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I Tried Dropshipping on TikTok as a Beginner (Went VIRAL)

Introduction

For the last five months, I've been striving to succeed with TikTok Dropshipping, but nothing seemed to work. I tested product after product, trying different methods and tactics, and it was honestly starting to get to my head. But after five months of seeing no progress, things finally started to turn around.

Finding the Right Product

The first step I needed to do to start a new dropshipping store was to find a good product. To do that, I used a TikTok burner account. This method involved optimizing my TikTok account to only show other dropshipping stores. I scrolled for a couple of days and stumbled upon a product that was blowing up. This product was affordable and not overdone, unlike other options that were either dead or too expensive.

Setting Up

I ordered the product and created everything I needed: the logo, social media accounts, and the website. A few days later, the product arrived, and I started making videos. Initially, I had no idea what kind of videos to make because all my past videos had flopped. So, I decided to copy this competitor exactly, focusing on controversial content because controversy tends to go viral. In the videos, I replied to comments saying to drop the product off something, reversed the video, and said it defied physics.

Initial Failures and Small Wins

I made my first couple of videos and started posting. Though I expected them to go viral, they began with only a couple of hundred views on average. However, while my TikTok videos were underperforming, the re-uploaded videos on Instagram were hitting over 10,000 views, with some reaching over 100,000. Despite the good views, we only converted two sales from over 400 store visitors and 16 reached checkouts.

After some study, I realized that views driven by controversy don't necessarily convert into sales. Instead, I needed to focus on going viral the right way, making high-quality videos that work as effective ads.

Seeking Expert Help

I mentioned in an earlier video that I bought a USA SIM card to target the United States, which worked since by default, a TikTok account shows videos from its registration country. Despite my effort, my videos' quality couldn't compete with the competitors. So, I invested in a better iPhone.

Changing Products

I chose to change products, settling on "the mini snipe." This product wasn't viral but had potential. I leveraged previous lessons to create my videos differently rather than copying anyone. I posted these videos consistently, with none going viral until a video, where I cleverly responded to a controversial comment, hit 43,000 views.

Success and Challenges

Another video tagged with commentary on airsoft guns went viral, reaching over 500,000 views. This led to over 1,000 store visitors and 98 add-to-carts, resulting in only five sales. It was initially confusing why conversions were low until I found and resolved a negative review hindering sales. Once fixed, sales began to improve incrementally.

Conclusion

In total, within this period, we made $ 350 in store revenue and over $ 200 in profit. While not a significant amount, it proved that five months of pure grind were beginning to pay off. I'm now looking for a new winning product to scale up and will update the progress in the next video.

Keywords

  • TikTok Dropshipping
  • Product Research
  • Viral Marketing
  • Instagram Views
  • Controversial Content
  • Video Quality
  • USA SIM Card
  • Store Revenue
  • Product Switch
  • Negative Reviews

FAQ

Q1: What strategy did you use to find the right product for dropshipping?
A1: I used a TikTok burner account optimized to show only dropshipping stores, then scrolled for a couple of days to find a product that was blowing up but affordable.

Q2: How did you handle initial low performance on TikTok?
A2: I reposted the videos on Instagram, where they performed much better, showing that Instagram can sometimes be a better platform than TikTok.

Q3: Why did controversial videos not convert into sales?
A3: Controversy drives views but not necessarily sales. Videos need to focus on being effective ads to convert well.

Q4: How did you ensure your content targeted the USA market?
A4: I used a USA SIM card when creating my TikTok account, which ensured that my content was shown to the USA audience.

Q5: What steps did you take to improve your video quality?
A5: I upgraded my iPhone to deliver better camera quality, making my content more competitive.

Q6: How did you solve the issue of low sales despite high traffic?
A6: I identified a negative review affecting conversions, removed it, and adjusted the review settings so that all reviews need approval before being shown.

Q7: What was the outcome after five months of effort?
A7: The total revenue was $ 350 with a profit of over $ 200, indicating that the consistent effort was starting to yield success.

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