Social media is a fantastic stage for numerous businesses to realize their aspirations, and TikTok is no different. It lets you express your creativity and develop your business into a sustainable venture. Numerous businesses that have already succeeded in top marketplaces for selling products woven their TikTok success stories.
The lessons learned from these TikTok business success stories can offer you a fresh perspective on whether your business is still in the early stages of development or already up and running. This article will provide 12 real-life examples of TikTok success stories, ranging from well-known brands to small enterprises.
- NYX
- Netflix
- Nascar
- EA Games
- Bumble
- Enchanted Scrunch
- Peachy BBs Slime
- Lala Hijabs
- CeeCee’s Closet NYC
- Slate & Tell
- Brand Pierre
- Street Brew Coffee
- Nice Shirt. Thanks!
Let’s explore these TikTok case studies to seek inspiration and ignite creativity!
Big Brands’ TikTok Success Stories
TikTok brings new life compared to older social networks like Facebook and Instagram. The platform is energizing and innovative. It allows brands to interact with customers in genuine ways outside typical promotions.
That’s why many brands have come to TikTok, opened a TikTok Shop, and created success stories. Below are the top 5 big names that have successful campaigns on TikTok.
1. NYX Professional Makeup
NYX is one of the famous TikTok case studies that any brand can learn from. They are a Los Angeles-based cosmetics brand, aimed to elevate its cult-favorite Butter Gloss product line to mainstream beauty status. Recognizing TikTok’s influence in the beauty community, NYX collaborated with the platform to launch a six-day hashtag challenge. They encouraged users to showcase their creativity by applying the Butter Gloss Lip Gloss. With an original song, TikTok influencers, and a prize incentive, the campaign generated over 2 million UGC videos and achieved remarkable success. It includes:
- An 11 billion view count for the #ButterGlossPop Branded Hashtag Challenge;
- 2 million user videos for the challenges;
- A 42% boost in brand awareness;
- And a 79% increase in ad recall.
2. Netflix
Netflix stood out among brands with an impressive 36.2M million TikTok followers. Their approach involved creating engaging content tailored to the community and aligning with trending topics. The release of Cobra Kai’s third season became one of the notable TikTok success stories in advertising.
Netflix collaborated with TikTok to develop a custom Cobra Kai Chop filter, involving a diverse set of creators who united communities across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and France. Each influencer incorporated their unique touch to the filter, using the hashtag #CobraKaiChop.
The paid campaign yielded over 2.8 million views, and the associated hashtag #cobrakaichop boasts an incredible 5.6 billion views to date. The initiative effectively heightened brand awareness on TikTok, particularly during the winter binge-watching season of Cobra Kai.
3. Nascar
TikTok has proven very effective for sports due to features that encourage interaction with hashtags, duets, and edited clips. This grows fan connections with teams, athletes, and brands. It drives engagement, awareness, and revenues for sports marketers.
Nascar is one of the prime examples of making TikTok success stories. Their partnership with Ryan Vargas helped introduce the racing series to a new generation of fans on the platform. Vargas’ creative videos delivering behind-the-scenes access boosted his own profile while shining a spotlight on NASCAR. The sponsorship deal came about organically from a fan-made concept on Twitter. This shows how TikTok partnerships don’t always need large budgets – sometimes, all it takes is one fun idea to catch the attention of both fans and brands.
4. EA Games
EA Games made their own TikTok success stories by including a branded photo effect with branded hashtag challenges. For #PlayWithLife, users were encouraged to show their everyday clothes, work outfits, loungewear, or party looks. The creative effect placed a plum bob (the green crystal seen in Sims games) over the person’s head.
This sparked a viral trend that spread to Instagram, too. People acted out quirks from Sims life by changing clothes or standing and swaying like at the start of the game. The hashtag was interactive since users could add the effect themselves. It has gained over 16 billion views, showing how effects can engage people and spread brand awareness on TikTok.
5. Bumble
Bumble had incredible TikTok success stories by fully employing the platform’s style of content. They worked closely with popular creators and used direct-response ads that felt native to TikTok feeds. A case study found this boosted app installs five times over and reduced user registration costs by 64%.
A search of #bumble on TikTok reveals they’ve amassed hundreds of millions of views. Their videos include:
- challenges about conversation openers;
- humorous dating stories from the app;
- clips of first Bumble dates;
- relationships that started due to meeting on the platform.
Bumble is an excellent example of understanding what type of organic content thrives on TikTok and using that format for effective digital marketing.
Small TikTok Business Success Stories
Besides TikTok success stories from big names, there is a wide range of small businesses that have succeeded on TikTok. Are you a small business and you just knew how to set up TikTok shop? Below are 8 of the noticeable TikTok case studies for small businesses you may find related. Keep reading to get inspired.
