Overview

Amazon may be the king of e-commerce conversions, but TikTok has emerged as the king of product discovery – especially for younger consumers. In fact, 77% of Gen Z say they use TikTok to discover new products, making it a goldmine for brand awareness. For Amazon agency professionals, the message is clear: TikTok isn’t just for dance challenges; it’s a powerful top-of-funnel channel that can drive shoppers straight to Amazon if leveraged correctly. This article distills insights from an episode of the Marketplace Master webinar with Gabriel Wolff (Managing Partner at the marketing agency Everything Bagel) and James Dihardjo (Co-founder of MerchantSpring) into a strategic guide. We’ll explore why TikTok is a discovery game-changer, how to integrate it with Amazon for full-funnel success, and what content and ad strategies work best. By the end, you’ll see why TikTok could be your Amazon brand’s secret weapon in 2025, and how to harness this social commerce trend for maximum profitability.

TikTok: The New Age Discovery Powerhouse

TikTok’s meteoric rise has transformed it into the go-to platform for product discovery, often even more than search engines or traditional social media. Unlike Instagram or Facebook, which revolve around your social circle, TikTok’s algorithm serves up an endless feed of content that feels more akin to channel-surfing on TV. As Gabriel Wolff explained in the webinar, TikTok behaves more like a broadcast medium than a social network – users swipe rapidly through videos until something truly grabs their attention. It’s essentially the modern “Saturday morning cartoon + commercials” experience for Gen Z.

“TikTok behaves way more like TV than a social network... It’s really a discovery channel.” — Gabriel Wolff

This discovery dynamic means brands can capture interest on TikTok before a consumer even knows what they want. A catchy, creative video can spark demand for a product that viewers then seek out later. Wolff noted that after onboarding a client to TikTok ads, they often see a spike in Google searches for that brand a week or two later – clear evidence that TikTok is feeding the brand awareness funnel. If you serve Amazon-based brands, this is huge. TikTok can plant the seed of desire that later blossoms into an Amazon purchase (where the consumer ultimately converts due to Amazon’s trusted checkout and fast shipping).

From an SEO perspective, TikTok’s influence is so strong that Amazon itself has taken notice. By August 2024, TikTok and Amazon announced a new integration allowing users to link their Amazon accounts and even complete Amazon purchases without leaving the TikTok app. This partnership blurs the line between social media discovery and e-commerce conversion, reducing the friction for impulse buys. It validates what many marketers already knew: TikTok is one of the planet’s biggest product discovery engines, and tying it directly to Amazon’s shopping cart is a recipe for explosive growth. In short, TikTok has become a critical channel for Amazon brand marketing – ignore it at your peril.

Omnichannel or Bust: Why Amazon Brands Must “Be Everywhere”

Success in 2025’s hyper-competitive landscape requires a multi-channel marketing approach. Shoppers don’t live in just one platform, and neither should your advertising. As Wolff put it, if you limit your media presence to a single platform, you leave gaps for competitors to poach your audience. Amazon agency professionals are increasingly recognising that they must build omnichannel funnels: TikTok for discovery, Instagram/Facebook for engagement, Google for intent-based search, and Amazon for the final purchase – all working in concert.

“If I’m only advertising on one platform, I’m getting sniped by a competitor on the others.” — Gabriel Wolff

In practical terms, this means an Amazon-focused brand should not only optimise its Amazon SEO and PPC, but also run paid social campaigns (TikTok, Meta), maintain an active presence on Instagram and YouTube, and even use email or SMS marketing to stay connected. The goal is to surround the consumer with your brand story at every turn. For example, a potential customer might discover your product on TikTok, later see a retargeting ad on Instagram, search for your brand on Google, and finally buy on Amazon after reading reviews. If you omit any link in this chain, you risk losing that customer to a competitor who is advertising on the channel you skipped. As Wolff quipped, “someone’s going to steal your girl” – meaning a rival brand will capture the sale if you leave an opening.

From the Amazon perspective, driving external traffic from TikTok or other social platforms can also boost your marketplace performance. It creates a virtuous cycle: a TikTok-induced spike in Amazon searches or sales can improve your product ranking on Amazon (the so-called “Amazon halo effect”), leading to greater organic visibility there. Plus, Amazon’s algorithm rewards sales velocity; funnelling new customers from TikTok can increase that velocity, improving your standing in Amazon’s eyes. The takeaway is clear – a holistic approach is not just recommended, it’s required. Amazon brands that pair TikTok’s top-of-funnel strength with Amazon’s bottom-of-funnel conversion power stand to reap substantial rewards.

