TikTok can put a small shop in front of more people in a week than a year of posters. Turning those views into orders is the hard part: the questions arrive as comments and DMs, often in the middle of the night, and buyers expect a quick answer. This guide covers how to sell on TikTok as a small business that takes orders by chat, from setting up the account to answering buyers and recording orders with Karobar.
Step 1: Set up the account properly
- Switch to a business account. It unlocks business tools; TikTok's web scheduler, for example, needs a Business Account.
- A clear name and photo. Use the shop name people will search for, and your logo or a product photo.
- A bio that says how to order. "DM to order", "Cash on delivery across the country", or your WhatsApp number.
- Turn on messages. Buyers need to be able to write to you.
If you sell through TikTok Shop, checkout happens inside TikTok. This guide is for shops that take orders in DMs, comments and WhatsApp.
Step 2: Make videos that sell
- Show the product working in the first second: worn, used, unboxed.
- Answer real questions on video: sizes, delivery time, how to care for it.
- Show trust: orders being packed, real customer reactions, the shop itself.
- Label promotions. When a video promotes your own products, switch on the promotional content label.
Why these work is explained in How the TikTok algorithm works. Plan and schedule a week of them with How to schedule TikTok posts.
Step 4: Answer DMs inside TikTok's window
TikTok limits how long and how often a business can reply after a customer writes. In the Karobar inbox, each TikTok chat shows the time and messages left, so you never miss the window. The rules and practical tips are in TikTok DMs for business.
Most questions repeat, so prepare the answers once: add your products, prices and delivery rules, and Karobar AI drafts replies from them for you to send. See Turn on AI reply drafts.
Step 5: Turn chats into orders
- When a buyer is ready, create the order from the chat with + Order, so the product, price, address and phone are recorded.
- Confirm cash-on-delivery orders before you ship; see COD order confirmation.
- Add the courier and tracking number, and use Notify customer to send the update; see Courier tracking updates.
The same steps work for Instagram DMs; How to take orders from Instagram DMs walks through them in more detail.
Step 6: Add ads when organic works
Once a video sells without ads, put money behind it. Connect your TikTok Ads Manager account to Karobar to see spend and results in Ad Insights next to your Meta and Snapchat ads, and to receive entries from TikTok lead forms in the Sales Desk. See Connect TikTok and TikTok Ads.
Replies for the questions you get every day
Save these as canned replies, or add the details to your business info so Karobar AI drafts them for you:
| Question | Reply |
|---|---|
| "Price?" | "Hi! It is Rs 2,450 with free delivery. Which size and colour would you like?" |
| "Cash on delivery?" | "Yes, you pay when it arrives. Share your name, address and phone number and we will book it." |
| "How many days?" | "Usually 2 to 4 working days in big cities. We send you the tracking number as soon as it ships." |
| "Size guide?" | "Here is our size chart. Tell us your usual size and we will suggest the best fit." |
| "Original?" | "Yes, and you can check it when it arrives before you pay." |
Change the prices and promises to match what you really offer. A fast, honest answer sells better than a perfect one sent tomorrow.
Keep the replies in the same language your buyers use. If they write in Roman Urdu, answer in Roman Urdu; it feels like talking to a person, not a company.
Mistakes to avoid
- Going viral with no stock. Make sure you can deliver before you push a product.
- Answering the same question 200 times. Pin the answer, make a video of it, and use AI drafts for DMs.
- Taking orders in your memory. Record every order from the chat; DM orders get lost otherwise.
- Only selling. Mix useful and behind-the-scenes videos in with the product ones.
Sources
Facts about other companies and platforms come from their own pages, checked on the dates shown. Plans and prices change; check the source before you decide.
- TikTok for Business: Introducing video scheduler (checked 2026-10-15)
Step 3: Treat comments as the shop counter
On a selling video, comments like "price?", "size M available?" and "delivery to Lahore?" are buyers raising a hand. Answer them fast and in public, so the next person sees the answer too.
TikTok does not let apps send a private message from a comment, so invite people to DM you or message you on WhatsApp instead.