Thanks to hashtags like #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt, its highly personalized discovery algorithm, and ads that blend into the rest of the content, TikTok is one of the easiest ways for consumers to find new brands and products.
It’s no wonder that one in four users turn to the app to find new products, and 59% have inadvertently come across new brands or products that piqued their interest.
The “TikTok made me buy it” trend blends entertainment and ecommerce and can help brands, regardless of their size, go viral. Learn more about the TikTok trend and how to use it to market your business.
What is “TikTok made me buy it”?
“TikTok made me buy it” is a trend that refers to products going viral after being featured or promoted by content creators.
The trend spans various industries, including beauty, fashion, home goods, and food. User-generated content (UGC) creators frequently share videos of their favorite TikTok products using the trending hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt, which includes more than 26 million posts. As items gain popularity on TikTok, content creators often jump on the bandwagon by uploading videos with their reviews. This creates a snowball effect that can lead to a surge in sales and influence consumer behavior.
For example, when creator Gabriella Jimcoily of @thejimcoilys posted about Tarte Cosmetics’ under-eye concealer, she built excitement for the product by explaining that it effortlessly removed dark circles, or “raccoon eyes.” As she talked about the effectiveness of the product, she applied the concealer, letting viewers compare one side of her face to the other.
In response, viewers asked for more detail about the product, shared their experiences, or bought the product—all of which can increase brand awareness or translate into sales.
While mostly content creators use the hashtag, brands also leverage #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt to promote their products via a popular search term or to partner with creators. By setting up a TikTok Shop and affiliate marketing program, brands can encourage creators to post about their products with hashtags like #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt. In this model, creators earn commission on each sale.
Alternatives to #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt
While #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt is a popular hashtag, it’s not the only one creators use to encourage viewers to purchase products. Here are a few examples of hashtags that work similarly:
- #TikTokShopCreatorPicks (5.1 million posts)
- #TikTokShopFinds (4.9 million posts)
- #TrendingProducts (692,700 posts)
- #TikTokDeals (324,400 posts)
- #CreatorPicks (40,600 videos)
How businesses use “TikTok made me buy it”
Businesses of all types and stages can learn from content with the “TikTok made me buy it” hashtag. Here are a few ways you can use it:
Discover trending products
Trending products typically show up on the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt hashtag. As you scroll through the hashtag, you’ll see what products continue to come up and how audiences respond to them, which can give you an idea of whether they are successful. This can help you decide if TikTok Shop is a viable sales channel for your existing product or, if your goal is TikTok dropshipping, will give you ideas of what to sell.
Dropshipping entrepreneur Kamil Sattar suggests spending time looking at the content tagged with #tiktokmademebuyit. “Whatever’s going on there, trending-wise, that is your best bet,” Kamil says on an episode of the Shopify Masters podcast.
Perform competitor research
#TikTokMadeMeBuyIt is a great way to gain insight into competitors in your niche. Search for related products and find videos that use the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt hashtag. As users share their honest reviews of products, note what they like and don’t like, what issues are recurring, and what problems remain unaddressed.
Take time to read comments, which can offer additional points of view that the original videos missed. This can help you build better products, find gaps in the market, and shape your product positioning strategy.
It’s useful to gather research on several brands (think seven to 10 to build a diverse list) and gather your insights in a spreadsheet to keep it organized.
Find and engage creators
Tapping creators who understand the #tiktokmademebuyit landscape means they can create authoritative content, which can persuade other users to make a purchase.
Through TikTok’s affiliate collaborations program, you can launch a target collaboration with users you find through the hashtag, which can give you more control over who can officially promote your products. (We’ll explain how to do this in more detail later.)
Feature UGC
Search TikTok for existing videos featuring your product. “What works on TikTok is a video that doesn’t even look like an ad,” Kamil says. “So it needs to either be user-generated content or point-of-view content, and it also needs to be between 10 and 30 seconds [long].”
If you find a positive review, ask the creator for permission to reshare it on your brand account. Independent reviews and first-person stories from real users provide social proof and make an unbiased case for your product’s quality.
Hair care brand Kitsch, which has sold 785,000 products on TikTok Shop, shares UGC on its page. It features creators using its products and describing what they like about them.
