73Sellers engaged in TikTok Shop affiliate marketing have most likely encountered these frustrating issues: direct messages to creators get restricted, high commission paid to creators results in few conversions, and when complaint rates rise, affiliate permissions are immediately suspended... Especially with the intensive rollout of new platform regulations in 2025, from complaint management in Southeast Asia to global commission rules, a slight oversight can easily lead to pitfalls.
Don't worry,Tukewill guide you step by step to break through the bottleneck.
Image source: Internet
Mindset Breakthrough: From“Transaction” to “Partnership”
The essence of a bottleneck is often a mindset bottleneck.Practice from TikTok for Business reveals that top-tier affiliate marketing has evolved from a “transactional relationship” focused on short-term conversions to a long-term partnership based on trust and co-creation.
This shift in thinking is reflected in four core dimensions: goals, relationships, measurement metrics, and content.
The table below clearly compares the key differences between the old and new mindset models:
Platform research found that75% of SME advertisers do not learn platform advertising techniques through official channels, but rather through third-party creators and bloggers. This proves that the role of a credible “educator” has far greater long-term value than a one-off “salesperson”.
Practical Upgrade: Fine-tuned Operations Aligned with Platform Pace
After the mindset shift, more refined practical strategies are needed. Here are key actions summarized based on new platform regulations and successful cases.
First, Creator Recruitment: From“Quantity” to “Quality and Precision”.
Abandon the blind pursuit of top influencers. Data shows that top creators with millions of followers are losing influence over consumer purchase decisions. Instead, creators with1,000 to 100,000 followers, thanks to higher engagement rates and more authentic trust, have become the cost-effective choice.
Efficientrecruitment requires methods: search for recent viral video authors using industry tags (such as#Skincare), or use tools like Upfluence to accurately filter by region, age, and other follower profiles.
When reaching out, providing high-definition product images, video editing templates, or even pre-made“three-part” scripts can greatly lower the participation threshold for creators.
Image source:TikTok
Second, Commission & Incentives: Design“Golden Ratio” and Tiered Rewards.
Higher commission is not always better. A proven“golden ratio” is: offertail-end creators(1K-10K followers) 25%-30% commission;mid-tier creators(10K-100K followers) 20%-25%, with additional “sales tier rewards”.
A more advanced approach is to establish a“creator tier management table”, offering data reviews, creative guidance, and other value-added services to high-potential bloggers, making the cooperation long-term.
Image source:kalodata
Third, Leverage Platform: Seize“Co-Funding” and Other Benefits.
TikTok Shop has launched the “Co-Funding Promotion Program”. During the initial free period, promotion costs are fully covered by the platform; in the official phase, the platform still covers 75%, and sellers only need to pay 25%.
For small and medium-sized businesses with limited budgets, this is a powerful lever for testing new products and boosting sales. At the same time, ensuring store ratings and product reputation meet requirements is the prerequisite for continuously enjoying all affiliate policy benefits.
Image source: Internet
Brand Mirror,Tuke
After understanding the strategy, let's see how successful brands execute it.
SIINSIIN in the USA:
This brand, which went viral in China with its “shark pants”, discovered aesthetic differences between China and overseas: domestic consumers pursue “slimming”, while overseas consumers appreciate “showing curves”. Therefore, they decisively made comprehensive adjustments to early product designs, reshaping products for overseas body types.
During the cold start phase,SIINSIIN did not blindly seek topcreators, but instead used mid-tier creators and ordinary users for large-scale distribution as the foundation, while planning to gradually increase the proportion of brand-created content, and only build live streaming after accumulating enough materials. Its2025 GMV in the US TikTok market is expected to exceed $10 million.
It is precisely this combination of“precise product adaptation, creator matrix-driven, and leveraging platform benefits” that enabled SIINSIIN to leap from an annual GMV of $600,000 to a target of over $10 million, becoming a typical example of breaking through with TikTok's new regulations.
Image source:TikTok
In summary, when doing affiliate marketing on TikTok Shop, the core is “matching”.(not a subtitle)
Under the new regulations, relying on luck and brute force no longer works,the key is to precisely match your product, with the right creators, using platform-recommended rules and tools.
Instead of worrying about bottlenecks, check immediately: Is your product truly matching the needs of your target market? Are the creators you work with matching your product's tone and customer base? Are your operational actions matching the platform's latest rules and traffic directions?
There is no shortcut to success, but the path is clear: master the rules, shift your mindset, execute meticulously, and then see real growth in every genuine order and healthy store data. Take action now, starting by optimizing your cooperation with one creator.