1. Enchanted Scrunch
Founder Dasha Derkach initiated her venture, Enchanted Scrunch, a year ago to offer a wider array of scrunchie designs. Initially using Instagram for promotion, she later turned to TikTok, and she made one of the TikTik success stories that you can learn from.
According to her, two months later, her videos got 15k views, and she received 10 orders on the first day! From there, views continued to grow, reaching up to 3 million on a video.
Since then, TikTok has become Dasha’s primary marketing tool, contributing to approximately 90% of her total sales, while the remaining 10% comes from Instagram and Pinterest. According to her, TikTok has significantly boosted her sales. Pre-TikTok, she had around two orders a week, then it surged to about 100 a week. Now, she also conducts TikTok Lives nearly every day and receives almost 500 orders a week.
In the year since Enchanted Scrunch’s TikTok debut, Dasha’s brand of oversized and distinctive scrunchies has evolved into a six-figure company with over 490K followers.
2. Peachy BBs Slime
Peachy BBs stands out among the numerous slime shops on TikTok, becoming a significant TikTok case. Andrea and her small team have become experts in the TikTok slime realm with the main account amassing 6.2 million followers (plus a side account exceeding a million).
Regularly sharing videos on the slime-making process, addressing follower queries, enjoying slime, and exploring new scents and textures, Peachy BBs has made such TikTik success stories that their slime drops often sell out within minutes. A follower even likened obtaining one of Peachy BB’s slimes to “trying to get Jordans.”
3. Lala Hijabs
Other TikTik success stories come from Lala Hijabs. Sana and Will Saleh started their hijab company, Lala Hijabs, after losing jobs in the pandemic, like many others. While stuck at home, they began designing and sharing fun tie-dyed hijabs on TikTok just for fun. People asked where to get them, so the couple decided to promote the business before starting it. One viral video led to over 50,000 followers and 1 million views overnight.
Inspired by the response, the couple used their savings to officially launch Lala Hijabs, relying on TikTok as their main marketing. All early website traffic came from TikTok organically. The account grew to over 146,000 followers and 4.3 million likes with behind-the-scenes videos and tutorials. Around 60% of sales come through the app. Any new items are first shown on TikTok, they will soon daily grow the brand’s audience and awareness.
4. CeeCee’s Closet NYC
Chioma Ngwudo is a CEO and speaker based in NYC. With her sister Uchenna, they run CeeCee’s Closet NYC. The brand celebrates African culture through unique fashion and beauty items. They design colorful head wraps, waist beads, and body care products in partnership with creators in Nigeria. They aim to make African styles and skin care accessible while being fair in business.
On TikTok, the TikTok case of CeeCee’s Closet NYC mainly uses the account to educate people about products not as well known in the US, like exfoliating nets and items made for Black/Brown skin. CeeCee’s Closet NYC has over 293K followers and 8.3 million likes, showing how education on cultural items can find engaged audiences.
5. Slate & Tell
Slate & Tell, a personalized jewelry brand, stands out as a notable TikTok success story for small businesses. This brand crafts rings, charms, necklaces, and bracelets tailored to customers’ unique stories. Intending to maximize sales during the holiday season, the brand sought to enhance consumer awareness and consideration. They ultimately targeted a 2X return on the ad budget within 6 months.
Slate & Tell ran ads around the holidays as part of their campaign. This helped them achieve their goals, gaining 4 million followers and getting 1000 people to add items to their cart in one session. The TikTok ads helped the independent brand improve and increase sales, showing how the platform can help small businesses grow.
6. Brand Pierre
A single spoon transformed Pierce Woodward’s life, leading him to become one of the well-known TikTok success stories through his creative upcycling. During quarantine, the teenager began crafting rings from old metal spoons as a hobby, sharing his creations on TikTok for fun. As his content gained attention from prominent influencers, Pierce’s following grew substantially.
After launching his store, the first ring drop he offered quickly sold out within two days, and subsequent drops consistently sold out within minutes.
Pierce’s adept use of the platform, creating engaging content and collaborating with larger influencers, fueled the growth of Brand Pierre. Despite being a high school dropout, he turned Brand Pierre into a million-dollar business, with TikTok as his primary marketing source. With an impressive 1.1 million followers, Pierre has expanded beyond spoon rings, evolving his business into something more sustainable, creating jewelry with “purpose, meaning, and intention.“
7. Street Brew Coffee
Caitlin Campbell has made distinctive TikTok success stories for Street Brew Coffee through concise coffee videos. Her videos, though simple in production, provide an amazing experience for coffee enthusiasts worldwide. Viewers can gain both basic and advanced knowledge, such as creating an iced Kitkat latte or mastering the art of pour-over coffee with her videos. Street Brew Coffee has amassed over 1.1M followers and 31M video likes since its launch.