For example, user @tommycarterugc explains that her hair gets tangled easily and how this brush is gentle and doesn’t cause breakage. The text above her reads “your new favorite hair brush.” Sharing this video allows Kitsch to highlight how its products are high-quality and why someone should try them.
Top “TikTok made me buy it” viral products
- CANDE Craft Co scented car air freshener
- Wavytalk Blowout Boost
- Wonder blading lip stain masquetry
- Tarte colored clay CC undereye corrector
- Snack bag sealer
- Dr. Melaxin calcium
- Kollide
- Mini karaoke machines
- Mid-calf socks
- Mini sticker printer
The top TikTok products span various categories and appeal to buyers because of seasonality, their ease of use, or effectiveness. Here are some items that have gone viral because of UGC creators using popular hashtags like #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt and #TikTokShopFinds:
CANDE Craft Co scented car air freshener
With two million units sold, C & E Craft Co is behind one of the most popular #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt products: car air fresheners. With a low price point, more than 40 scent options, and a visually appealing design, these scented car air fresheners have wide appeal.
Users post about the product’s scent and how it feels and looks luxurious. They also point to how long the scent lasts or provide tutorials on how to properly use the air freshener. In this video tagged #tiktokmademebuyit, a user admits she had been using the air freshener wrong and explains how to use it correctly.
Wavytalk Blowout Boost
There are several viral hair styling tools on TikTok, including the Wavytalk Blowout Boost, which has had 1.1 million sales on the platform. The product promises bounce and volume that requires little skill, making it suitable for beginners and experts alike. The price point is also more accessible than other tools in this category.
Users who post about the product show the results and sometimes compare what their hair looks like before and after. In this #tiktokmademebuyit video, a user reviews the tool and explains her hair type in detail as she styles her hair with the tool.
Wonder blading lip stain masque
Wonderskin Beauty’s lip stain masque goes on blue, but when users wipe it away, it reveals a color that can range from subtle to dramatic. This initial bold blue color can intrigue users to stick around and see the reveal.
The lip stain works in as little as 10 seconds, making it a quick process. The brand has sold 576,000 lip stain masques on TikTok Shop.
User-generated videos show how quickly the product works, and it can be mesmerizing to watch creators apply the shiny blue formula and wipe it off to reveal their stained lips, like in this video tagged #tiktokshopcreatorpicks:
Tarte colored clay CC undereye corrector
Beauty brand Tarte has sold more than 555,000 CC undereye correctors on TikTok Shop. The caffeine-infused product helps make skin less tired and puffy. The brand incentivizes more sales of the product by offering a free brush available only on TikTok Shop.
Users post about how the product can help them cover up their undereye area as well as blemishes. In this video tagged #tiktokshopcreatorpicks, the creator starts by courting low-stakes controversy: “Here’s the problem with the Tarte CC undereye color correcting concealer,” she begins. “I got it, and then I found out you can actually get it with a free brush,” she continues, as she does her makeup.
Snack bag sealer
A snack bag sealer can seal chip bags and other products to maintain freshness. As a portable item that users can recharge through a USB, it’s a convenient product. It also has a low price point, making it appealing to a larger number of people.
Creators posting about the product demonstrate how easy it is to use, like in this video tagged #tiktokmademebuyit. A creator rolls up a chip bag and closes it with a standard clip as a voice off camera asks, “You’re just going to seal it with that dinky little clip? It’s gonna get all stale!” It’s a casual way of explaining the problem the bag sealer solves.
Dr. Melaxin calcium multi balm
Dr. Melaxin is a Korean skin care brand with a calcium multi-balm eye cream stick that has gone viral on the platform, with more than 240,000 units sold on TikTok Shop. The product page highlights the product’s compactness, non-greasy formula, and compatibility with sensitive skin. With frequent TikTok Shop discounts of up to 43% off, the price is also more inviting to users.
UGC shows before-and-after footage to demonstrate the product’s effectiveness. For example, user @carleymademebuyit posted before footage tagged with #tiktokmademebuyit and promised to follow up in a few weeks.
