Why Every Amazon Seller Should Be Dancing on TikTok Too

Hey there, fellow e-commerce warriors (or should I say survivors?)! Today we’re diving into the tale of two shopping platforms that couldn’t be more different if they tried: Amazon, your trusty old shopping companion, and TikTok Shop, the cool new kid who’s somehow convincing everyone they desperately need that sunset projection lamp they never knew existed.

Amazon: Where People Go When They Already Know What They Want

Picture this: It’s 10 PM on a Tuesday. You realize you’re out of dog food, your phone charger just died, and you suddenly remember you need a gift for your cousin’s birthday this weekend. What do you do? You fire up Amazon faster than you can say “two-day shipping.”

Amazon shoppers are on a mission. They march onto that website with their digital shopping lists ready, credit cards in hand, and a “let’s get this done” attitude. These aren’t browsers – they’re buyers.

They type in exactly what they need:

• “Dog food grain-free salmon 12-pound bag”
• “iPhone charger cord 10ft braided”
• “Gifts for 30-year-old men who have everything”

It’s beautiful, really. Amazon is basically a giant digital department store where people go when they’re already in buying mode. They’re not there to be entertained – they want to solve problems and they want to solve them NOW.

TikTok Shop: “I Didn’t Know I Needed This Until 15 Seconds Ago”

And then there’s TikTok Shop – the platform that has mastered the art of making you impulse-buy things you had zero intention of purchasing when you opened the app.

You innocently log on to watch some dance videos or funny cats, and suddenly you’re watching someone demonstrate a veggie chopper that will “CHANGE YOUR LIFE!!!” The next thing you know, you’ve bought it, along with color-changing light bulbs and a water bottle that reminds you to hydrate by glowing like a disco ball.

TikTok doesn’t wait for you to have shopping intent. It CREATES the shopping intent. It’s the digital equivalent of those mall kiosks with the enthusiastic salespeople who somehow convince you that you absolutely need a Dead Sea salt scrub when all you wanted was to get to the food court.

Why You Need Both (And Yes, You Really Do)

Here’s where it gets interesting for Amazon sellers. If you’re only selling on Amazon, you’re missing out on the beautiful chaos that is TikTok-inspired purchasing. Consider this:

Amazon = Capturing Existing Demand When someone searches for “portable blender” on Amazon, they already want a portable blender. You’re just competing to be the portable blender they choose.

TikTok = Creating New Demand On TikTok, someone who never even considered buying a portable blender watches a 30-second video of someone making a smoothie at the gym, and suddenly they’re convinced their life is incomplete without one.

Do you see the magic here? It’s like having a store on a busy street (Amazon) while also having enthusiastic brand ambassadors running around town telling everyone how cool your store is (TikTok).

The Perfect E-Commerce Power Couple

Using both platforms creates a beautiful synergy:

1. Create desire on TikTok – Show how amazing your product is in creative, entertaining ways
2. Fulfill that desire on Amazon – Where your now-eager customers can easily buy with their saved payment methods and Prime shipping

Bonus points if your TikTok content is entertaining enough that people share it, essentially giving you free advertising to potential customers who didn’t even know they wanted to be your customers.

So What’s the Move?

If you’re an Amazon seller who isn’t on TikTok yet, it’s like you’ve set up a lemonade stand but refused to tell anyone it exists. Sure, the people already walking by might stop for a drink, but imagine if you had someone running through the neighborhood shouting about how life-changing your lemonade is!

Don’t choose between capturing existing demand and creating new demand. Do both! Your products deserve to be discovered by people who are actively looking for them AND by people who had no idea they needed them until your brilliant TikTok content showed them the light.

Remember: Amazon is where people go to buy what they know they need. TikTok is where they discover what they never knew they needed.

And that, my friends, is why you need both platforms in your seller strategy. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go check on the status of that sunset projection lamp I just ordered. I don’t really need it, but TikTok convinced me my life would be 83% more aesthetic with one. And who am I to argue with that?

Got questions? Drop a comment or send me an email.