If you’re still treating TikTok like a teenage dance app, we’ve got news. It’s become a shopping powerhouse. We’re seeing brands actively asking to be listed there, because that “accidental scroll” now often ends in a purchase. TikTok isn’t just vibing, it’s converting.
Welcome to the wonderful, wild world of multi-marketplace eCommerce. If your brand’s not on TikTok Shop, Amazon, Instagram, and six other platforms you forgot you signed up for, are you even really trying? Multiple outlets, all working while you sleep.
But here’s the catch, managing all those platforms without losing sleep is a big ask.So how do you manage multiple marketplaces without losing your sanity?
One size doesn’t fit all.
Different platforms means different audiences. Your Gen Z buyer isn’t scrolling eBay. Your B2B bulk buyer probably doesn’t want to DM for prices. Diversify where you sell and how you show up. What works on TikTok probably flops on Shopify.
Pictures worth a thousand clicks.
Standard product shots? Snooze. Campaign imagery, especially AI-generated, scroll-stopping visuals, is outperforming the old-school “white background and hope for the best” routine. This is marketing, not a catalogue. Make it pop.
The pricing death spiral.
Here’s the dirty little secret. Marketplaces are cannibalising brands. Some retailers are offering free delivery, returns, and throwing in a puppy for good measure. That’s great for customers, not so great for your margin. Without a long-term pricing strategy, it’s a race to the bottom and spoiler alert! No one wins.
D2C going DIY marketplace
Watch this space. We’re seeing more direct-to-consumer brands turning their own sites into mini marketplaces. Control the brand, the customer journey, and the profit. Genius? Maybe. Resource-intensive? Definitely. But it's coming.
So, what’s a brand to do?
• Test early. Don’t wait ‘til a platform’s saturated before jumping in.
• Plan pricing with a crystal ball. Think long-term, not “how cheap can we go this week.”
• Know your goal. Awareness? Sales? Acquisition? Match the channel to the mission.
• Get real on costs. Time, tech, content. Platforms don’t run themselves.
Multiple platforms don’t have to mean multiple headaches. With the right strategy (and a Cheeky agency in your corner), you can be everywhere your customer scrolls and still sleep at night.
Want us to help sort your marketplace madness? Let’s chat. We’ll bring the strategy, you bring the sass and we can do something Cheeky together.