Live selling is the new influencing when it comes to digital commerce. Nowhere is the trend more apparent than on TikTok, the short-form, video-sharing app with more than 1 billion active global users. Hundreds of thousands of creators host live events on TikTok each week, offering consumers the chance to be entertained while also showcasing products from brands like Charlotte Tilbury, L’Oréal Paris, and Dr. Squatch. Many global retailers, like Walmart, American Eagle, and Ulta, are getting in on the action, using video as a way to connect with younger audiences.
TikTok, which launched across the globe just four years ago, pushed into e-commerce at a time when consumers are clamoring for more content from online creators. In China alone, livestream shopping is expected to generate more than $400 billion in sales this year. Consumer spending in social apps, including TikTok, will reach more than $17 billion worldwide by 2025.
Working with the right TikTok creator can make or break a brand’s success. With millions of followers watching their every move, top TikTok sellers can provide brands clout and deliver a unique advantage in engaging consumers and driving online sales.
Below are five top TikTok creators with successful track records working with global brands.
TikTok Followers: 136.3 Million
Charli D’Amelio was just 15 years old when she began working with Procter & Gamble on a dance challenge to promote social distancing. D’Amelio’s choreographed dance routine for P&G—part of the #DistanceDance campaign—is now one of her most-watched videos on TikTok. The campaign’s success was largely driven by D’Amelio’s influence and massive teenage fanbase.
Choosing a teenage creator with global reach gave P&G immediate access to a Gen Z audience. The brand also established authenticity early on by encouraging D’Amelio to choreograph the dance on her own and giving her the autonomy to create content developed specifically for her fans.
TikTok Followers: 51.5 Million
Michael Le was tapped by Walmart to collaborate on the company’s first shoppable livestream on TikTok back in 2020. Since then, he has gone on to work with a variety of brands, including American Eagle, Invisalign, and State Farm Insurance. What makes him such a successful TikTok seller? Le is known for posting creative dances and public pranks. His content is out-of-the-box, but G-rated, making Le attractive to brands looking to connect with family audiences.
TikTok Followers: 86.6 Million
A mega-star even within the top echelon of TikTok creators, Addison Rae has parlayed dances and lip-syncing videos into lucrative partnerships with global brands like L’Oreal, Olay, and Bounty. In one six-month period in 2020, Rae, a former broadcast journalism student who reportedly dropped out of school once she started gaining more TikTok followers, helped American Eagle generate $4.26 million in media impact value, according to a report by Launchmetrics. Rae’s most successful TikTok video for American Eagle—which featured her dancing next to a Mickey Mouse cartoon to promote the company’s partnership with Disney—was viewed more than 44 million times.
TikTok Followers: 1.1 Million
Successful collaborations with high-end brands like Christian Louboutin have positioned Larsen Thompson as an influential TikTok seller in the luxury space. Thompson recently worked with Saks on the launch of the company’s TikTok account, where she changed from daywear into an evening gown in what became Saks’ first TikTok post . Thompson’s experience as an actress and model has given her an edge when it comes to capturing brand identity and influencing fans to make purchases based on her recommendations.
TikTok Followers: 67.3 Million
According to Zach King’s TikTok bio, he’s “Bringing a little more wonder into the world, 15 seconds at a time.” That description, coupled with his reputation as a family-friendly TikTok creator, has helped King land major partnerships with companies like Universal Pictures, BMW, Chipotle, and KIND Snacks. King is one of TikTok’s most-followed creators, generating billions of views with his special effects editing skills. To create buzz for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort, King created TikToks that showed him flying on a broom using his own brand of special effects.
