Are TikTok and Reels Really Necessary for Ecommerce Brands?

TikTok and Reels

They are words that can strike fear into the hearts of even the most experienced ecommerce brand owners. (Yep. Raising my hand over here!) 

It’s not just the fact that when you have started and are running an online store, you are already balancing quite a few tasks. You’re choosing products, making sure that products are shipped out in a timely manner, and most importantly, ensuring that your customers are happy.

Adding in social media on top of that can feel challenging—especially when it’s something that can have a bit of a learning curve to it. 

Oh–let’s not forget that there are so many people who absolutely do not want to show their face on social media. (Me raising my hand again.) 

There are sooooo many people doing videos for TikTok. They dance, they have talking cats, there is a WHOLE bunch of politics (swiping past those!)…and yes, there is some online selling happening.  Ditto for reels.  

But are TikToks and reels really necessary for ecommerce? Do they make sense for online stores and ecommerce brands?

Essentially, are they worth the time investment for online store owners?

An authority on these platforms, Elise Darma joined me on my podcast to explain not just why they’re important, but how online business owners could make it easier on themselves. 

I love having Elise on the podcast!  We've interviewed her once before—and she has so much to offer, that this is just the first interview in a three-part series about this topic. She is knowledgeable, she is insightful, and she shares common sense ideas that make even complex processes understandable.

Grab a pen and your notebook, because you’ll want to take notes on this one. 

To give you an idea of what we're talking about, here are just a few of my takeaways from our conversation: 

Top 10 Takeaways/Types of Videos

1. When you set things up, do the pre-production process
2. Show behind the scenes of the business
3. Film yourself creating, packing, or shipping your products
4. “Flex” by doing the video in front of packages, things going out the door
5. Create a “this or that” video
6. Find trending audio first, then attach the video
7. Use audio, visuals and text on the video
8. Unbox products
9. Show the product in use
10. Try “talking head” audio trends

Bonus Takeaways

1. Create on TikTok
2. Focus on “less precious” videos