A good TikTok Shop agency can take you from zero to serious revenue in months. A bad one burns your budget on pretty videos that never convert. Since TikTok Shop works differently from every other channel — the algorithm, the affiliate ecosystem, the content style — choosing a partner with genuine shop-operating experience matters more than a flashy portfolio.
Whether you're a UK brand or selling in the US, here are the seven questions to ask before you sign anything.
1. Do you actually operate TikTok Shops, or just make content?
This is the big one. Plenty of agencies can edit a nice video. Far fewer have ever handled product listings, Seller Center verification, affiliate commission structures, shop health scores, and fulfilment workflows.
Ask: "Walk me through a shop you currently operate — not a video you made, a shop." If they can't, they're a content vendor, not a growth partner.
2. Can you show me GMV proof — not just views?
Views don't pay suppliers. Ask for revenue screenshots from TikTok Shop analytics: GMV over time, ideally across more than one brand and category. Recent client work should show real numbers — for example, one of our UK food & beverage clients did £38,642 in GMV in a single month.
Be wary of agencies that show follower counts or viral videos with no revenue attached.
3. Who owns the accounts and data?
Clarify from day one: your Seller Center, your ad account, your TikTok account — all registered to you, with the agency given managed access. Never hand over outright ownership of your shop to an agency. If the relationship ends, you should keep everything.
4. How do you handle creators and affiliates?
Creators drive the majority of sales on most successful TikTok Shops. Your agency should have a real process for this: finding creators, negotiating rates, seeding samples, tracking who posted, and doubling down on winners.
Ask how many active creator relationships they manage right now, and how they track performance per creator.
5. What's your content process — and who makes it?
TikTok Shop rewards authentic, UGC-style content over polished commercials. Ask to see the actual ad creatives running for current clients. Look for native-feeling videos: real product demos, taste tests, unboxings — not TV-style ads shrunk to vertical.
Also ask about volume. One video a week won't move the needle; serious shops test constantly.
6. How do you charge — and what does it include?
Common models: monthly retainer, performance commission, or a hybrid. None is inherently wrong, but the scope must be explicit: does the fee cover shop setup, product listings, creator outreach, content production, and reporting — or just one of those?
Get the deliverables in writing: number of creatives per month, creator outreach volume, reporting cadence.
7. How will you report progress — and how often?
You should receive regular, honest reporting: GMV, orders, content performance, creator leaderboard, and what changed as a result. Monthly at minimum; weekly is better during launch.
Ask to see a sample report. If it's a screenshot of view counts with no revenue or actions, walk away.
Red Flags to Watch For
- Guaranteed viral videos or guaranteed revenue (no one can promise this)
- No verifiable client results or references
- They want ownership of your shop or ad accounts
- One-size-fits-all packages with no discovery phase
- No creator/affiliate process — just "we'll run ads"