TikTok Shop vs Amazon: Discovery and Conversion Channels

One question on many minds is how TikTok Shop (TikTok’s in-app shopping feature) compares to Amazon, and whether TikTok could ever rival Amazon as a sales channel. The reality is that, as of 2025, the two serve different core purposes and complement each other more than they conflict. Amazon leads in total sales volume and consumer trust, but TikTok Shop is growing explosively among younger shoppers.

TikTok Shop offers a seamless way to discover and buy products within the TikTok app, leveraging short videos and livestreams for an entertaining shopping experience. It thrives on viral trends and influencer recommendations, making purchases feel spontaneous and fun. This has led TikTok Shop to be expected to surpass $10 billion in global sales in 2025, driven largely by Millennial and Gen Z consumers. Those demographics enjoy the immersive, social aspect – they see a product demo or a haul video and can buy on the spot. Notably, TikTok’s live shopping events can achieve conversion rates up to 6× higher than typical e-commerce pages, showing the power of interactive, social selling.

Amazon, on the other hand, remains the trusted e-commerce giant with an unmatched logistics network. U.S. consumers are projected to spend about $400 billion on Amazon in 2025 – a figure TikTok Shop won’t catch for the foreseeable future. Amazon excels at what TikTok lacks: search-based intent fulfillment, reliability, and breadth of selection. When a consumer knows what they want, they often go straight to Amazon to find it (or to check reviews and Prime shipping). Amazon’s user base is also broader in age – while TikTok skews young, Amazon serves everyone from Gen Z to Boomers. In short, Amazon is where consumers go to convert, especially when they prioritise convenience and trust, whereas TikTok is where they go to discover and be inspired.

So rather than thinking of TikTok Shop vs Amazon as an “either/or,” smart brands use both in tandem. TikTok is the spark that lights the fire of desire; Amazon is where that desire is conveniently turned into a purchase. Even TikTok’s leadership understands this symbiosis – hence the TikTok-Amazon integration for in-app checkout, and Instagram’s partnership with Amazon for direct shopping. By linking the discovery engine (TikTok) with the shopping cart (Amazon), brands can significantly reduce the drop-off between discovery and conversion.

That said, Amazon is not resting on its laurels. It has introduced Amazon Inspire, a TikTok-style shoppable feed on its own app. And TikTok is continually refining TikTok Shop and pushing features like live-stream commerce and affiliate programs. The social commerce trend is here to stay. For Amazon agencies, the priority today is clear: use TikTok to feed the funnel and send hot leads to Amazon, while keeping an eye on TikTok Shop’s evolution (especially among Gen Z). The companies may seem like rivals, but for brands, they are two sides of the same coin in a full-funnel strategy.

Crafting TikTok Content That Drives Amazon Sales

Winning on TikTok requires a content marketing mindset. This isn’t the place for overt product pitches or stale catalogue photos. As Gabriel Wolff emphasised, TikTok content should sell the lifestyle or end-benefit around your product, not the product itself. It’s about storytelling and entertainment first, with commerce as a subtle undercurrent. Here are key strategies for TikTok content creation that came out of the webinar:

• Paint the After-Purchase Picture: Your TikTok posts should help viewers imagine how much better/cooler/easier life will be with your product. If you’re marketing a fitness supplement, show the energetic lifestyle it enables. If it’s a kitchen gadget, show the delicious meals they can whip up. “Nike sells Serena Williams and Michael Jordan – they don’t sell the hours of practice,” Wolff quipped, meaning brands highlight the aspirational outcome, not the grind or the specs. If you’re not showing the desirable lifestyle your product unlocks, you’ll struggle to get attention.
  
  
• Avoid Salesy Tone in Organic Content: TikTok users scroll for entertainment, education, or inspiration – not a hard sell. Content that feels like an infomercial will get swiped past in seconds. Focus on valuable, engaging content first. That could be how-to videos, behind-the-scenes looks, comedic skits, or touching stories that relate to your brand. You can introduce your product in the mix, but it should feel natural. For example, a brand selling eco-friendly cookware might do quick recipe videos where the cookware just “happens” to be featured.
  
  
• Leverage Multiple Creators and Faces: A powerful tactic is to work with a diverse range of creators (or employees/brand ambassadors) to produce TikTok videos. Different faces help you connect with different segments of your market and add social proof. A 45-year-old mom and a 22-year-old college student might both love your product for different reasons – featuring creators that mirror those audiences will broaden your appeal. Plus, user-generated style content often comes across as more authentic. Wolff’s team at Everything Bagel often contracts various micro-influencers or content creators to produce TikToks for clients, ensuring the brand’s channel isn’t a one-note voice.
  
