TikTok Shop Case Study: How MorphCostumes Achieved Over 7,000% Revenue Growth with Our Social Media Specialist

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, TikTok Shop has emerged as a dynamic platform for businesses looking to expand their reach and drive sales. This case study spotlights how MorphCostumes, a leading online retailer specializing in costumes, leveraged TikTok Shop’s affiliate marketing to achieve outstanding results over a three-month period. With a targeted approach to creator collaborations and an efficient affiliate marketing strategy, MorphCostumes saw their revenue grow by over 7,000%.

The Background

MorphCostumes, owned by Fraser Smeaton, is a popular online retailer specializing in a wide range of costumes and accessories for all occasions. From licensed characters to fantasy creatures, MorphCostumes has established itself as a go-to for high-quality, innovative costume options. Their primary audience includes families, cosplayers, Halloween enthusiasts, and adults who enjoy dressing up, with a targeted customer base in the UK.

Source: Morph Costumes Amazon Storefront

The Challenge

Despite having a TikTok Shop presence, MorphCostumes faced several hurdles in leveraging TikTok’s affiliate marketing features effectively. The main challenges were:

• Finding Relevant Creators: Identifying suitable creators who aligned with MorphCostumes' brand and audience was a significant hurdle.
• Tracking and Measuring Performance: Without a structured process in place, tracking performance metrics and analyzing campaign effectiveness was difficult.
• Optimizing Campaigns: MorphCostumes needed a streamlined approach to optimize campaigns and ensure collaboration efforts were impactful.

Solution: VAA’s Strategic Approach

Our Social Media Specialist (VAs) at VAA Philippines implemented a structured and targeted approach using organic strategies and precise tracking to enhance MorphCostumes' TikTok Shop presence.

Here are some key strategies:

• Product Focus: Emphasizing high-stock, best-selling items for target collaborations.
• Open Collaborations: Offering a broad range of products for creators across niches.
• Detailed Tracking: Monitoring creator performance and updating guidelines to align with top-performing videos.

Strategic Implementation of TikTok Shop Affiliate Marketing

To address MorphCostumes' needs and maximize TikTok Shop’s potential, our VAs implemented a blend of organic strategies and targeted outreach. Here’s a breakdown of the tactics we used:

Organic Strategies

Product Selection for Target Collaborations: We focused on high-stock, best-selling items, selecting products with the greatest potential for conversion. By analyzing which items received the most sample requests, our VAs identified products that resonated most with creators and audiences.

Widening Scope with Open Collaborations: Allowing both kids’ and adults’ products in open collaborations expanded the range of eligible creators. This approach yielded higher sales compared to targeted collaborations alone, as it attracted a diverse group of content creators across TikTok’s platform.

Creator Review and Approval for Sample Requests: Our VAs approved open collaboration requests from creators who met specific criteria, including a consistent posting rate (at least 80%) and a history of sales, ensuring collaborations were impactful and efficient. 

Detailed Tracking with Monitoring Sheets: To streamline campaign performance tracking, our VAs developed a comprehensive monitoring sheet to track key metrics. Regular reports provided MorphCostumes with insights on high-performing collaborations, helping refine ongoing strategies.

Content Guidelines Based on High-Performing Creators: By analyzing successful creator videos, we refined our posting guidelines, encouraging future collaborators to produce optimized content that aligns with top-performing strategies.

Key Results: Outstanding Growth Metrics

The implementation of these strategies yielded impressive month-on-month growth, with MorphCostumes' revenue increasing by over 7,000% from July to October. Below is the breakdown of the campaign’s performance:

Overall Results

Gross Sales

• July: £165.94
• August: £346.89
• September: £2,243.82
• October: £12,615.13

Total Orders

• July: 7
• August: 60
• September: 173
• October: 665

First-Time Buyers

• July: 7
• August: 55
• September: 161
• October: 587

Also note that setting up an account and listing products on TTS (TikTok Shop) does not require payment from the seller. TTS doesn’t charge direct platform fees; however, indirect costs, such as a commission fee from the total order amount, apply once an order is completed. Notably, the platform adjusted the commission fee rate from 5% to 9% starting September 2, 2024, per Great Britain time (UTC).

Note: Ads contributed 54% of the total sales, adding £8,428.22 to the total revenue.

Finances Summary

Role of Spark Ads (Affiliate Ads)

Spark ads played a pivotal role in expanding the reach of creator content. By utilizing spark codes from high-performing creators, MorphCostumes could promote these videos as ads, increasing visibility and driving further conversions. Our VAs coordinated with creators to secure spark codes and track ad performance, ensuring a seamless workflow for the client.

Challenges and Solutions

1. Limited Creator Pool

• Challenge: Finding creators who align with MorphCostumes’ unique product categories—like costumes for specific themes or age groups—was challenging and required extra research, particularly for target collaborations.
• Solution: Our VA broadened the search by including creators from related niches, such as general fashion and makeup, who could still attract the right audience. Additionally, they used keywords like “parenting” and “children” to find creators who would appeal to MorphCostumes’ key demographics, especially those interested in children’s costumes.

2. Tagging and Categorization Complexity

• Challenge: Organizing and categorizing creators based on the brand’s costume categories (e.g., age-specific or theme-specific) became time-consuming and complex.
• Solution: A standardized tagging system was introduced to streamline categorization. Tags like “boys,” “girls,” “unisex,” and “toddlers” helped the VA easily categorize creators based on costume relevance and track collaborations more efficiently.

3. Incomplete Content from Creators

• Challenge: Some creators struggled to complete their content within the agreed-upon timeframe, leading to potential collaboration expirations and delays in the campaign.
• Solution: The VA maintained consistent communication with creators, setting up regular reminders and monitoring their progress. By tracking content creation timelines, they were able to provide timely support and ensure that creators stayed on schedule.

4. Managing Non-Completion of Collaborations

• Challenge: When creators didn’t complete their collaborations, marking them as “not completed” became cumbersome and also affected future participation.
• Solution: The VA implemented a transparent communication process, clearly explaining the consequences of incomplete collaborations to creators. By emphasizing that non-completion could impact future partnership eligibility, they encouraged creators to follow through with their content commitments.

Conclusion

In just a few short months, MorphCostumes transformed its TikTok Shop performance, achieving substantial growth in both revenue and engagement. Central to this success was the expertise and dedication of our Social Media Specialist’s, who managed every critical aspect of the affiliate marketing strategy. 

Here’s how they contributed to this impressive outcome:

• Creator Collaboration Management: Our VAs carefully identified and engaged with the most relevant creators, optimizing Open and Targeted Collaborations that aligned with MorphCostumes’ brand and audience.
• Spark Ad Coordination: By securing spark codes from creators, our VAs ensured that MorphCostumes could leverage high-performing content through Spark Ads, accounting for over half of total sales generated.
• Monitoring and Optimization: Our VAs maintained detailed tracking sheets to monitor campaign performance, tracking sales, engagement, and top-performing creators. These insights allowed MorphCostumes to adjust strategies in real-time, maximizing results.
• Communication and Follow-Up: Ensuring creators delivered on their content commitments, our VAs handled all outreach and follow-up, fostering consistent and effective partnerships.

By combining strategic creator partnerships, targeted ad efforts, and rigorous tracking, our Social Media Specialist were instrumental in helping MorphCostumes achieve over 7,000% revenue growth from July to October. This case study underscores the impact a skilled Virtual Assistant team can have in driving significant e-commerce results, transforming challenges into scalable success.