Kollide
Kollide is Relatable’s strategy game where players aim to keep magnets from colliding into each other. With more than 100,000 copies sold on TikTok Shop and many positive reviews, the game has had momentum on the app.
Creator videos show how the gameplay works. As each player places a new magnet within a small area, the magnets swivel as though they might collide with another magnet. One user posted about playing to decide who would clean the dishes.
Mini karaoke machines
Mini karaoke machines are popular items on TikTok. They are portable and low-cost, making it an accessible way for many to add a little more fun to their everyday lives. This product also nods to TikTok’s history as a place to share lip-sync and dance videos.
Videos promoting this category feature users showing off their singing skills or demonstrate how to set up the product. In this video tagged #tiktokmademebuyit, a creator shows the machine’s features while recommending it as a low-cost holiday gift.
Mid-calf socks
Mid-calf socks are an evergreen product with a wide customer base, making them relevant at any time. Different brands have gone viral with their mid-calf sock offerings.
Videos in this category show how to style the socks and how they compare to other socks they already owned. In this #tiktokmademebuyit video, the creator implores viewers to “buy the socks!” “They’re worth it,” she promises in a voiceover.
Mini sticker printer
Mini sticker printers are portable printers that let users turn their digital photos and images into stickers. The brand Jadens has sold 81,000 mini sticker printers through TikTok Shop, but other sellers have also had success in this category. The product is easy to use because it connects right to a user’s phone and doesn’t require ink, making it low-maintenance.
User videos in this category show how the product works and the quality of the prints. In this #tiktokshopfinds video, user @britthankin focuses on the product’s features and explains why she’s considering keeping a gift she originally purchased for her husband.
Tips for getting your product featured in “TikTok made me buy it” posts
Getting featured in #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt posts can boost your product’s visibility—it’s basically free marketing. Try these strategies to capture social media attention.
Start a TikTok shop
One of the best ways to ensure content creators want to promote your videos using the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt hashtag is to start a TikTok Shop. TikTok’s built-in program lets UGC creators earn commission on the products they sell. This incentivizes them to use trending hashtags like #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt to get your products in front of more people.
Starting a TikTok shop also lets brands create shoppable videos, giving viewers a quick way to make a purchase without leaving the app.
Create a detailed and compelling product page
A detailed product page can help UGC creators decide why they should choose your product to promote. By highlighting your product’s features or any special promotions, you can stand out among the competition.
For example, camera brand DigiFilm uses a mix of images and text to draw in shoppers. From the product page, viewers know the camera comes with a microSD card (so no need for an extra purchase) and features six retro filters that give a film look to images without a user needing to pay to develop film.
One image is an infographic comparing the DigiFilm to a disposable camera that further highlights the product’s benefits, like being able to take 1,000 photos compared to a more limited number with a film camera.
A detailed page can also inform how UGC creators present your product. For example, user @reeserrelly shared a #tiktokshopcreatorpicks video where she explains how many photos she can take, how she can access the photos from her phone, and showing off the different filters.
Use open collaboration
The TikTok affiliate program lets you choose between target collaboration (you choose who can promote your products) and open collaboration (open to all creators). To increase your chances of getting your product featured on #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt, consider using the open collaboration option.
This widens the pool of collaborators who can promote your product, and you can still have control over who uses this feature. By turning on “require approval mode,” you can still decide who can participate.
TikTok made me buy it FAQ
What does “made me buy it” mean on TikTok?
“Tik Tok made me buy it” is a viral trend where users post short-form videos describing their purchases, which can inspire others to do the same. Often shared as a hashtag, the trend can help brands become more visible on TikTok.
Does TikTok influence people to buy things?
TikTok is a source of shopping inspiration for many users. Content that features products, such as a tutorial video or a product demo, helps viewers discover new items and decide what to buy.
Is buying things from TikTok safe?
It is generally safe to purchase products from TikTok. Practice caution by purchasing from verified vendors and reviewing seller ratings before completing a transaction. Avoid sharing your personal information via informal channels like DMs or comments.
What is TikTok Shop?
TikTok Shop is TikTok’s internal ecommerce platform. Users can browse items, make purchases, and sell products directly in the app using TikTok Shop.