  
• Consistency is Key: TikTok rewards frequent posting. The recommendation is to post 1–3 times per day if possible. That may sound daunting, but volume is part of discovery – more content means more chances to hit the algorithm jackpot. To sustain this, plan a content calendar and repurpose wherever possible. A single product can be showcased in dozens of creative ways (tutorial, unboxing, testimonial, trend challenge, etc.). Don’t be afraid to repost or refresh high-performing content ideas with a new twist.
  
  
• Use Trends and Native Style: Stay on top of TikTok trends (music, memes, challenges) and incorporate them creatively when they align with your brand. This doesn’t mean forcing every dance trend, but showing you’re in touch with the TikTok culture can boost reach. Also, film and edit in the native TikTok style – vertical video, captions or text overlays, quick cuts, trending sounds. Highly produced ads can flop on TikTok if they feel out of place. Aim for an organic look, even for your brand’s own posts.
  
  

Above all, keep the content fun and engaging. If your TikTok content strategy is successful, you’ll build a following and community that voluntarily spreads your brand story. When those viewers are ready to buy, they’ll recall your product and often head to Amazon (or your linked shop) to purchase, effectively turning TikTok virality into Amazon sales. As Wolff described, this is a long game of branding meets performance marketing. It’s not a direct response in the traditional sense, but over time, it can dramatically lower your customer acquisition cost by creating organic demand.

“If you’re not creating an environment where a user understands what their life will be like after purchase, then don’t even bother.” — Gabriel Wolff

TikTok Advertising Best Practices (That Agencies Swear By)

While organic content is crucial, paid TikTok advertising can amplify your reach and fast-track the discovery process. Wolff shared several tactical tips for running TikTok ads effectively for e-commerce brands. Here are the best practices Amazon agencies should note:

• Always Use Spark Ads: Never publish a separate “ad-looking” post on TikTok. Instead, create your engaging content on a TikTok account (either the brand’s or a creator’s account) and then use TikTok’s Spark Ads feature to put paid budget behind that organic post. Spark Ads allow you to sponsor existing posts as ads, so they retain all the organic engagement (views, likes, comments). This is huge for social proof. When a user encounters the ad in their feed, it looks like a popular post, not a banner. All the comments and high view counts make the content far more persuasive. As Wolff emphasised, sparking content is the only way to advertise on TikTok – a plain ad with zero likes and generic copy will fall flat.
  
  
• Broad Targeting (Trust the Algorithm): Old-school media buying would have you painstakingly define audience demographics and interests. On TikTok in 2025, that’s often unnecessary. TikTok’s algorithm is eerily good at finding the right viewers for your content. In many cases, letting the ad run broad (no detailed targeting beyond perhaps age or location if relevant) yields the best results. Wolff noted that for niche brands – say a product aimed at women 45–60 – TikTok’s algorithm quickly figures that out and predominantly shows the ad to that group, even without you specifying it. Over-targeting can actually hurt performance by constraining the algorithm’s AI. The mantra now is “creative is the new targeting.” Focus on the messaging and let TikTok find who connects with it.
  
  
• Test Creatives, Not Just Audiences: Given the above, the lever you do control is the creative itself. Plan to test many variations of your TikTok ad creatives. This doesn’t mean trivial tweaks (“50 versions of the same clip with different caption text” – a common mistake). Instead, test distinct concepts. For example, one concept might be a 15-second founder story, another a 30-second how-to demo, another a flashy trend-driven clip – all for the same product. See which angle drives the most engagement or conversions. Once you identify a winning creative concept, iterate on it to keep it fresh. TikTok’s fast-moving trends mean creatives have a shorter lifespan; be ready to refresh monthly or even weekly on high-spend campaigns.
  
  
• Optimise for Upper-Funnel Events First: If you’re just starting on TikTok Ads and using the TikTok Pixel (for your DTC site or wherever), you might find it effective to optimise for “Add to Cart” or “View Content” in the first few weeks rather than purchase. This helps train the pixel with more data since purchases are a smaller subset. Wolff mentioned that for new ad accounts, they’ll run campaigns optimising for a step like Add-to-Cart to gather momentum. Interestingly, sometimes a campaign not even optimised for purchase will drive significant purchases – likely because it gets shown widely and inexpensively, scooping up impulsive buyers along the way. Keep an eye on your attribution: use tools like TikTok’s native attribution, Google Analytics, or third-party platforms (e.g. TripleWhale) to see how TikTok ads contribute to Amazon or website sales. You might be surprised by the assist role even upper-funnel ads play.
  
