TikTok Playbook for Beauty Brands: Elevate Your Holiday Sales to New Heights!

As the holiday season approaches, businesses are looking for innovative ways to maximize sales and engagement on platforms like TikTok Shop. Here are key strategies, best practices, and actionable insights to help brands succeed on TikTok Shop during the critical holiday period.

  • Increased AOV: Offering bundled products at a 15-20% discount encourages customers to spend more, especially when combined with free shipping incentives.

  • Product Exploration: Introduce complementary products to customers, encouraging them to explore more of your offerings and potentially build a long-term routine.

  • Promotional Impact: Bundles, especially those tied to limited-time promotions, drive larger purchases during the holiday rush.

1. Bundles & Value Sets: Maximizing Sales with Exclusive Offers

Bundles and value sets provide an effective way to increase average order value (AOV) and enhance the shopping experience.

  • Exclusivity: Create a sense of urgency by offering exclusive bundles that customers can't find elsewhere. Limited-time offers build excitement and drive immediate purchases.

2. Gift with Purchase (GWP): Driving Conversions and Customer Loyalty

Offering a gift with purchase (GWP) can be a powerful tool to increase conversion rates and AOV.

  • Boost Product Exposure: By including a free item with a purchase, you introduce customers to new products, increasing the likelihood of future sales of the gifted product.

  • Increase Sales: Customers are more likely to spend more to qualify for a compelling GWP, especially during the holidays when gifting is a priority.

  • Enhance Value: Pairing hero products with full-size gifts enhances the perceived value of the purchase.

  • Promotional Impact: GWPs are highly effective during peak seasons when customer traffic and engagement are at their highest.

3. Content Strategies for Holiday Success

To drive success on TikTok, it’s essential to create engaging and relevant content. Key content pillars include:

  • Brand Building: Share your brand’s story and journey to build deeper connections with your audience.

  • Product Highlighting: Showcase your bestsellers and explain their value to entice customers and drive sales.

  • Educational Content: Share tutorials, ingredient highlights, and product benefits to educate potential buyers.

  • Company Culture: Authentic insights into your brand’s personality can foster engagement and drive reach.

  • Customer Feedback: Highlighting reviews and responding to customer comments can build trust and foster loyalty.

Holiday Content Tools:

  • Short Videos: Capture attention with snackable, engaging content that drives growth.

  • LIVE Shopping: Engage directly with your audience and drive conversions in real-time.

  • Pinned Content: Pin seasonal short videos to keep holiday offerings top of mind for customers.

  • Holiday SEO: Incorporate relevant keywords and hashtags like #HolidayDeals or #GiftIdeas into your video captions for better discoverability.

4. Capitalizing on Virality

Leverage TikTok’s viral potential to amplify your holiday campaigns.

  • Live Engagement: Take advantage of viral moments by hosting Q&A sessions and product demos live on TikTok.

  • Response Videos: Engage with top comments through response videos to drive further engagement and conversation.

  • Analytics Review: Regularly review video performance to optimize future content and ensure you are meeting audience preferences.

5. Driving Scarcity & Urgency

Scarcity can play a major role in driving quick decisions during the holidays.

  • Limited Quantities: Emphasize limited availability in your holiday launches to create urgency.

  • Sold-Out Content: Showcase sold-out products to generate FOMO and tease upcoming restocks.

  • Restock Content: Build anticipation by sharing restock dates and responding to customer inquiries in your videos.

6. Holiday Gifting Trends: Capture Seasonal Demand

To align with holiday shoppers, stay ahead of key gifting trends:

  • Exclusive Gifts: Offer TikTok Shop Exclusive products to stand out from other platforms.

  • Large & Jumbo Products: Curate gift sets with larger product quantities to offer added value for gift-givers.

  • Discovery-Driven Content: Create engaging content that highlights product value and helps customers find the perfect gifts.

7. Shoppable Content Best Practices

Creating compelling, shoppable content is crucial for success on TikTok Shop.

  • Avoid Reproduced Content: Use TikTok’s repost feature to engage rather than directly uploading content from external sources.

  • Accurate Claims: Always back up product claims with evidence to avoid exaggerations and misleading information.

  • Medical Claims: For any health-related products, include disclaimers like “results may vary” to comply with TikTok’s policies.

  • No External Redirection: Avoid linking out to other platforms; keep users within the TikTok ecosystem to maintain engagement and increase conversions.

8. Live Shopping Moderation

Maintain a professional and engaging environment during live shopping events.

  • Moderation: Use TikTok’s moderation tools to keep live shopping sessions appropriate and welcoming, ensuring customer engagement without distractions.

9. Creator Performance and Policy Adherence

Adhering to TikTok Shop’s policies is crucial to maintaining a healthy account status. Keep an eye on metrics and ensure that you are meeting TikTok’s content and community guidelines to avoid penalties or violations.

10. Key Takeaways & Next Steps

To wrap up, here are the main actions to help you succeed on TikTok Shop this holiday season:

  • Re-Build Your Content Strategy: Plan holiday-themed content around the key content pillars for Q4.

  • Implement Holiday Best Practices: Work closely with your TikTok Shop Account Manager to ensure alignment with holiday activations.

  • Post Consistently: Aim to post shoppable content daily to keep your brand visible.

  • Incorporate TikTok Trends: Stay on top of trending topics and themes to keep content relevant.

  • Storytell & Storysell: Use storytelling techniques in your content to engage, educate, and drive sales.

In an era where creativity and technology converge, TikTok Shop offers an unparalleled opportunity for beauty brands to thrive during the holiday season. By implementing the strategies outlined in this playbook—such as utilizing exclusive bundles, leveraging gift-with-purchase promotions, and creating engaging content—brands can amplify their reach and drive sales like never before.

As we move forward into this dynamic landscape, beauty marketers must remain agile, embracing innovative approaches to connect with their audience and capitalize on emerging trends.

At 93INGENUITY, we specialize in crafting tailored solutions that help beauty brands thrive in the digital marketplace. Whether you're looking to refine your content strategy or explore new avenues for growth, our expert team is here to help you unlock your brand’s full potential. Ready to elevate your holiday marketing strategy on TikTok? Let’s talk!