428TikTok is no longer just a simple entertainment platform, but a "golden springboard" for brands going global. However, to gain a foothold here, simply spending money on ads is far from enough.
Brands that truly succeed have mastered three core capabilities: seeding products through content, attracting fans through interaction, and selling goods via a closed-loop. These three steps are closely linked and indispensable.
Image source: Internet
1. Seeding: Turning products into "social currency"
In the information-overloaded world of TikTok, "ordinary content" can no longer break through. Truly successful brands excel at transforming product highlights into creative content, planting the seed of consumer desire unconsciously in users' minds.
When HONOR promoted the HONOR50 overseas, it abandoned traditional advertising routines and instead collaborated with the virtual idol "Nunu" to create a fantasy world.
By showcasing stories of young people capturing wonderful moments in life with their phones, the brand naturally blended into Gen Z's interest scenes. Combined with ongoing brand challenges, product awareness among young people quickly soared, effectively stimulating purchase demand.
HONOR50 & Nunu Image source: TikTok
The comeback of American affordable cosmetics brand e.l.f. is even more grassroots and clever. When the team discovered that over 3 million user-generated videos featuring their products had appeared on TikTok, they seized the opportunity to launch the #eyeslipsface branded challenge.
Catchy music and celebrity influencers encouraged users to actively participate in creating makeup content. The campaign ultimately garnered 7 billion views, the brand's single reached fourth place on the Spotify chart, and sales surged by 3%.
Image source: TikTok
These cases prove: seeding is not about hard-selling products, but letting users experience product value through content. When short videos become the "first touchpoint" in consumer decision-making, creativity becomes the biggest traffic lever.
2. Interaction: Turning users from "spectators" to "participants"
The essence of TikTok is community. For brands to penetrate communities, they must lower their stance and interact with users in ways that fit local culture and "play together".
When Haier entered Southeast Asia, research found that local consumers had a strong demand for "healthy air" but lacked suitable products. Instead of direct advertising, they combined the region's love for song and dance culture to design a "healthy air conditioner challenge".
Catchy music and cool light-effect stickers, demonstrated by local KOLs, encouraged users to participate in content creation. This campaign established Haier's image as a "healthy smart home" and laid the foundation for its high-end UV series products.
Image source: TikTok
3. Selling: The "final kick" from traffic to sales
No matter how brilliant the seeding or lively the interaction, it all comes back to the commercial essence—selling products.
At this point, TikTok's unique advantage becomes clear: this closed-loop experience of "seeding leads directly to purchase" is the underlying logic behind the platform's enduring success in e-commerce.
Indonesian beauty brand Y.O.U's Ramadan campaign demonstrated the power of full-chain conversion. Targeting local women's emotional needs, they launched an emotional marketing campaign around the topic "Would You Love You".
Front-end TVC + TikTok splash ads sparked attention, while back-end challenges and sticker interactions captured traffic. Many users then joined the topic creation, boosting brand exposure to 17.9 billion times, with sales conversion following naturally.
Image source: TikTok
In the Southeast Asian market where live commerce is still developing, Y.O.U also tried opening live streaming rooms in places like Thailand.
Hosts demonstrated product usage live and answered consumer questions instantly, dispelling concerns about product efficacy.
This "seeing is believing" experience led to explosive sales growth, especially converting previously hesitant potential customers.
Image source: TikTok
Conclusion: The Trinity Growth Flywheel
These three "secrets" are not isolated tactics, but an interconnected organic whole: creative seeding grabs attention, deep interaction builds trust, and convenient transactions deliver commercial value.
When users share unboxing videos after purchasing, a new round of seeding begins, which is precisely TikTok's unique "infinite loop" consumption ecosystem.
Based on this, Chinese brands going global need not just traffic thinking, but a complete community management philosophy. From seeding to selling, every step must precisely hit users' interests.
And when users truly become "one of us", brand growth is no longer a tough battle, but a beautiful journey of mutual pursuit.