  
• Embrace Performance Max and Cross-Channel Synergy: Outside of TikTok, don’t forget other paid channels that complement it. For instance, Google’s Performance Max (PMax) campaigns can capture the surge in branded searches that TikTok ads generate. Wolff noted TripleWhale data showing branded search spiking after TikTok campaigns launch – by using PMax or search ads on Google, you ensure those interested folks find your site or Amazon listing first. Similarly, running Meta Ads (Facebook/Instagram) concurrently can create a “surround sound” effect, where the consumer sees your brand everywhere. Each platform plays a role: TikTok to spark interest, Meta to retarget and build familiarity, Google to capture intent, and Amazon to close with the sale. The result is a higher overall return on ad spend by covering the full customer journey.
  
  
• Measure Holistically: TikTok might not always show a strong last-click ROAS in isolation, but its impact can be seen in new customer acquisition and overall revenue lift. Use a holistic attribution model (e.g. first-click or data-driven attribution) to value TikTok’s contribution. Watch metrics like CAC (customer acquisition cost) and MER (marketing efficiency ratio) at the aggregate level. Wolff’s agency, for example, looks at blended metrics to ensure that as they layer TikTok and other channels, the overall efficiency improves. When done right, TikTok should reduce CAC by filling the funnel with more interested prospects, which then convert either on your DTC site or on Amazon.
  
  

“Targeting is pretty dead – your creative should be sophisticated enough to narrow in on the right demographic. The algorithms sure as hell are.” — Gabriel Wolff

In summary, treat TikTok ads not as a siloed endeavour but as part of your cross-channel advertising strategy. The brands that win are those who can orchestrate all these pieces in harmony. This may sound complex, which is why having the right team and tools is crucial – which brings us to our next point.

Building the Team, Tools, and Processes for Multi-Channel Success

Executing a sophisticated TikTok-to-Amazon strategy is a team sport. In the webinar, Wolff described his agency’s setup, which offers a blueprint for what capabilities brands or agencies need:

• Creative Talent: You’ll need designers, video editors, animators, and art directors who get social media. These creatives brainstorm and produce the constant stream of short-form videos and ads required to stay relevant on TikTok and other platforms. For instance, Everything Bagel’s creative team meets weekly to map out all the new ads and organic content needed, aligning it with what’s trending and what’s performing.
  
  
• Strategists and Media Buyers: A paid media strategist to set the overall plan and media buyers to manage each platform’s campaigns are key. They decide budgets, allocate spend between TikTok, Amazon Ads, Google, Meta, etc., and continuously optimise for the best ROI. They also communicate what creatives are “winners” so the design team can make more of those. The strategist will ensure Amazon and TikTok efforts are not working at cross purposes but rather feeding each other (for example, making sure a TikTok video driving to Amazon has an Amazon Attribution tag so results can be tracked).
  
  
• Organic Social & Community Management: TikTok (and Instagram/YouTube) require someone to handle the organic posting and community. Engaging with comments, coordinating with creators/influencers, jumping on new trends in real-time – these tasks are continuous. A dedicated social media manager or community lead can greatly enhance performance by making your brand feel alive and responsive on TikTok.
  
  
• Data & Tech Tools: Invest in the right tools to coordinate and measure everything. Wolff’s team lives in collaboration tools like Asana and Slack to plan content and campaigns. They also use a media asset management tool (Air) where team members and clients can see which ads are live, which are winning, and even comment on video edits in progress. On the analytics side, tools like TripleWhale, Google Analytics, or Amazon Attribution are used to monitor the impact of TikTok on sales and to aggregate multi-channel performance. An intuitive dashboard (such as what MerchantSpring’s platform provides for agencies) can be extremely helpful to see Amazon metrics alongside ad metrics, ensuring everyone has a clear picture of the business impact.
  
  
• Cross-Functional Communication: Regular syncs are essential. Wolff mentioned his full team meets twice a week to discuss every client’s priorities and results. This keeps the creatives, strategists, and account managers on the same page. If, say, TikTok videos are driving lots of traffic but low Amazon conversion, the Amazon listing team can be alerted to optimise the product page or adjust pricing. When one channel’s insight benefits another (e.g. a TikTok ad comment reveals a new use-case for the product), that insight can feed into Amazon listing content or email campaigns. Breaking down silos between channel teams is a secret weapon of high-performing agencies.
  
  

For smaller Amazon brands, assembling all these resources in-house can be challenging. That’s where agencies or external partners come in – they offer an “extension of your team” with ready-made experts in each domain. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer; some brands prefer in-house control while others benefit from an agency’s breadth of experience. The webinar touched on Agency vs. In-House considerations: in-house teams have intimate product knowledge and quick internal communication, whereas agencies bring outside perspective, cross-industry learnings, and scalable creative production. Many brands adopt a hybrid approach – keep a core team in-house for brand voice and strategy, and leverage an agency for executional muscle and specialised skills (like TikTok content creation or advanced analytics).

