Why creators drive it
In social commerce, the video is the shop window and creators are the sales staff. Most TikTok Shop sales start in creator videos and lives, and creators usually earn a commission on each sale through the platform's affiliate programme; see TikTok Shop creator for how that works.
That changes how brands recruit. Instead of paying a few creators a flat fee, many brands send samples to many affiliates and pay affiliate commission on results, then offer flat fees or bonuses to the ones who sell.
What to check before you start
Check that your category and country are eligible on the platform, that your margins can carry platform fees plus creator commission, and that you can fulfil orders to the platform's shipping standards. Read the current seller terms directly, because fees and rules change often.
Treat the creator videos as an asset either way. A video that sells in-app can often be licensed and run as a paid ad elsewhere, if the agreement includes those usage rights.
How it's used
Most of our TikTok Shop revenue came from four affiliates who went live twice a week.
Social commerce margins are thinner, so price the creator commission after the platform fee, not before.