchises. Even traditional methods like distributing small cards offline have moved to Douyin for promotion.
Now you know what TikTok is. It's just that ByteDance, the parent company of Douyin, has taken this business overseas.
Can you sell our products? TikTok is a large showcase platform. Once your potential customers see your products, they can message you or get your contact information, allowing for traditional foreign trade business. Offline trade shows are about showcasing your products so that clients can see you and get your contact information. TikTok expands the reach, and the cost is lower.
Suppose you own a company that manufactures excavators and want to export them. Can you do it? Of course, you can. When potential customers see your products, they can inquire, just like what happens on Douyin.
For many novices in foreign trade, having a label like "foreign trader" has become a common tag for normal people. It seems that doing anything else is abnormal. If I post TikTok content in my circle of friends, someone will question, "Aren't you in foreign trade? Why aren't you doing foreign trade now?"
People have multiple skills, and they will have many labels. Being a foreign trader doesn't mean you can't do anything else. We also invest in stocks, trade cryptocurrencies, run stores, start companies, teach, create short videos, livestream, and engage in cross-border activities.
Ultimately, making money is based on the realization of your knowledge. Whether it's foreign trade, employment, entrepreneurship, starting a company, running a factory, stock trading, or cryptocurrency, these are just means.
Not understanding this can lead to aimless and chaotic efforts. If you only understand traditional foreign trade and still rely on email to contact clients, it means you know too little. In terms of making money, having a job is just a way for most people to make ends meet.
Some Q&A about TikTok:
Q: What are the monetization methods on TikTok now?
1. Showcase your own products, let customers contact you, or obtain their contact information to conduct traditional foreign trade.
2. Participate in e-commerce live streaming. TikTok has now opened the "Little Yellow Car" feature. You can add links to Shopify and TeeSpring in your videos, enabling direct sales.
3. Accept advertisements. When you have a lot of fans, people will approach you for advertising. By shooting a video according to the customer's requirements and posting it on TikTok, you can earn money.
4. Fundraising. TikTok is currently offering funds to attract more creators. As long as you publish a video and reach a certain number of views, you can receive funds in USD.
Q: Do I need my own products?
First of all, we need to understand that we are no longer lacking products in the Internet age. You can sell anything. If you have your own product, it's the best option. You can link your official website on TikTok, receive private messages from interested fans, and guide them to contact you on WhatsApp.
If you don't have your own product, you can sell other people's products. We can use dropshipping. Create an independent website, attract traffic from TikTok to your independent site, and let customers place orders there. For products purchased on Chinese websites like 1688, Dunhuang, Shelen, Lantingji, Gearbest, and AliExpress, you can order from them and deliver the products to customers directly. Once the customer confirms receipt, you can confirm receipt with the supplier.
TikTok has introduced the "Little Yellow Car" feature, similar to the domestic model. Soon, there will be functions such as Featured Alliances. The platform already has a large number of products. When shooting videos or live streaming, you can add them to the "Little Yellow Car" and sell them, earning commissions.
When doing TikTok, you don't need to worry about having a product. There are products everywhere. When you have a lot of fans, people will come to you every day, asking you to help them promote their products.
Q: If I want to download TikTok, how do I do it?
Don't say that you can't download TikTok in China or access it. There are solutions for everything. We are all operating it. Currently, we have a total of 40 million fans.
Q: I haven't understood this TikTok platform before.
Precisely because you don't know, you need to learn, you need to understand. If you don't want to do this platform, you won't lose anything, but it also means you won't gain anything. It's like if you didn't buy Bitcoin at the beginning of last year; now, one Bitcoin is over 300,000 RMB. Everyone else bought it, we bought it, you didn't buy it, which means you missed the opportunity and, similarly, missed out on potential gains.