Caitlin emphasizes the importance of consistency, advising that for effective business growth on TikTok. Starting an account, disappearing, and then returning could negatively impact your relationship with the audience.
8. Nice Shirt. Thanks!
Unlike Street Brew Coffee, Nice Shirt. Thanks! Shows how a brand can bloom in an instant on TikTok. Best friends Hayden Rankin and Mason Manning wanted money to buy a school bus for trips. In 2020, they posted about their shirt business idea – customizing tops with short phrases or facts. This resonated with people of all ages on TikTok, getting over 1.5 million views and 370,000 likes.
Up to now, Nice Shirt. Thanks! has grown remarkably – with over 559K TikTok followers, 13M million likes, and 400,000 collaborating designers. This success story of two young entrepreneurs perfectly shows how TikTok can rapidly grow a small business. Just one viral post was all it took for their brand to take off.
5 Tips for Businesses to Make TikTok Success Stories
The aforementioned TikTok case studies provide valuable insights that can help you enhance and refine your TikTok marketing approach. However, if you want to learn how to make money on TikTok, you’ll need more techniques. To save you time, we have compiled five tips to ensure your business gains momentum on this platform.
1. Be authentic
The majority of the TikTok success stories mentioned above share a common trait: they are exceptional storytellers. These businesses possess a talent for creating narratives that immediately capture the interest of viewers, hold their attention, and provide a gratifying resolution. Offering behind-the-scenes peeks, genuine reviews, showcasing products, and sharing startup journeys are some examples of captivating stories that frequently generate significant engagement.
2. Keep updated with the latest trends
Regarding TikTok for business success stories, it’s crucial to keep up with the latest trends. A TikTok trend refers to a popular short video that has gone viral, often featuring popular sounds, hashtags, or challenges. Incorporating TikTok trends into your content strategy is a way to interact with your target audience. Moreover, catching up also helps you find viral TikTok products to sell as well.
To stay updated on the newest TikTok trends, it’s recommended to regularly browse through the platform. TikTok’s algorithm promotes fresh trends on a daily basis, providing you with a wealth of viral ideas for your business. If you’re pressed for time, you can visit the TikTok Creative Center > Trends section, where you’ll quickly find the most popular videos, songs, and creators that are currently going viral.
3. Interact with other users
On TikTok, building connections with others is key for making TikTik success stories, and to broaden your reach. Hence, it’s important to actively engage with your followers and fellow creators. Taking the time to respond to comments on your videos helps grow a sense of community and encourages deeper engagement with your audience.
4. Run TikTok ads
If you haven’t had much success with organic content, it might be worth considering a more reliable and impactful strategy. In these situations, running a TikTok advertising campaign can be a viable option. TikTok now offers various advertising solutions that can effectively enhance your performance at every stage of the marketing process. Whether it’s increasing brand visibility, generating interest, or driving actual conversions, you can employ TikTok ads.
Ever wonder how many ways there are to make money on TikTok? Check out LitCommerce’s latest article on this topic now!
5. Collaborate with other influencers
In addition to sharing videos and engaging with other TikTokers, collaborating with popular TikTok content creators is another effective method to make your brand go viral. By establishing a mutually beneficial partnership, both parties can benefit from increased follower count and enhanced visibility for their content.
TikTok Business Success Stories: FAQs
If you want your campaign to become one of the TikTik success stories, here are some tips to jot down: Since TikTok users expect creative, quirky content, brands need an innovative approach to engage them to make their own TikTik success stories. Traditional ads may not work as well as strategies tailored for the platform. Most successful brands generate engaging, educational content that feels natural on TikTok without disrupting the experience. This interactive, immersive content keeps brand messaging relevant to the fast-moving platform. A key reason for TikTok’s popularity is its engaging “For You Page” of short videos. People are already familiar with this format from apps like Vine. One major cause of TikTok’s success is its emphasis on user-created content over other sources. It encourages creativity and individuality by letting users widely share talents and views. This focus on self-expression strongly appeals to all age groups as well.
Turning your Brands into TikTok Success Stories
Whatever you sell, TikTok provides an excellent platform for your businesses aiming to enhance their brand visibility, build a community, and boost sales. Many owners of the TikTok success stories understand how to use the app’s sounds, trends, and content concepts with marketing strategies to find effective approaches.
Making your own TikTok brand success stories can also be challenging sometimes. That’s why LitCommerce is here to help you. We have a Blog section with helpful guides for e-sellers and a tool that supports TikTok Shop integration with other best selling platforms for your business growth. To try this tool, contact us now.
We also open a Facebook community where you and your fellows can share and discuss the eCommerce field. Join us now!