Focus on Profitability and Long-Term Brand Growth

Amidst all the excitement of TikTok reach and multi-channel campaigns, it’s important to keep sight of the ultimate goal: profitable growth for the brand. Whether you’re an agency or a brand owner, vanity metrics like views or clicks mean little if they’re not driving sales efficiently. Gabriel Wolff underscored this by explaining that most of his clients are bootstrapped businesses – they rely on marketing to drive revenue, and if campaigns don’t yield profit, the business owners don’t get paid. Sustainable success comes from balancing acquisition and ROI:

• Lowering Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): A primary outcome Wolff looks for is a drop in CAC when adding TikTok and other channels. By casting a wider net and creating more touchpoints, you ideally attract more new customers at a reasonable cost. TikTok’s organic influence can also improve CAC over time (as fans become repeat purchasers, or as content goes viral with no ad spend). Track your blended CAC before and after embracing these strategies.
  
  
• Improving ROAS/Efficiency: Rather than fixate on each channel’s individual ROAS, examine your overall marketing efficiency ratio (MER) – essentially, total revenue divided by total ad spend across channels. If TikTok spend is not directly attributed by Amazon or Google Analytics, you might initially see a dip in tracked ROAS. But if MER improves (meaning you’re earning more overall for each dollar spent on marketing), that’s a win. Many agencies look at new-to-brand customer numbers on Amazon as well – if TikTok is fueling a surge in first-time buyers of the brand on Amazon, that has lifetime value beyond the immediate sale.
  
  
• Scaling Sustainably: Growth should not come at the cost of red ink. It’s tempting to double down on TikTok if a video goes viral, but ensure inventory, customer service, and unit economics can support a surge. If you heavily discount to drive TikTok sales, watch the margin impact. Wolff mentioned being careful with promotions (e.g. layering TikTok’s holiday discounts with your own) so that AOV and profit aren’t sacrificed too much. The best scenario is when TikTok drives full-price sales on Amazon, which is quite possible given Amazon’s environment (shoppers often buy at list price on Amazon if the product demand is high and competition is limited).
  
  
• Retention via Product Quality: Remember that retention is largely product-driven. TikTok can bring in customers, but if the product disappoints, those customers won’t stick around to reorder or leave good reviews. Marketing can help with retention via email/SMS flows, loyalty programs, etc., but as Wolff bluntly noted, if there’s a retention problem, often you need to “fix the product.” Make sure the hype you create on TikTok lives up to customer expectations on delivery. This will ensure strong product reviews on Amazon and repeat purchases, fueling a healthy cycle of growth.
  
  

Finally, make use of Amazon’s tools to capture some of that TikTok-driven traffic. For instance, if you’re driving significant volume, look into the Amazon Attribution program, which provides tracking links for external ads (so you can see how many TikTok clicks converted on Amazon). Also, encourage satisfied customers to leave Amazon reviews or post unboxing videos on TikTok, further bridging the two realms.

Conclusion: Embrace TikTok to Supercharge Your Amazon Brand

TikTok isn’t just a trendy platform for teens – it’s a discovery engine that savvy Amazon-focused marketers are leveraging to fuel brand growth in 2025. By meeting consumers where they scroll and seamlessly guiding them to where they shop (Amazon), you create a powerful end-to-end strategy. The core insights from our webinar experts boil down to this: think full-funnel (awareness to conversion), craft authentic content that resonates, and use data to iterate toward profitability.

In practice, that means investing in TikTok as a top-of-funnel channel, ensuring your Amazon listings and advertising are ready to catch the demand, and using an omnichannel approach so no potential customer slips through the cracks. It means speaking the language of TikTok’s audience through creative storytelling and then making it one-click easy for that audience to buy on Amazon or wherever they prefer. The agency professionals who master this interplay stand to deliver outsized results for their brands and clients – from lower CAC and higher ROI to building durable brand equity among the next generation of shoppers.

If you’re looking for expert support, consider reaching out to our team at MerchantSpring. We specialise in helping Amazon agencies and brands navigate the evolving e-commerce landscape – from harnessing social commerce trends to optimising marketplace performance. Subscribe to our newsletter for more cutting-edge insights, and contact us to see how we can help your Amazon business thrive in the era of TikTok and beyond. Don’t let your brand miss out on the discovery-commerce revolution – the time to act is now.