498Every year when Black Friday arrives, overseas markets usher in a wave of consumer frenzy. For brands going global, this is not only a sales peak, but also a golden stage to showcase themselves. Nowadays, TikTok is gradually becoming an engine for e-commerce growth, and many brands have already regarded it as a must-win battleground in their overseas strategies.
How has TikTok become the main arena for Black Friday?
In recent years, TikTok has relied on its highly interactive content ecosystem to become an ideal platform for brands to “plant seeds” and promote sales. Data shows that nearly 80% of users discover new products through TikTok during Black Friday, and some even place orders directly on the platform. Compared to traditional advertising, this “watch-buy-share” cycle makes consumption easier, more natural, and adds a touch of fun in “discovering good products.”
Brands can leverage popular hashtags such as #BlackFridayDeals or #HolidayGifts to catch the “express train” of Black Friday and quickly attract user attention. Coupled with TikTok’s influencer recommendation feature, many brands have seen significant increases in sales and exposure during major promotions.
Image source: TikTok
Successful product selection and creative content are the keys to winning
How can brands stand out on TikTok? The key lies in creating content that users can relate to, allowing products to be naturally presented in life scenarios. It’s important to understand that our goal is to make users interested in products unconsciously, making your content look less like an ad and more like a real usage experience.
A typical example is the small home appliance brand Cosori. Their air fryer became a hit during Black Friday 2023, with influencers making food videos to showcase the product’s convenience and health benefits, attracting a large amount of attention and shares in a short time. Unlike traditional ads, Cosori’s air fryer sparked discussion and resonance through lifestyle demonstrations, ultimately achieving sales of over $3 million.
Image source: TikTok
In the beauty sector, Rare Beauty also leveraged TikTok’s short video advantage. By having influencers demonstrate makeup effects on different skin tones, Rare Beauty showcased “real makeup” results on TikTok, allowing users to intuitively feel the product’s suitability. This kind of display not only enhances user trust but also directly drives sales. During Black Friday 2022, Rare Beauty’s liquid blush became a hot-selling beauty item, with sales increasing by about 180%.
Rare Beauty - Black Friday 2022 Promotion Image source: TikTok
Utilize “traffic tools” for rapid conversion
TikTok provides brands with a variety of creative tools, such as TikTok Creator Marketplace (TTCM) and TikTok Creative Challenge (TTCC), which allow brands to collaborate with platform influencers and launch challenges in various forms to attract more consumer attention. Meanwhile, livestreaming is also a powerful driver; in live rooms, brands can interact directly with users to boost product sales. The real-time and interactive nature of livestreaming also turns consumers’ “interest” into instant purchases.
Last year, trendy toy brand POP MART attracted a large audience and purchases by showcasing its blind box series through livestreaming during Black Friday. By interacting with fans, answering questions, and offering limited-time discounts, the brand’s single-session GMV during livestreams increased by nearly 35%.
Image source: TikTok
In addition, TikTok for Business’s GMV Max tool provides brands with an efficient advertising channel. During major promotions, brands can quickly reach target users and improve conversion efficiency through automatically optimized ad configurations, maximizing sales goals during Black Friday.
Whether it’s through influencer marketing, livestream interaction, or content recommendations, TikTok is providing a brand-new e-commerce scenario for brands going global. Today’s consumers no longer rely on traditional channels, but instead discover, explore, and purchase on social media. Therefore, for overseas brands, TikTok is no longer just a “bonus,” but an indispensable “main battlefield.”
