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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at TCNJ chapter.

Selling products has never been easier with Tik Tok shops. Before Tik Tok shop, I saw a lot of Amazon lists and links in creators bios to products they talk about. Now, it is as simple as just linking the product in the video. Tik Tok shop seems to have a lot of pros and cons such as:

PROS:

  • You can see videos of the product, so you know what you are buying
    • Personally, I like to see videos and honest reviews of products before buying them. When buying clothes, it is helpful to see different body types in the clothes so I know how it fits, and how the material is. I have seen so many different girls with different body types trying on outfits for Tik Tok shop, and this allows for people to see how it looks on people with similar body types. I know I have been hesitant about buying clothes because I don’t know how it would look on me. 
  • Brand deals for influencers (pro/con?)
    • If you see an influencer use the product only once, in sponsored content, chances are the product is not that good. If you see them use the product in other videos, and unsponsored ones, that is a good way to tell how genuine the review is.
  • Easy to share:
    • It is easy to send videos to your friends for their opinions or even to share interesting things. I’ve shared countless videos showing products I think my friends would be interested in. 
  • Good for brands:
    • Marketing is easier for brands on Tik Tok now because they can just show their products and link them in the same video. Someone sees a video of a cool product and the link right there, they are more inclined to buy it. 

CONS:

  • Excessive advertising
    • I constantly hear people talking about their for you pages being filled with Tik Tok shop ads. For example, I liked a video about a product one time and then my for you page is FILLED with different reviews of the product. 
  • Sponsorships: is the product really good, or are they being paid to say that?
    • When money is involved, honesty usually isn’t. Keep an eye out for unhonest reviews, and again, try to see if the influencer actually uses the product they are selling. 
  • Forcing insecurities:
    • I have seen SO MANY advertisements on Tik Tok shops about different supplements, vitamins, beauty products, etc. that are made to improve your appearance. Often these videos are introduced by saying something like, “you’re not fat, you just haven’t tried this supplement!” These ideas push unrealistic standards, especially to young girls. These videos try to make us feel obligated to want to change something about ourselves, when nothing is wrong in the first place. 
  • Different sellers:
    • Sometimes different brands carry similar looking products, and it is hard to tell which is authentic or not. Especially when the reviews are all sponsored, stay away! 

So, is Tik Tok shop really bad? I personally have ordered from the Tik Tok shop four times, and have been gifted items from the shop three times as well. Everything I got, came within reasonable time, was not damaged, and appeared exactly as depicted. Here are some tips to avoid scams:

  • Verified brands are safe, I have ordered from Tarte twice, and it came in an actual Tarte box, with the packaging like I ordered from the actual website
  • Go off reviews that aren’t marked as ‘sponsored’, or ‘creator earns commission’
  • If it seems too good to be true, it probably is

Happy shopping!

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Traci Cooper, She/Her, Psychology Major, makeup and cat lover <3