Courses to learn to sell on TikTok are all the rage in China

It’s the last day of a two-week course to learn how to sell online. TikTok. Chinese students film themselves with their phones to train themselves to sell all kinds of items, from clothes to coffee machines, on the popular application.

“It’s muslin, it’s very soft,” exclaims in English the professor at this online business school in Canton, southern China, as she presents clothes to the camera for buyers in the United Kingdom, detailing prices and sizes.

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Although officially blocked in China, the TikTok app is increasingly used by Chinese sellers. To use it, you must use virtual private network (VPN) software, which is often tolerated by authorities when used for professional purposes.

Being successful on this social network, where short videos are shared, requires a wide range of knowledge, from circumventing Chinese Internet censorship to speaking several languages. Hence the rise of training in this niche.

“We teach them which products sell best and which markets are the most suitable,” Wang Yaxuan, 27, another trainer at the school, told AFP.

Without intermediaries

In Guangzhou province, thousands of factories produce everything from clothing to coffee makers to wigs.

After decades of producing goods for export, Chinese companies are increasingly seeking to cut out middlemen and sell directly to foreign consumers, at even lower prices.

Shein, the Chinese fast fashion giant, has established itself in the Western market thanks to this strategy and using the strength of TikTok.

The TikTok logo at its California headquarters

But As the app is not officially available in China, smaller businesses are at a disadvantage.

These Courses are designed to help them by teaching them the basicshow to create an account on the social network, as well as more aspects advanced, such as managing shipments or analyzing sales data.

At the Mede Education Technology online business school the price for a six-day course is around 9,000 yuan, about 1,160 euros or $1,240.

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Wang, who studied in the United States, explains that Chinese sellers can find it difficult to adapt to the tastes of foreign consumers.

Faced with the threat of TikTok being banned in the United States for suspicion of sharing personal data with the Chinese government, Wang is indifferent.

“Our students don’t just sell in the US market,” he points out, citing strong sales in Southeast Asia as an example.

Warm-up routine

This center is just one of many offering courses to learn how to sell on TikTok, after Guangdong authorities launched a campaign to promote international commerce on the Internet.

And for those who don’t want to pay for a course, yesYou can always get some insight or advice from TikTok veterans.

Molly Zhao, 23, has been selling clothing and electronic products on the social network since 2022.

The young woman, who speaks Italian and English, told AFP that speaking other languages ​​has helped her earn up to 20,000 yuan a month (almost 2,600 euros or $2,780).

On the Douyin app, the Chinese equivalent of TikTok, he regularly posts videos aimed at his compatriots to teach them basic English terms or how to clearly explain shipping costs.

In another video, she shares her warm-up routine before a session selling gemstones and crystals aimed at the American market.

“It’s time to earn Americans’ money,” he says. “I’m going to play some music to warm up.”

Source: Elcomercio